Intelligent signaling in Bridge outweighs the conventional one. But there are no hard and fast lines fixed for success even when one takes the unconventional approach in signaling. Let us illustrate by a few interesting hands. In the first the following bidding on the hand below puts west on lead holding:
The bidding:
Placing east with 7 hearts west duly led the KH to see the following dummy spread out on his left. Now let us put the reader in west's seat and see how you plan your defense. On the face of it the declarer seems to the marked with the top minor honours leaving little margin for west to think of notching up 4 tricks to beat the contract. Although it seems pretty certain that EW have 3 tricks in hand-2 in hearts and the ace of trumps, your hope for the 4th trick lies only in a trump promotion of 10S, if it can be so maneuvered. Well, what should be your move? Nothing is too certain in Bridge.
Suppose you lead KH followed by the QH. Will partner overtake it with AH and play another heart? He may or may not be hoping you have a trick in minors. But what can make east certain of the position? Suppose instead of the QH, you shift to a diamond then with the AS, when west next cashes QH, east would surely get the message to play hearts for trump promotion.
But the situation is still not crystal clear. Suppose when you lead a diamond, declarer wins with the KD in dummy creating a doubt in east's mind that perhaps west underbid from the AD, seeking desperate entry for putting the contract 2 down. In Bridge there is always a sure shot method of helping partner clear the cobwebs of doubt how? By just leading the QD from hand at trick 2, clearing the diamond position and having east with no choice but to overtake the QH and lead a third heart.
Let us move to our next illustration. East's holding is under:- The bidding proceeds as under: Now west leads the AD dummy springs below as under:- West next leads the KC: It is quite natural to plan, cashing of 2 tricks in clubs to see whether south has 3 or a doubleton. Now let us put you in east's seat. What should you signal in clubs; 9C or 2C and why? For showing a doubleton the conventional signal is the 9C followed by 2C. But would that be right here? West will gladly play another club in the sure hope of getting east to ruff for the downing trick.
But as east, you know for sure that you will be unable over ruff the dummy. Can you spot the danger here? Yes, once declarer knows your inability to over ruff the 5S, he will surely go for the kill by laying down his top honour if he has the AS and declarer is missing the KS, you know partner's, KS having been exposed would be killed which otherwise would score when declarer takes the normal trumps finesse of the QS. Even if west holds a doubleton QS, that too would be exposed.
So, what did you do as east? Played the deuce of clubs to discourage the third round of clubs. Now let us turn to west who held: West reasoned that since east has played the deuce, he has either 3 or singleton. In case the former, (3) then there is no defense left. But if a singleton a ruff by him would out him in lead to give west a ruff in diamonds to down the contract.
Interesting as was the case, west having planned this defense went for it by for diamonds leading the 3C-a suit. Although his assumption of east holding a singleton turned out to be incorrect, nevertheless he got his wishes fulfilled as east held the 9C to win the trick and gave west the ruff of diamonds to fulfill his much awaited defense.
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A 104
KQ
Q 10 7 5 3 2
J 7
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W N E S
======================
1D P 3H 3S
4H 4S P P
All pass
======================
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North
===========
9 3 2
43
KJ
A 8 6 5 4 3
===========
=========
4 3 2
10 8 6 4
6 5 4 2
92
=========
======================
W N E S
1C 1D P 2C
4C P P 4 3
All pass
======================
============
North
============
7 6 5
A K
J 10 9 8 7 3
6 4
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10
9 7 5 3 2
A
A K Q J 10 3
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