Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03
LOW LEAD FROM
KING AND QUEEN
Many Minister'S Take Chance
to Establish the
Suit.

One of the difficulties that the whist
player encounters in his attempts to con-
struct a watertight and copper-fastened
system of openings Is the question or
what to lead from king. queen and small
cards The books all say that king should
be led-or queen, under American leads
IL holding more than four in suit. But the
diiigent and exhaustive experimenting OF
the last few years has brought promi-
nently to the front the lead OF a low
card from this combination. and this
opening is preferred by considerable
number of strong players
For the novice or the student the lead
Of an honor from this holding Is I'M
doubtedly to be recommended. 1t is safer
and in the long run will lead him into
fewer culs-de-sacs. But the expert wishes
to play every possible combination to the
best advantage, and seeks to reduce
everything to the last refinement OF
analysis What, then, are the arguments
pro and con?
The theory on which the lead OF an
honor is based is clear enough, and per-
ferectly simple, The card led forces the
ace, if with the adversary, and leaves
the leader in command, or gives the
valuable information that partner holds
the ace. Moreover, as two tricks are
about all that can be made In a plain
suit, on an average, until trumps are out
of the way, there is danger in leading
low, that the first trick may be taken
cheaply by the adver sarieS, when the
ace will capture the second, and so the
original leader never takes a trick in his
best suit. The advocates of the low
lead claim that the chances are even
that partner will hold either ace or a
card big enough to force It, and that
&c n nOnOc
to draw the adverse ace, thus leaving
the leader with only one winner IN the
suit.
Partner Holds Ace.
OF course II is readily to be seen that
il partner holds ace the form Of OPEN
ing is irnmaterial save in some abnor-
NAL stuation-as, for instance. when third
hand holds THE ace alone. Argument upon
the question, therefore, TO be Of any
value, must be based on the theory that
the ace IS against the leader. The
mathematical sharps have wrestled with
this problem, and tell us that there Is
a small percentage in favor Of leading
an honor Thus the books seem vindi-
Gated But the probabilities are cal
culated only upon the question Of taking
or not taking a trick with one. OF the
two honors They do not shed any
light upon the effect the high or the
low lead will have, in the long run, upon
the possibilities of bringing in the suit
And this, after all. is the more impor-
tant matter. The case Is somewhat
analogous to the question of leading from
five-card suits topped by ace. The PROB
abilities of taking a trick with the ace
are considerably better to lead it at once
But few modern experts viii do this, pre-
n q small am0l1nf
for the greater chance Of bringing in the
suit by not parting with command at the
start.
Those who prefer a rigid system Of
openings will settle such question ac-
cording to their best judgment and then
stick to their choice. The short-suiter
tries to take a broader view Of things.
From this particular combination, as from
many other debatable ones he will not
pick his lead until he has sized up the
Whole hand and estimated its possibilities
for. attack or defense. With a strong side
hand he Will lead a king-queen suit low,
especially If 1t contains more than four
cards. The longer the suit the quicker
the high cards must fall, as a rule. With
a very weak hand he will be likely to
lead an honor, if the suit must be, opened.
To tell the truth. it is a suit that he does
not like to touch. except from strength.
and If he has only an average or wait
ing hand he will dodge it IL he can find
anything else to open.
Worth Trying For.
The point that should decide whether to
lead high or low is just this: What do
you expect to accomplish with the suit?
Do you intend to play for 1t as a long
suit. expecting to bring in the tail of it
as winners? If SO, lead low by all means.
But if you have no hopes except for the
trick or two that may be got with the
high cards take to the woods and put the
king on the table. The strength Of the
low lead when playing for the whole suit
consists I'm the fact that, even If the ace
be adverse, you retain command for the
a l-important third round, a matter often
of quite as much. consequence in plain
suits as in trumps If your partner has
only small cards in the suit, the giving UP
of king to get the ace out of the way
leaves the adversaries with the master
card on the third round. In a critical
hand, where trump strength is pretty
evenly divided. the possession or loss of
this point of vantage is often decisive as
to the bringing in or shutting out of a
suit OF course there are times when
partner can ruff the suit out for you and
various other contingencies to which al
fusion cannot be made in this brief ar
ticie. What has been said IS intended to
apply to the normal development which
may be expected in a majority of in
stances.
The fol Towing deal illustrates a success
full low lead when playing for the whole
suit. Trump 4 of clubs, turned by u;
leader. a.