You must be able to trust partner

Stephen Leacock, a Canadian writer and economist who died in 1944, said, "Men are able to trust one another, knowing the exact degree of dishonesty they are entitled to expect."

At the bridge table, you must trust the cards your partner plays if you wish to defend effectively. That is why, when third hand plays an honor, the opening leader should know that his partner has denied the next honor down. For example, if third hand plays the king, he does not have the queen.

This deal highlights the one exception to that rule. You are West. Against four spades, you lead the heart four, which partner takes with his ace. What is your first thought?

It ought to be that declarer has the heart king. But then partner surprises you by leading the heart king. What do you think now? How would you plan the defense?

If you trust partner, declarer holds the missing heart. Partner has played his ace and king of hearts out of the normal order to show that he started with a doubleton. He wants to know how to get you on lead to give him a heart ruff.

At trick two, you must make a suit-preference signal. Because your entry is in the higher-ranking of the other two side suits, drop your heart jack. After partner shifts to a diamond, you win with your ace and give partner the contract-killing heart ruff.

Note that the same principle applies if you lead from ace-king-doubleton. You lead the king, then cash the ace. Partner should give a suit-preference signal at trick two.

Copyright 2009, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

North

@date2:11-20-09

@handtext: SPADES 10 8 5 2

HEARTS Q 6 5

DIAMONDS K Q J

CLUBS K Q J

West East

@handtext:SPADES -- SPADES 7 6 3

HEARTS J 8 7 4 2 HEARTS A K

DIAMONDS A 6 5 3 DIAMONDS 9 8 4 2

CLUBS 10 7 6 5 CLUBS 9 8 4 2

South

@handtext: SPADES A K Q J 9 4

HEARTS 10 9 3

DIAMONDS 10 7

CLUBS A 3

@vulnerable:Dealer: North

Vulnerable: Both