Who’s On First?

Who’s on first? Yes! No, the name of the guy on lead? Who! I don’t know. Third hand!

As declarer, your play to the first trick is often the most important of all.
Many contracts fail because declarer plays carelessly or too quickly.
Put yourself to the test on these nine deals.

1.	A J 8
	K Q 5 4
	8 6 3
	10 8 3
Lead: 2
	K Q 10 7 6 5
	—
	A 7 5 2
4 South	Q J 7

Which heart do you play from dummy? 

2.	J 10 9 7
	A 10 4 3
	A 8
	J 5 2
Lead: 8		East bid hearts
	A K Q 8 4
	K J 7
	4 3
4 South	9 7 6

Which heart do you play from dummy? 

3.	J 5 4
	K J 7 2
	A 6 2
	A J 4
Lead: 5
	A K Q 10 7
	9 3
	K 7 5
4 South	8 6 2

Which heart do you play from dummy? 

Quit

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4.	K 10 3
	Q J 10 4
	A 9 3
	K 9 2
Lead: 9
	Q 6 2
	A 7 3
	Q J 10 8
3 NT South	A J 8

Which spade do you play from dummy? 

5.	A Q 10 2
	8 6 4
	J 10 5
	Q J 6
Lead: 8
	9 6
	A 9 7
	K Q 8 6 3
3 NT South	A K 5

Which spade do you play from dummy? 

6.	Q J 7
	K J 10 8 3
	4 3
	J 7 3
Lead: 10
	A 4 3
	Q 5
	A K J 2
3 NT South	K Q 8 4

Which spade do you play from dummy? 

Quit

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7.	A K 2
	Q J 10 3
	5 3
	K 9 4 3
Lead: 10
	9 7 6
	A K 9 7 2
	K 2
4 South	A 8 2

Do you win the ace, king or duck the first trick? (A K D) 

8.	9 7
	—
	A Q J 10 8 6 4
	7 6 5 4
Lead: 4
	A K J 10 8 5
	A J 6 2
	K
6 South	A 8

Which suit do you play from dummy? 

9.	Q J 2
	Q J 10
	K 7 2
	K Q J 10
Lead: J
	A
	A 9 8 7 6 5
	A 4 3
6 South	9 8 4

Do you win the ace, king or duck the first trick? (A K D) 

Quit

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1.	A J 8		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	K Q 5 4		1. W	2	4!	A?	5
	8 6 3		2. S	K	2	8	9
	10 8 3		3. S	6	3	A	3
4 3 2		9	4. N	J	2	7	4
J 9 7 2		A 10 8 6 3	5. N	K	6	2	7
K 9 4		Q J 10	6. N	Q	8	5	9
A 5 4		K 9 6 2		Lose 3 tricks
	K Q 10 7 6 5
	—
	A 7 5 2
4 South	Q J 7

One discard on dummy’s hearts will not help. Your only realistic chance to succeed is to play low on the heart lead and hope East puts up the ace. Consider East’s problem: His partner might be leading a singleton, so it is not so obvious to finesse the 10.

2.	J 10 9 7		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	A 10 4 3		1. W	8	10!	Q	K
	A 8		2. S	A	3	7	5
	J 5 2		3. S	K	2	9	2
6 3 2		5	4. S	4	6	10	6
8		Q 9 6 5 2	5. N	3	5	7!	2
J 10 9 7 2		K Q 6 5	6. S	J	3	4	6
Q 10 4 3		A K 8	7. S	3	7	A	5
	A K Q 8 4		8. N	A	9	4	9
	K J 7		9. N	8	Q	8	10
	4 3		10. S	6
4 South	9 7 6			Lose 3 tricks

West’s lead marks East with the Q-9, and you can make four heart tricks only by covering with the dummy’s 10; queen, king. Next you will draw three rounds of trumps ending in dummy and lead a low heart and finesse the seven.

3.	J 5 4		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	K J 7 2		1. W	5	2!	4	9
	A 6 2		2. S	A	2	4	3
	A J 4		3. S	7	6	J	8
6 2		9 8 3	4. N	5	9	K	4
Q 10 8 5		A 6 4	5. S	3	8	J	A
Q 10 8 4		J 9 3		Lose 2 more tricks
K 9 5		Q 10 7 3
	A K Q 10 7
	9 3
	K 7 5
4 South	8 6 2

To make this contract you almost surely need two heart tricks. West would not lead low from the A-Q, so playing the jack or king could never help. Just play low. Even if East could win the 10, you would still have a chance by running the nine later.

4.	K 10 3		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	Q J 10 4		1. W	9	K!	A	2
	A 9 3		2. E	6?	A!	9	4
	K 9 2		3. S	Q	4	3	K
9 8 4		A J 7 5	4. E	5	3	K	10
K 9 8 2		6 5	5. W	2	J	2	7
7 5 4		K 6 2	6. N	Q	6	6	8
Q 6 5		10 7 4 3		Win 6 more tricks
	Q 6 2
	A 7 3
	Q J 10 8
3 NT South	A J 8

West’s lead marks East with the A-J. Playing the king forces East to win the ace and abandon spades, giving you time to set up hearts and diamonds. Note that if East switches to a heart, you must grab the ace and finesse diamonds into the safe hand.

5.	A Q 10 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	8 6 4		1. W	8	A!	5	6
	J 10 5		2. N	J	7	3	A
	Q J 6		3. W	3	2	J	9
8 3		K J 7 5 4	4. E	2	A	3	4
K J 10 3		Q 5 2		Lose last 2 tricks
A 9 2		7 4
10 4 3 2		9 8 7
	9 6
	A 9 7
	K Q 8 6 3
3 NT South	A K 5

Careful! If you played low on the spade or finessed the queen, East would win and shift to a heart. Then you would be defeated. Just win the A (they can’t run the spade suit) and knock out the A to ensure your contract.

6.	Q J 7		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	K J 10 8 3		1. W	10	7!	5	A
	4 3		2. S	Q	2	3	7
	J 7 3		3. S	5	4	10	A
10 9 8 2		K 6 5	4. E	10!	A	6	3
6 4 2		A 9 7	5. S	K!	6	3	5
Q 8 6 5		10 9 7	6. S	3!	2	J	K
6 2		A 10 9 5	7. E	9	K	5	4
	A 4 3		8. S	4	8	Q	6
	Q 5		9. N	K
	A K J 2			Lose last 2 tricks
3 NT South	K Q 8 4

The instinctive play is to cover with the jack or queen, but a clever East player would not play his king and you would lose your entry to dummy. Play low and win the ace, then knock out the A. The Q-J ensures an entry to the hearts.

7.	A K 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	Q J 10 3		1. W	10	K!	5	2
	5 3		2. N	3	6	A	4
	K 9 4 3		3. S	2	5	Q	6
Q J 8 3		10 5 4	4. N	J	6	7	8
8 5 4		6	5. N	3	7	8!	4
A 10 8 7 4		Q J 9 6		Lose 3 tricks
10		Q J 7 6 5
	9 7 6
	A K 9 7 2
	K 2
4 South	A 8 2

West’s lead of the 10 must be a doubleton or singleton with the nine in dummy, so East is marked with the Q-J. To establish an extra club trick you must first win the king. Draw trumps then lead the 3 to your eight (unless East plays an honor).

8.	9 7		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	—		1. W	4	7!	5	2
	A Q J 10 8 6 4		2. N	9	3	A!	2
	7 6 5 4		3. S	K	6	4	4
Q 6 2		4 3	4. S	J	Q	5	2
Q 9 7 4 3		K 10 8 5		Claim the rest
9 3		7 5 2
Q 10 2		K J 9 3
	A K J 10 8 5
	A J 6 2
	K
6 South	A 8

If you discard from dummy, your A will be knocked out and you will fail. The solution is easy once you think of it: Ruff the heart and clear trumps immediately (do not finesse). Then you can overtake the K with the ace for all the discards you need.

9.	Q J 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
	Q J 10		1. W	J	2!	5	A
	K 7 2		2. S	4!	2	K	A
	K Q J 10		3. E	Q	3	6	K
K 7 5 3		10 9 8 6 4	4. N	Q	2	5	4
4		K 3 2	5. N	J	3	6	3
J 10 9 8 6		Q 5	6. N	10	K	A	8
6 5 2		A 7 3		Claim the rest
	A
	A 9 8 7 6 5
	A 4 3
6 South	9 8 4

The impulsive play is to win the K so you can take the heart finesse, which must work. Oops! East would not cover the Q, and he would hold up his A until the third round. To succeed you must win the A first and lead a club immediately.

Study 4N41   Main

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© 1994 Richard Pavlicek