Steer partner in the right direction

J.K. Rowling, during her Harvard commencement address in 2008, said, “There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, the responsibility lies with you.”

At the bridge table, though, when you, a defender, can see how to defeat the contract, but are worried or aware that partner does not know, you should try to steer him in the right direction.

In this deal, what happens after West leads the heart ace against four spades?

The auction was straightforward. Both East and South added value for their singletons, East unaware that his singleton wasn’t going to help because West also had a stiff spade.

When partner leads a high honor at trick one, third hand typically makes an attitude signal, to say whether he thinks continuing this suit is a good or bad idea. If, though, attitude is known from the dummy’s holding, third hand would often give a count signal. But when both of those are clearly unnecessary, a suitpreference signal can be transmitted.

In this deal, it would be bizarre for West to lead another heart at trick two, because that would allow declarer to discard a couple of losers on the heart king and queen. But should West shift to diamonds or clubs?

East supplies the signpost. Here, because East has his ace in diamonds (the higher-ranking of the other two side suits), he plays his highest heart — the jack — at trick one.