Southwold Summer

Anna and I played an evening at the Sole Bay Bridge Club. We mostly defended, and mostly defended well, but the key to doing well in Matchpoints is to get a few gifts from your opponents, and that helped us to 66%. I had a couple of deep thinks (very slow) that made no difference.

We also played a few hands with Christine and Stanley. A few times we pushed them to high in the bidding, so when I doubled them in 5♥ they were expecting to go down. What would you lead from:

♠ A 9 8 x x x ♥ x x x ♦ K x x x ♣ -

Your side has bid and raised Spades, and they've bid and raised Hearts.

I found the bold lead of a low Spade,. In a book of bridge stories this would definitely be the lead to beat the contract, putting Anna in with her King of Spades to give me a Club ruff. It's not good playing it safe and starting with the Ace of Spades, as it's too likely declarer or dummy has a singleton Spade, then you lose the chance to put partner in for a ruff. I specifically lead the ♠2, to ask for a low suit return.

Turns out it didn't matter which Spade I lead. This was the whole deal:

All Vul W deal ♠ K ♥ Q T 9 x x ♦ J x x ♣ J x x x ♠ A 9 8 x x x ♥ x x x ♦ K x x x ♣ - 7 7 9 17 ♠ Q J x x ♥ - ♦ A Q x ♣ x x x x x x ♠ x ♥ A K J x x ♦ x x x ♣ A K Q
Danny Christine Anna Stanley W N E S 1♥ 2♠ 4♥ 4♠ 5♥ x - - -

There are four top losers, but look at how my lead lets 5♥x make. Declarer's Spade loser disappears when he wins his singleton King, a nice surprise. Then he draws trumps and runs the Clubs, throwing a Diamond loser.