Smell The Coffee

Suggested soundtrack: Mississippi John Hurt, "Coffee Blues"

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

Partner	North	You	South
2 ♦	Dbl	3 ♦	4 ♣
All pass

Partner led the ♦2. Declarer played the queen from dummy. You played the ace, of course. Now what?

Look again. Do you notice anything unusual?

Partner opened a weak-two in diamonds, usually based on a six-card suit. You play standard leads -- fourth best from length -- yet she led the deuce from a six-card suit. The  ♦2 can't possibly be her fourth-best diamond. Partner made a very strange lead. Wake up and smell the coffee! Partner knows that you know she has six diamonds. She led a card that is definitely not her fourth-best diamond.

ANSWER: Lead a spade. Give partner the spade ruff she is asking for.

THE PRINCIPLE: A very unusual carding play on defense should be regarded as an "alarm clock signal." Partner is trying to wake you up to something non-routine about the hand. Looking for a ruff in a side suit is the most common situation. But the key message is "Wake Up, Partner! Don't make the routine play here." It's up to you to figure out what unusual play partner wants.

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

BONUS QUESTION: Which spade do you lead for partner to ruff? 

ANSWER: Lead the two, your lowest spade showing suit-preference for the lower suit (diamonds). Partner almost certainly has the king; your jack is an entry to give partner a second spade ruff. Unless you tell partner, she might not know whether to return a diamond or a heart.

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