January 2025 - 64

Advanced Players
My Bridge and Yours
A
reader of my syndicated column
emailed me about leading
trumps.
" I've heard an expert defined as
someone who knows just when to
panic or someone who can explain
why he lost, " my reader wrote. " It
seems to me an expert is somebody
whose opening lead is a trump.
Experts seem to lead trumps all the
time; average players seldom do. The
old wisdom is to lead trumps when in
doubt, but surely good players have
better reasons. "
There is other time-honored advice
about trump leads, such as, " never
lead a singleton trump. " Like much
bridge " wisdom, " such general advice
is dubious.
In a local Knockout Teams, both
sides are vulnerable, and as West I
hold:
sQ 10 3 hA Q 9 4 dJ 6 c Q 8 7 2.
North, the dealer, opens 1h, South
responds 1s and North raises to
2s. South huddles and bids 2NT.
We are told that 2NT is a natural
try for game: South suggests a balanced
hand with about 11 HCP. (In
many partnerships, 2NT would be
a conventional inquiry; some pairs
use " Spiral " tries for game after a
raise, or 2NT might ask North to bid
a suit where he had concentrated
strength or some particular honor
holding. I often kibitz an expert pair
on BBO who have such an agreement.
I will say that in all the time I have
watched, I have never seen a deal
where I thought the artificial tries for
game gained over a natural try.)
North considers South's 2NT and
jumps to 4s. All pass, and it's my
lead. I suppose I might lead a club or
the dJ - an unbid suit - but North
64 | Bridge Bulletin | January 2025
s Q 10 3
h A Q 9 4
d J 6
c Q 8 7 2
West North East
1h Pass
Pass
Pass 2s
Pass 4s
All Pass
The s9 wins, and declarer leads a
heart from dummy; deuce, king, ace.
I lead a second trump, and South
wins with the jack. The full deal
turns out to be:
Dlr: North s A 9 8 7
Vul: Both h J 8 7 6 3
d A 7 2
c A
s Q 10 3
h A Q 9 4
d J 6
c Q 8 7 2
s 4 2
h 10 5 2
d K 10 8 4
c K 9 6 5
s K J 6 5
h K
d Q 9 5 3
c J 10 4 3
Declarer manages a second diamond
trick and crossruffs clubs and
hearts, but takes only nine tricks in
all.
thesettingtrick.com
South
1s
2NT
BY FRANK STEWART
frs1016@centurylink.net
has promised a shapely hand, and
I have some scattered honors and
the hearts stopped up; declarer will
have trouble winning heart tricks. I
suspect that dummy's likely source of
tricks will be ruffs. Leading a trump
from my holding is odd, and I may
look silly, but I start with the s3.
s A 9 8 7
h J 8 7 6 3
d A 7 2
c A
They got to 4s at the other table,
but the opening lead was the c2.
Declarer took dummy's ace and led a
heart to his king, and West won and
shifted to the dJ. Our declarer saw a
way home; he took the dA - ducking
would have given East a chance to
win and lead a damaging trump -
and crossruffed the next six tricks in
hearts and clubs. He still had the sA
in dummy and the sK in his hand for
two more and made the contract for a
12-IMP gain.
West could be forgiven for not leading
a trump on the go, but he could
have led one when he took the hA.
Declarer would have ended a trick
short.
My trump opening lead worked
out. Leading from the sQ looked
bizarre, but if the bidding screams
for a trump lead, it's correct to lead a
trump whatever your holding. Even
if you give away a trick, you may get
it back - with interest - by drawing
two of declarer's trumps for one. 2
http://www.thesettingtrick.com
January 2025

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