Hi Dear Mr Wolff
While it would be quite imaginative to jettison heart K under A to avoid the endplay perhaps it could have been better if west knowing that partner has something in spades and seeing heart K in hand which certainly must be a trick. So he can passively return a trump which is perfectly safe as east cannot have a trump trick after the bidding and east showing strength in spades . Now, if declarer wins in dummy and even correctly judges east has both missing spade honours, he can lead spade with east splitting, south winning but now cashing A of hearts would not work . West can win second heart as south can establish spades but cannot reach dummy due to the awkward block in the suit and if south wins trump in hand, he doesn’t have any play for the contract. But perhaps east made a mistake in indicating spades in absence of which west certainly would have returned trump and options are bleak for south. He cannot even infer east has both spade honours and play west for doubleton honor. Nevertheless, as the play went , the concept of jettisoning heart K is worth remembering
Regards
Bobby WolffMarch 3rd, 2023 at 3:14 pm
Hi Iain,
Yes, I realize, no-one, has asked me anything yet, but today’s hand lends itself to
many different type slings and arrows such as perhaps West should lead fourth best instead of the queen, since partner now signaling spades is more helpful to the enemy than it is to the opening leader (and IMO figures to be). Another subtle reason for not playing the EW choice of the Queen is that East will, in many cases now first remember their agreement then proceed to think about the whole hand, concentrating on doing best for partner, depending on what he holds. Therein it will take time for East to decide and every second that East waits will be thought to be by NS and perhaps first the TD and then the committee with giving unauthorized information or at the least, possibly doing so. So please consider that dear EW, before going all-in on anything.
So that the reader now knows (or only suspects) how wrong it is to play a defensive convention more helpful to the opponents than to themselves, plus the questionable ethics involved, on with the show. Besides, by leading 4th best here, with, of course, absolutely no partnership understanding, may sometimes lead the declarer into doing something terrible, when, in truth, nothing special is meant by it.
Please, do not tell me, partner may be void and ruff the opening lead, since that may also happen with the queen lead.
How clever we are, to be a hop, or step, or even lunge, ahead of those evil opponents!
Bobby WolffMarch 3rd, 2023 at 3:25 pm
Hi AVRR,
We were both thinking and writing at the same time, so since definitely Iain is in a different time zone and I am not sure about you, I simply addressed Iain.
Thanks for your advice, which I certainly believe is valid, stop playing conventions which are very likely to be better for the opponents than for the defense.
Iain ClimieMarch 3rd, 2023 at 4:09 pm
Hi Bobby,
Clearly shows I’m blogging almost too often! The point about who East should be signalling to is well made though.
regards,
Iain
Jeff SerandosMarch 3rd, 2023 at 7:50 pm
Y’all think way more deeply about this stuff than I do, but going double-dummy for a moment, if West leads a diamond at trick 2, can’t South take it in hand, clear trumps still in hand, cross to the AS and lead back to the KS with East again splitting honours? Then, the AH and a second heart would seem to revert to the column line with West needing to drop the KH under the ace. Otherwise, a club trumped in dummy and the Darvas-like heroic 6D is still in declarer’s hand to get back to the board.
Am I missing something?
Thanks,
Jeff
A V Ramana RaoMarch 4th, 2023 at 8:25 am
Hi Jeff
In the line you describe, when declarer plays spade A and returns, east doesn’t split. If declarer wins ten he can cash by A of spades and lead A of hearts and west need not be brilliant and not play K. He wins next heart and perforce leads club. South gets a discard as dummy ruffs but south has still a heart to lose as spades are not established. The subtle difference between this line and west leading spade is east cannot afford not splitting. If he plays low, south wins ten, draws trumps with south’s high trumps, cashes Kand A of spades , ruffs spade and leads A of hearts and another and now it is too late for west to be brilliant. If he pitches heart K on A, south reaches dummy with ten of diamonds, takes heart pitch on spade and leads heart towards J assuring the contract and if west doesn’t discard K, he is endplayed. The ensuing ruff in dummy and established spade would take care of the contract.
Regards
A V Ramana RaoMarch 4th, 2023 at 8:40 am
It only indicates that it is imperative for east not to indicate spade strength prompting west for spade return. I remember a Quote of Alfred Shienwold ( may not be verbatim) that keeping partner in dark and taking the contract down is more important than enlightenment of partner
Hope our host approves
Regards
A V Ramana RaoMarch 4th, 2023 at 9:03 am
No, there is an error in my analysis. West needs to unblock else south can get another spade trick. Sorry
Bobby WolffMarch 4th, 2023 at 7:38 pm
Hi AVRR,
Oh YES, I do. It sure beats earned flattery from the opponents, both to each other and also to only one of us when their likely doomed contract comes home, because of an improper signal with what we were dealt.
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Hi Dear Mr Wolff
While it would be quite imaginative to jettison heart K under A to avoid the endplay perhaps it could have been better if west knowing that partner has something in spades and seeing heart K in hand which certainly must be a trick. So he can passively return a trump which is perfectly safe as east cannot have a trump trick after the bidding and east showing strength in spades . Now, if declarer wins in dummy and even correctly judges east has both missing spade honours, he can lead spade with east splitting, south winning but now cashing A of hearts would not work . West can win second heart as south can establish spades but cannot reach dummy due to the awkward block in the suit and if south wins trump in hand, he doesn’t have any play for the contract. But perhaps east made a mistake in indicating spades in absence of which west certainly would have returned trump and options are bleak for south. He cannot even infer east has both spade honours and play west for doubleton honor. Nevertheless, as the play went , the concept of jettisoning heart K is worth remembering
Regards
Hi Iain,
Yes, I realize, no-one, has asked me anything yet, but today’s hand lends itself to
many different type slings and arrows such as perhaps West should lead fourth best instead of the queen, since partner now signaling spades is more helpful to the enemy than it is to the opening leader (and IMO figures to be). Another subtle reason for not playing the EW choice of the Queen is that East will, in many cases now first remember their agreement then proceed to think about the whole hand, concentrating on doing best for partner, depending on what he holds. Therein it will take time for East to decide and every second that East waits will be thought to be by NS and perhaps first the TD and then the committee with giving unauthorized information or at the least, possibly doing so. So please consider that dear EW, before going all-in on anything.
So that the reader now knows (or only suspects) how wrong it is to play a defensive convention more helpful to the opponents than to themselves, plus the questionable ethics involved, on with the show. Besides, by leading 4th best here, with, of course, absolutely no partnership understanding, may sometimes lead the declarer into doing something terrible, when, in truth, nothing special is meant by it.
Please, do not tell me, partner may be void and ruff the opening lead, since that may also happen with the queen lead.
How clever we are, to be a hop, or step, or even lunge, ahead of those evil opponents!
Hi AVRR,
We were both thinking and writing at the same time, so since definitely Iain is in a different time zone and I am not sure about you, I simply addressed Iain.
Thanks for your advice, which I certainly believe is valid, stop playing conventions which are very likely to be better for the opponents than for the defense.
Hi Bobby,
Clearly shows I’m blogging almost too often! The point about who East should be signalling to is well made though.
regards,
Iain
Y’all think way more deeply about this stuff than I do, but going double-dummy for a moment, if West leads a diamond at trick 2, can’t South take it in hand, clear trumps still in hand, cross to the AS and lead back to the KS with East again splitting honours? Then, the AH and a second heart would seem to revert to the column line with West needing to drop the KH under the ace. Otherwise, a club trumped in dummy and the Darvas-like heroic 6D is still in declarer’s hand to get back to the board.
Am I missing something?
Thanks,
Jeff
Hi Jeff
In the line you describe, when declarer plays spade A and returns, east doesn’t split. If declarer wins ten he can cash by A of spades and lead A of hearts and west need not be brilliant and not play K. He wins next heart and perforce leads club. South gets a discard as dummy ruffs but south has still a heart to lose as spades are not established. The subtle difference between this line and west leading spade is east cannot afford not splitting. If he plays low, south wins ten, draws trumps with south’s high trumps, cashes Kand A of spades , ruffs spade and leads A of hearts and another and now it is too late for west to be brilliant. If he pitches heart K on A, south reaches dummy with ten of diamonds, takes heart pitch on spade and leads heart towards J assuring the contract and if west doesn’t discard K, he is endplayed. The ensuing ruff in dummy and established spade would take care of the contract.
Regards
It only indicates that it is imperative for east not to indicate spade strength prompting west for spade return. I remember a Quote of Alfred Shienwold ( may not be verbatim) that keeping partner in dark and taking the contract down is more important than enlightenment of partner
Hope our host approves
Regards
No, there is an error in my analysis. West needs to unblock else south can get another spade trick. Sorry
Hi AVRR,
Oh YES, I do. It sure beats earned flattery from the opponents, both to each other and also to only one of us when their likely doomed contract comes home, because of an improper signal with what we were dealt.