If you are not interpreting your partner’s opening lead against a trump contract, you are wasting a very valuable opportunity to defeat their bid.
Partner leads an honor
If your partner’s lead is an honor, you can almost always expect it to be the top of a sequence. Immediately say to yourself, “He’s got the honor right below, but not the one above.”
Let’s say the opponents wind up in 4♥:
Dummy
♠ 8 6 4
Partner You
Leads ♠Q ❏ ♠ K 9 7 3
Your partner leads the ♠Q. Let’s analyze: the queen promises the jack and denies the king and ace. So declarer has the ♠A, which will probably win the first trick. But what do you play on trick #1? Signal with the ♠9 that you want the suit continued. You know where everything is located - clue partner in.
Incidentally, what if partner opened the bidding 1♠? Then declarer would have a singleton ace - don’t encourage partner to lead another spade - follow with the ♠3.
Dummy
♠ 8 6 4
Partner You
♠K lead ❏ ♠ J 7 3
Now you know partner has the queen, and declarer has the ace. Signal with the ♠7 to encourage partner to continue spades the next time he gets the lead. Your ♠J is important!
Dummy
♠ 8 6 4
Partner You
♠Q lead ❏ ♠ A 2
Figure it out: Declarer has the king. If you follow with the ♠2, declarer wins the king and you have to sit and wait for your ace, which may never happen. Not only that, it’s a doubleton ace, so you would block up the spade suit by playing your ♠2. Up your ace!
Dummy
♠ 8 6 4
Partner You
♠A lead ❏ ♠ Q 9 7 3
Partner probably has the king; you must tell him it is safe to lead his king by signaling with the ♠9. You would be indicating either a doubleton or the ♠Q; either one would encourage partner to lead his ♠K.
Tune in next time when the topic will be "Partner leads a spot card."
© 2013 Roberta Salob
