From the cheap seats: Happily I did see the “surround” play and suspect I would at the table. Playing IMPs the switch is easy; at MPs I might flinch, as I could be giving away a top.

As to the lead, I would probably lead a low diamond, fearing an unhappy lie of the cards and, hopefully, putting declarer to an early guess. Perhaps, if I were confident that declarer was unlikey to hold an ace, given the opening bid, I might lead the queen anyway but…

Thoughts??

“hold an ace” should read “hold the ace or king”, fearing that if partner holds neither my jack disappears.

Hi Bruce,

You are trying to do too much and by that remark I am referring to your attempted visualization as to where the cards are going to turn up.

True, bridge is an intellectual game which needs sophisticated judgment, especially in determining an opening lead. However, all we can go on are time honored theories and, at least in my opinion, when holding the QJ and some little ones and leading against a suit, I would always choose the queen instead of a low one.

Your retort about, while sitting in the 3rd chair, that you may lead a diamond back after winning the first one with your ace. It well could be right to do it at matchpoints (as you suggested), but as I (and others) have said many times, matchpoints have a very high ratio of luck involved, which reduces its value, certainly not adds to. There is very little evidence present which is credible enough to make that decision, but unless the game is allowed to be held up while you think for 15 minutes or more, it will still result in luck as to what to do.

Thanks for your comments which will be widely read and appreciated.

HBJ : In the East seat after taking the first trick in diamonds, there’s no way I would continue the suit given dummy’s potential trick in the suit ( with that nasty looking 10 ). Hearts are a complete no-no, so the club….. by a process the elimination ( rather than divine inspiration )……… is my choice of return.

Hey, am I on a roll or not ?

Hi John Howard,

Yes, while, if I am talking to HBJ instead of JHG, he might illegally be able to ask partner how many diamonds did you start with (assuming he was playing matchpoints) and even more importantly, “who has the king of clubs?”. When receiving the correct answer, he would also switch to the low club and achieve the right result. However, since I am talking to JHG you have to find out the card placement by logic, instead of stealth, which you undoubtedly and by admission have so done, you too, will then also succeed mightily.

The above is only kidding, but your usual veiled reference to the famous Robert Louis Stevenson dual character, “the infamous, Mr. Hyde” in the form of HBJ, is who you try and represent and all macabre illusions are done with vivid imagination. Thanks for continuing to entertain your readers and mine.

Of course, when you all switch to clubs, I as declarer at non-vul hold:

K8xxxx xxx xx Kx

Your club switch was the only way I could make the hand.

Hi Paul,

Ah, Yes and that’s why HBJ will, almost always, according to a previous comment, outscore JHG, but that is an oft told tale which is wearing thin.

No matter how one slices it, two results stand out:

1. Good bridge requires deft judgment and reasonable playing luck.

2. Matchpoint bridge, while extremely entertaining, socially acceptable, and relatively easy to stage, is not the mostly skilled game that IMPs and rubber bridge represents, because of the rather large luck element involved.

However, to each his own and many enjoy, even prefer to play old-fashioned exciting, duplicate bridge.

I almost posted precisely the same hand that Paul Bethe posted!

But, I thought I might have run the “Theory of Card Migration” a bit much.

Hi Jim2,

Your “Theory of Card Migration” can never be overused because of a cross between the apt name and the sheer frustration it brings.

A fair barometer that the switch to a low club by East, playing partner for the club king, instead of a diamond return is the correct play is that both you and Paul, between you, can only come up with one likely holding which fits the diamond return, and even then would declarer have covered the queen of diamonds, if he had been dealt a doubleton diamond, allowing East a more or less, free shot in forcing the defense to give up a trick rather than covering and allowing East to return a 2nd diamond, but declarer would then have to concede an immediate trick if he wanted to make use of the 3rd round good ten of diamonds.

All of these various differences should be factored into the declarer’s Ouija Board before he chances his play and declarer’s choice might then, in turn, influence the defense into getting it right.