[cherdano]

bid_em_up, on Aug 29 2006, 09:13 PM, said:

paulhar, on Aug 29 2006, 01:22 PM, said:

bid_em_up, on Aug 17 2006, 09:14 AM, said:

starfruit, on Aug 17 2006, 02:27 AM, said:

Here comes Question for part 2 : If 3♥ was passed out, (or doubled and passed out) what is your lead?
Would it be the same whether it's doubled or not?

Spade King should be clear cut. The objective here should be to immediately begin to force declarer to shorten his trumps and lose control of the hand.

Really? Maybe I need to be educated because I always thought that you embarked on a forcing game to make your little (or partner's little) trumps good. Here, you have two trump tricks. Declarer may very well try to make this hand scambling with some minor suit tricks and hoping to make some small trumps good by ruffing. If he ruffs with enough small trumps, your trump tricks will fall on partner's winners. I'm not sure I would ever think of the forcing game holding QJ9x of trump. (Maybe it has merit if I'm the one with the five card spade suit.)

That's not to say I wouldn't lead a spade, I probably would. I just wouldn't use 'the forcing game' as the reason.

Well, unfortunately, you have been taught incorrectly (imo). You should begin to embark on a forcing game almost anytime you hold length in the trump suit and especially if it is the LONG hand that is being made to ruff, as you will soon hold more trumps than declarer and he will lose control of the hand.

Since it is declarer (not dummy) who is most likely to be short in spades, a spade should be led.

In this case, its unfortunate that it was dummy that was short in spades, but that doesnt mean a spade isnt the correct lead. (You also normally would expect the spade K to hold the first trick, allowing you to make a switch if necessary at trick after you see dummy).

Hmm. Quite often, the right approach by declarer in a low level contract with bad trump split is an elopement play. Cash your side winners, make tricks with your small trumps by ruffs quickly. A forcing game by the defense obviously helps this line of play.

So it depends on declarer's hand; with small trumps and no side suit to set up, forces are useless. Only when his trumps are good or when he has to set up a side suit, forcing is right.

Arend

[bid_em_up]

cherdano, on Aug 29 2006, 03:48 PM, said:

Hmm. Quite often, the right approach by declarer in a low level contract with bad trump split is an elopement play. Cash your side winners, make tricks with your small trumps by ruffs quickly. A forcing game by the defense obviously helps this line of play.

So it depends on declarer's hand; with small trumps and no side suit to set up, forces are useless. Only when his trumps are good or when he has to set up a side suit, forcing is right.

Arend

The points are, when selecting your opening lead:

1) you do not know which type of defense you should actually be selecting and

2) you cannot reasonably lead a trump from your holding (the standard defense to preventing an elopement by declarer).

Given your holdings and the auction so far, it appears that a forcing defense would be best (just not in this case). And as I said before, by leading the spade K, you expected retain the lead to determine what needs to be done at trick two.

[paulhar]

Scoring: IMP

---

South, thinking his hand too quacky to be worth 15 for 1NT, opens 1D. North bids 2D and East floats in with 2H, all pass.

Knowing the dangers of forcing declarer when I have good trumps, I lead the spade King. By not forcing declarer, I let him set up and enjoy his fourth spade. Declarer still has to lose 2S, 2H, 1D, and 1C to go off a trick, but the declarer never lost control.

At the other table, South plays a misguided forcing game by leading the spade King and Queen. Declarer ruffs, plays the club King, a club to the Ace, ruffs a spade, plays a diamond to the Ace, and ruffs a spade. Unfortuantely for declarer, he only has 2 trump to his opponent's four and never enjoys his fourth spade. Fortunately for declarer, his two trumps are the AK, to go with his six tricks taken to make 2H.