September 2015 - 48

Newer Players

Ask Jerry
BY JERRY HELMS

Dear Jerry,
My partner and I agreed to play
the ace from A-K holding A-K-x (x).
One of our better local players said
this agreement differs when you are
on lead against a suit contract versus
a notrump contract. I don't understand the difference. Please help.
George
Hi, George,
Defending a suit contract, leading from A-K-x in an unbid suit will
frequently be your best option. For
starters, you generally win the first
trick, and you're still on lead, this time
with the benefit of seeing the dummy
and partner's signal.
Typically, your partner will send an
attitude signal by playing right-side up
carding: high to suggest a continuation
or low to suggest a shift. You are just
as likely to lead the ace from A-K-x
as from A-K-x-x-x. That's not true at
notrump.
The lead of an ace against any level
of notrump sends a radically different
message. With a five-card holding such
as A-K-J-10- x, you want to know
how many tricks you can expect to cash
without giving up a trick to declarer's
queen. Similarly, with A-K-Q-10 (x),
your lead of the ace asks where's the
jack and is it falling?
Standard practice, without discussion, is that the lead of an ace requires
partner to drop any card he holds that
has a picture on it, otherwise, to give
count. With no face card to unblock,
partner plays his lowest card to show

48 Bridge Bulletin September 2015

jerryhelms.com

an odd number, and his highest to show
two (second highest from four).
Only the ace has this special meaning. Any other honor lead simply asks
partner for attitude. Once again, high if
he likes it, low if he doesn't.
Here are two deals. The two-card
difference in declarer's hand creates
totally different defensive dilemmas.
On both deals, South opens 1NT, North
raises to 3NT and West leads the ♣A.
♠AK
♥74
♦KJ6432
♣754
♠732
♠9854
♥653
♥ A J 10 9 8
♦97
♦ 10 8
♣ A K J 10 3
♣92
♠ Q J 10 6
♥KQ2
♦AQ5
♣Q86
Listening to the bidding and looking at dummy, East, with 5 high-card
points, knows his partner can't have
more than 8 or 9. From partner's lead,
he knows those points are all in clubs.
East's ♣9 denies the queen and
begins a count signal showing either an
even number or a singleton. Now West
knows that South holds either ♣Q x x
or ♣Q x x x. To defeat 3NT, East needs
a fast entry and a second club. Based
on this logic, West shifts to a heart at
trick two, which East wins. East's club
return through declarer's queen seals
his doom.
Now, take away declarer's ♥K and

♣8 and give him the ♥A and the ♦8.
♠AK
♥74
♦KJ6432
♣754
♠732
♠9854
♥653
♥ K J 10 9 8
♦97
♦ 10
♣ A K J 10 3
♣982
♠ Q J 10 6
♥AQ2
♦AQ85
♣Q6
West leads the ♣A. East's ♣2 denies
the queen and begins a count signal
showing an odd number of clubs. West
has learned that declarer holds either
♣Q x or ♣Q x x x. The doubleton
queen is the only holding that offers
hope for the defense. On this reasoning, West continues with ♣K at trick
two and great is the fall thereon! Down
one.
This principle applies only to suits
that are at least five cards in length. For
instance, holding A-K-J-2, you would
lead the king, asking for attitude. It
would be a tragedy for partner to drop
the queen and set up a trick for declarer's 10-9-x-x.
Without discussion, this is standard practice for experienced players.
Some pairs reverse the meaning of
the ace and the king, making the king
the "power lead" that asks partner
to unblock an honor if he holds one.
While the usage may be infrequent, it
is nonetheless a good conversation to
have with your partner.
◾
http://www.jerryhelms.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2015
