Lesson Hand 17

"Holding Down the Fourth"

by Charles A. Lee

Clenching his teeth and holding his breath, West lead fourth best heart just as one should with this holding. For East and South, the hand was afoot, as Holmes might have put it. With any other lead, declarer has an easy time of it.

When the Q wins the trick, it behooves East to bring the play to a screeching grinding halt long enough to think along the following lines.

1. "Declarer has seven cashable tricks in the dummy."
2. "If he also holds either the K or the
   K Q, nine tricks are within his reach."
3. "With so many winners in the other suits, the defense must try for four hearts and one other trick, or three hearts plus two others."
4. "Seeing declarer contribute his 4 to the trick, and assuming partner lead fourth-best, there are no other lower unplayed cards (partner can't own a fifth best), so the pattern of the hearts started
   out 4-4-4-1."
5. "If declarer began with K x x x or A x x x, and especially A K x x, there is no logical reason to allow the Q to win. With dummy's seven tricks plus a heart winner, declarer would only need to steal a club in passing or cash spades to make the contract right off the top. Therefore, it's likely the opening leader has both the A and K."
6. "Now for the tricky part, which hearts does declarer have left? And does it matter which heart I return?"
   1. "With J 8 x, Layout 'A', it doesn't matter which I lead since I would either be allowed to win the 10, or partner would own cards better than each of declarer's."
   2. "With J 9 x, Layout 'B', it does matter what I lead. If I lead the 10, declarer will have an easy cover that obligates the opening leader to play an honor, leaving him on lead with A x behind 9 x, Layout 'C', yielding an undesired and undeservedly easy stopper for the declarer. If I lead a low one, declarer will have to figure out which of the following two situations he's up against and he may guess wrong."
      1. "With Layout 'B', he would have to insert the 9."
      2. "With Layout 'D', declarer knows I would have played the lowest of equals (Q with K Q x x). If he is watching the spots, he will realize that with this layout, the situation would be hopeless and dismiss it."
   "Thus, the only play that works (when it matters) is to return a low heart."

If you are thinking to yourself that you can't possibly think through these permutations without taking so much time that the other players wonder whether you're still alive, don't fret. In time you will be. For now, try the following general rule which will cover most situations.

Guideline: What to Return.

• When you are defending a notrump contract, and find yourself holding as many cards in partner's suit as he does,
  1. Play your highest on the first round as long as it doesn't cost you a trick (considering dummy's holding), and
  2. Return the suit in the same manner you would have on the opening lead: top of a sequence, small from a broken sequence, etc.
  
  
• Players who cultivate the fine art of knowing how to claim effectively when they are the declarer have more time left over to figure out situations like this one, Eddie.