I sympathise with West leading the CK but if he (counter-intuitively) leads the SA “for a look” he knows exactly what to do at T2. I don’t think the SA is a legitimate lead on the bidding but you can’t argue with success as 2 rounds of diamonds will then leave South well short.
Regards,
Iain Climie
bobbywolffJune 10th, 2021 at 2:14 pm
Hi Iain,
Knowing his partner will be blessed with 4 trumps and, of course, directing his ears to the bidding and the diamond raise should enable West to lead diamonds rather than clubs.
The bidding certainly suggested (or should have) the exact heart distribution around the table and then adding partner’s (at least supposedly, no fool) penalty double, should give West enough information to play the forcing game, rather than pussy footing around, pretending to just lead the king, closest his thumb.
Yes, as you know as well as I, good bridge starts out somewhat blind and deaf, only privy to one’s own 13, but then often, during the bidding, comes alive with sometimes critical knowledge on the general distributional layout (but, of course, not close to the exact cards).
Add that to never too early to start the right defense (sometimes a total guess and should be and is, decided just based on general learned principles). However and no doubt, East, (especially if his partner had started the forcing game with a diamond ) would be more than just delighted to see West show up with a single heart instead of what would certainly be, a despicable void.
Furthermore, East was certainly not doubling on his 4 mangy trump, but rather his robust K109x in spades and, of course, was right on with his duty (doubling 5 hearts), but needed a more circumspect thinking partner in order to reap his reward.
Sad, but the general theme of not being super attentive to the first stage of a hand (bidding) will nip someone right in the butt, and to take one’s partner down with him is just sometimes too grisly to just contemplate, much less experience.
As always, thanks for first recognizing and then initiating the discussion and allowing general principles of our beloved game to be, at the very least, discussed.
Iain ClimieJune 10th, 2021 at 3:47 pm
Hi Bobby,
True and I must admit I’d glossed over East’s 1H bid although I hope I wouldn’t have dozed off like that at the table.
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Hi Bobby,
I sympathise with West leading the CK but if he (counter-intuitively) leads the SA “for a look” he knows exactly what to do at T2. I don’t think the SA is a legitimate lead on the bidding but you can’t argue with success as 2 rounds of diamonds will then leave South well short.
Regards,
Iain Climie
Hi Iain,
Knowing his partner will be blessed with 4 trumps and, of course, directing his ears to the bidding and the diamond raise should enable West to lead diamonds rather than clubs.
The bidding certainly suggested (or should have) the exact heart distribution around the table and then adding partner’s (at least supposedly, no fool) penalty double, should give West enough information to play the forcing game, rather than pussy footing around, pretending to just lead the king, closest his thumb.
Yes, as you know as well as I, good bridge starts out somewhat blind and deaf, only privy to one’s own 13, but then often, during the bidding, comes alive with sometimes critical knowledge on the general distributional layout (but, of course, not close to the exact cards).
Add that to never too early to start the right defense (sometimes a total guess and should be and is, decided just based on general learned principles). However and no doubt, East, (especially if his partner had started the forcing game with a diamond ) would be more than just delighted to see West show up with a single heart instead of what would certainly be, a despicable void.
Furthermore, East was certainly not doubling on his 4 mangy trump, but rather his robust K109x in spades and, of course, was right on with his duty (doubling 5 hearts), but needed a more circumspect thinking partner in order to reap his reward.
Sad, but the general theme of not being super attentive to the first stage of a hand (bidding) will nip someone right in the butt, and to take one’s partner down with him is just sometimes too grisly to just contemplate, much less experience.
As always, thanks for first recognizing and then initiating the discussion and allowing general principles of our beloved game to be, at the very least, discussed.
Hi Bobby,
True and I must admit I’d glossed over East’s 1H bid although I hope I wouldn’t have dozed off like that at the table.
Iain