A Clear Signal

What is your partnership agreement for signaling when following suit to partner's high honor?

You are East, holding ♠ 10 9 5 3 ♥ A 5 3 ♦ Q 9 ♣ J 10 9 4

Partner	North	You	South
	1 ♦	Pass	1 ♠
4 ♥	4 ♠	5 ♥	5 ♠
All pass

Partner leads the ♥ K, declarer plays low from dummy.

	♠ A 8 2 ♥ J 7 ♦ A K J 6 5 4 ♣ 8 6
	N W E S	♠ 10 9 5 3 ♥ A 5 3 ♦ Q 9 ♣ J 10 9 4

In your favorite partnership, what is your carding agreement here: Attitude? Count? Suit preference? Something more complicated? What should you signal?

ANSWER: Okay, it is a trick question. Signal with the ♥ A. The ace is a dual-message signal:
(1) Signaling that you can count to thirteen, and
(2) Signaling that you know how to play bridge.

Signaling that you can count to thirteen. Surely partner has at least seven hearts for her 4 ♥ bid. Two hearts in dummy, three hearts in your hand; that leaves declarer with at most one heart. This is the only chance to reach your hand in the heart suit. (Note: If you held only ace-doubleton of hearts, you would still overtake partner's king; partner may well have an eight-card heart suit.)

Signaling that you know how to play bridge. If your side has any other sure tricks coming, they must be in clubs. Clubs must be led from your hand in case partner has a broken honor holding.

Even if declarer ruffs your ace, partner will still get the right message: you want to lead through declarer's hand to partner. The club suit is the obvious choice. Your ♥ A play suggests that you do not have a high club honor that partner can safely lead toward.

	♠ A 8 2 ♥ J 7 ♦ A K J 6 5 4 ♣ 8 6
♠ 7 ♥ K Q 10 9 8 6 2 ♦ 7 ♣ A Q 7 2	N W E S	♠ 10 9 5 3 ♥ A 5 3 ♦ Q 9 ♣ J 10 9 4
	♠ K Q J 6 4 ♥ 4 ♦ 10 8 3 2 ♣ K 5 3

Unless you play the ♥ A and then switch to clubs, declarer will discard two club losers on dummy's diamonds, making five. You will get a better score if you set the contract 😎

BONUS MINUTE: With the West hand, the expert's lead is the ♥ Q -- not the king! You only expect to cash one round of hearts, and you really don't want to be on lead at trick two. By leading the ♥ Q, partner will rise with the ace (if she has it) in case declarer has a singleton king. When her ace holds -- if it does -- partner will realize why you made an unusual lead. This type of play is known as "building a fence" for partner, steering her toward the winning action.

-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)