Thinking Bridge
By Eddie Kantar
kantarbridge.com
Consider this deal as East:
| West | North | East | South |
| 2NT | |||
| Pass | 3♣ | Pass | 3♥ |
| Pass | 4♥ | All Pass |
Opening lead: ♠J
Bidding Commentary: It is usually right to open 2NT with a balanced 20–21 count, five-card major notwithstanding. The opening lead should come up to, rather than through, a hand this strong. Furthermore, if South opens 1♥ and hears a likely 1NT response, the correct rebid is 3NT. Now the strong hand will be the dummy. Not good. Seeing the strong hand on the table makes defense ever so much easier.
Lead Commentary: At a trump contract, a suit headed by two adjacent honors is considered enough of a sequence to justify leading the top honor. However, at notrump, THREE adjacent honors (J–10–9), or the third card missing by one (J–10–8) is considered a sequence and the top honor is led. When the third card is missing by more than one place (J–10–7–3), lead fourth best.
Further Lead Commentary: When partner leads a jack against a suit contract, third hand assumes a suit headed by the J–10, or shortness if the 10 is visible. It also might be from the K–J–10–(x) (playing standard leads), but rarely, if ever, from a suit headed by the A–J–10–(x). One seldom underleads aces at suit contracts to begin with and never smack into the strong hand. Please.
Play Commentary: South, missing the ♥Q, is looking at a vulnerable club holding – if East gets in. On the bright side, South is looking at a fourth diamond upon which a club can be discarded. To avoid an accident (East getting in with the ♥Q), declarer crosses to the ♥K and leads a heart to the jack (finessing through the danger hand). Even if West wins the queen, the ♣K is safe from immediate attack. As it happens, the finesse works, and 11 tricks are taken. “Eight ever, nine never” does not apply when there is a danger hand. Keeping the danger hand off lead takes precedence.
Eddie Kantar (1932–2022) was an accomplished player with two world championships and 17 NABC titles. Kantar is probably best known as a teacher and author of over 35 bridge books. He wrote his first article for The Bridge World in 1954 and was a longtime contributor to the ACBL’s Bridge Bulletin.
