| Show I William Wi McKenney Improving Your Bridge From the table of standard blind opening leads from 26 possible posT pos- pos sible T le holdings as given In my previous articles the reader will We see that with two exceptions the toe lead of an honor always guarantees that the leader holds at least the next lower honor II as well The first exception is that the theMe theace theace ace Me lead usually denies possession possession posses posses- sion sion slon of the king The second exception is that the king lead way may show the ace rather than thane the e queen qUeen but but it does docs not deny the we possibility of the queen or both the ace and queen This sequence principle is carried carried earned car car- ried ned down to the ten But in Connection with the ten we once more e meet a divergence in the J lead ad against no trump and a suit contract d No Noi i Holding Bolding Trump Suit W 27 27 J J 28 8 J 10 8 2 J J j 29 J 10 3 2 2 2 30 M 3 2 2 2 10 10 32 1093 2 2 10 M 33 9 8 7 2 2 2 34 5 4 3 2 2 2 19 to ln Wednesdays Wednesday's article I said that at It used to be a rule to lead from cm the top of f a suit against a suit contract with a a. sequence ot of in w 9 o K 2 Q Q J Q-J Q 3 2 J 3 or Present practice in in- clues clines to a low lead from Q J Q-J Q 3 2 the nd d J 3 while retaining e honor lead from the other t two No 5 holdings But ut at no trump th the fourth h highest is the correct lead from anything less than three honors or equivalents at the top of a holding Hence the divergence with holding No 32 The lead of the ten itself is most likely to show an Interior sequence such as A 9 against no trump K 9 Q 9 even Q A against no trump It can also be led from 10 9 Note holdings 33 and 34 The nine or a lower card is not led from an interior sequence In each case lead the fourth hIghest highest highest high hIgh- est card Likewise lead the fourth highest from such combinations com corn as 9 8 Q 9 or J 9 The lead of a nine spot or of any lower card which Is too high to be a fourth best Is reserved to show a holding of less than four cards In the table of leads as given so far it was assumed that the holding was of at least four cards In length Before we continue continue continue con con- the table as to short holdings holdings hold hold- ings a word of warning Is advisable ad ad- The reason for opening from froma a short holding rather than a along along along long one may be that the short suit is a powerful sequence But Butmore Butmore Butmore more often the reason is that the players player's only long suit has been bid by an opponent The standard leads from short suits are fixed on the principle of deceiving partner as little as possible But the experienced player sometimes departs from the table selecting a card calculated calculated cal cal- to deceive the declarer in ina a a situation where such deception deception deception tion Is likely to be worth the risk of confusing the other de de- de fender I |
