In BWTA, you don’t say what S should bid. I gather, however, that you would bid 2S. Am I right?

Would you consider a double, followed by a correction to hearts?

In the column hand, perhaps the first tricks should go KS then QS. The defense should be able to figure out from the start the need to obscure the high card layout.

In the above sequence, declarer would be left unsure which ace West was hiding.

Hi David & Bob,

Yes, I prefer a 2 spade cue bid which is implied to be stronger than a 3 hearts jump, which today is often used as a preemptive measure with long hearts and only about 5 or 6 HCPs.

While a negative double is possible, the danger becomes a raise of spades by LHO which will leave partner in the dark about your good trump fit. Always keep in mind, when fitting partner (especially his major suit), the sooner the better to tell partner since the danger of preemption by an opponent will often put an end to intelligent bidding by your side if not done.

Your risk then switches to risking partner opening a 4 card major in 3rd position, but then 4-3 fits sometimes play well and should not be feared.

Hi Jim2,

Yes, sometimes (more often than thought), obfuscation on defense, like Smoky the Bear preventing forest fires, magically provides wrong views from a good declarer by causing him to miss guess the cards.

Although overlooked at times by the defense, who likely are not privy to declarer’s exact problem, but still know the less declarer knows about the defensive hands the better it is for them should do as you say and practice legal deception with little or no cost, unless partner unduly hesitates, which should never be done, especially when it almost could not matter.

Sometimes, easier said then done, but your imagination is, as usual, right on the money.

At the table as East, I think I’d find it very difficult to duck the AS in a tempo sufficient to mislead declarer. I’ve probably seen too many textbook hands where East is told he must overtake and find the killing shift at trick 1.

After all, this is likely to be your one time on lead, and a diamond switch needs to be considered (particularily if the 10D and 9D positions are reversed so you don’t know who has the 10).

Hi Ted,

First of all you are probably as right as you can be by wanting to overtake partner’s king of spades at trick one for a diamond shift.

However, depending upon the diamond position around the table it could be right or wrong to do so. Considering the bidding, declarer certainly is a favorite to have a singleton spade plus a club fit (his 4 club raise) so that his hand is likely either 1-5-3-4 or 1-5-4-3.

The ten of diamonds in dummy forces East, if taking three defensive diamond tricks is necessary for success (two may be enough if partner happens to have a trump trick, Q10x), to somewhat deceptively lead the jack of diamonds, hoping declarer will play you for QJ9 and thus not cover the jack, allowing you to con him out of the setting trick.

This combination is popular among the world’s very good players and anyone who has played for many years and has scalps on the wall to prove it, will be familiar with this ruse.

My main purpose for writing is to agree with you, leaving it up to the individual reader to realize just how much is involved in trying to best one’s worthy opponents in winning the psychological poker battle which is often involved in who eventually wins the war.

Yes, the jack of diamonds may win fair lady, but so might a fast duck of the 1st two spade tricks with partner pretending to have AKQ, just in case the defense goes differently. Once East overtakes at trick one, everyone at the table will know where the ace of diamonds is located, but the lesser diamond honors may still need to be guessed, all because of that big casino (diamond ten for youngsters not familiar with the old game of casino) which lurks in dummy.

Thanks for writing and adding positive logic to our discussion.