BRIDGE

Information about length in a particular suit in declarer’s hand may be useful when it comes time to pick an opening lead – just not always!.

When the “routine” Stayman sequence revealed that South possessed at least four hearts, West rejected a heart lead as too likely to help declarer.

Fourth-best from his longest and strongest? That also seemed likely to give aid and comfort to declarer so West wasn’t in favour of that lead either.

Back to the “routine” bidding that wasn’t quite routine after all: with South’s opening showing 14-16 high-card points, North’s sequence was the only way his partnership had to invite a notrump game so the twostep route to two notrump neither confirmed or denied possession of four spades.

To motivate West to select a passive spade lead for his opening salvo.

Declarer won a high spade in dummy to continue with a diamond to the King and ace.

Time for a heart switch? Still unwilling to possibly give away a heart trick or two, West lashed back with the Jack of clubs that South won with the Queen (unblocking the nine) to play a second round to his ace for a diamond towards dummy.

In with the diamond Queen, West had run out of attractive options so he finally played a low heart only to discover that gave declarer his ninth trick with the heart King.

Different bidding at the other table of this match: one notrump (15-17) raised to three notrump. Opening lead of a low heart for three heart tricks and two diamonds. Easy game!