November 2022 - 54

Newer Players
Lessons Learned
Leading trumps
W
e all have those stories that
we tell so often, our loved
ones could recite them in
their sleep. My father, David Berkowitz,
has a five-minute story about
sharing the given name of the serial
killer, Son of Sam. Besides the name,
there were other similarities: They
both lived in their parents' Brooklyn
basements, they worked for the post
office, they were similar in age and
build. His punchline: " When they announced
it, my mother had my brother
come downstairs and check that I
was still there. " He tells it every time
someone mentions the coincidence.
I wasn't shocked, then, when I
handed my credit card to the cashier
at a local bagel place my father had recently
visited. " Oh, Berkowitz! We had
a guy come in named David Berkowitz
... " He told me the same story I'd heard
many times ... Brooklyn, basement,
build. But his punchline was a little
different. He ended with my grandmother
saying, " I always thought
there was something odd about him. "
I might like that one better.
While my dad's story about Son of
Sam is well-worn, so is this scenario:
my father presenting a lead problem
against a doubled partscore contract.
What do you lead?
The answer is that you should always
lead a trump against a doubled
partscore. Let's retell it a little. When
(and why) do we lead trumps?
There are several situations which
call for a trump lead. We should lead
trump whenever declarer might want
to score their trumps separately. If
declarer is in a 5-3 fit, ruffing in the
three-card trump suit generates an
extra trick for their side. If declarer
is in a 4-4 fit, they may try to ruff
repeatedly in one hand or the other.
54 | Bridge Bulletin | November 2022
How can we identify these situations?
If
declarer is playing in their second-bid
suit on an (unopposed) auction
like 1-1NT; 2l, you should lead
a trump. Dummy is going to have at
most two spades, and declarer is going
to want to use dummy's diamonds
to ruff spades. Leading a trump will
cut down on the ruffing that is about
to happen. You'll be thrilled when you
see dummy come down with a singleton
or void in spades and only two or
three trumps.
We've all seen those deals where
the declarer wins the first trick, and
the next thing you know they are
ruffing back and forth with glee.
Leading a trump prevents at least one
round of that.
As you listen to the auction, if you
can envision a lot of crossruffing
happening, then leading a trump is
called for. If you have something like
kQ J 10 9 and the auction begins,
unopposed: 1l-1k; 1-2 (whether
or not it continues to a higher level),
leading a trump can prevent the opponents
from ruffing your hearts.
Similarly, when your side has
the balance of power, you can lead
trumps to prevent the opponents
from scoring many trump tricks.
Leading trumps against doubled contracts
falls into this category.
When else might you lead a trump?
You might have heard, " When in
doubt, lead a trump, " and that's reasonable
advice. Leading a trump can
be good when no other lead stands
out (and it doesn't seem likely that
a trump lead will hurt your side, as
it would from Q-x-x). Sometimes
you have most of the points for your
side and want to get out of your own
hand. That's a good time to lead from
BY MICHAEL BERKOWITZ
michael@larryco.com
a holding like x-x-x of trump. Interestingly,
leading a trump is also the
typical lead against a grand slam
because it is usually " safe. "
To summarize, lead a trump when:
* The opponents are playing in declarer's
second suit
* Your side has the balance of power
* The opponents are in a doubled
partscore
* It seems like the safest choice
East hands for the
November Bidding Box
Bid these hands with a partner. The West
hands are on page 53. The North-South
players are silent unless otherwise
noted. Scores on page 42-45.
Problem 1. North deals. None vul.
J 7 kA Q J 2 lA K 4 3 2 'K 3
Problem 2. East deals. N-S vul.
A J 7 4 kQ lA 5 'Q 9 7 5 3 2
Problem 3. South deals. E-W vul.
A 10 7 6 4 kA 7 lA 9 7 5 '9 6
Problem 4. West deals. Both vul.
9 kK Q 8 5 3 2 lA 6 'A K 3 2
Problem 5. North deals. N-S vul.
North opens 1NT (15-17); South
bids 2k (spade transfer). If 2k is
doubled, then Pass-Pass-2.
A 9 7 3 k8 l9 8 6 5 '8 6 4 2
Problem 6. East deals. E-W vul.
K J 10 9 6 3 kQ J 8 2 lA '8 5
Problem 7. South deals. Both vul.
South opens 2.
5 4 kQ 10 8 5 lA J 10 9 4 'Q 8
Problem 8. West deals. None vul.
5 kK Q 8 7 5 lQ 9 8 6 3 'J 5
November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2022
