BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

WHAT do you lead against East’s 3NT? OF COURSE it must be ♠3. It is always correct to lead partner’s bid suit when you have it – unless partner has made a conventional double calling for you to lead something else.

My reader got her second roasting of the hand for leading a spade. Her partner told her she should never lead his bid suit against 3NT when holding only a singleton.

This was clearly result merchant rather than expert advice, for North held: ♠AQ10xx ♥KQJ10 ♦9x ♣xx and a heart lead would have defeated the contract. He might equally have held: ♠KJ10xxx ♥Axx ♦xx ♣Ax when it would have been crucial to lead a spade to start knocking out declarer’s stoppers in the suit.

The fault lay with the expert for failing to double 3NT. Had he done so, my reader would have led ♦J, which defeats the contract comfortably. East: ♠ KJx ♥ Axxxx ♦ KQx ♣Kx

West: ♠xxxx ♥xx ♦x ♣AQJxxx

An important thing to remember about bridge is that you need to have sensible guidelines on several aspects of the game. They will work well most of the time, but occasionally they may backfire.