Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-31
How to Play Contract Bridge
BY MRS. FoRTEsCUE.

- The opening lead is the first play
bf the defense. The bidding is over, the
contract has been captured by the op-
ponents and "It's your lead. partner"
This Is the only blind lead in bridge.
Every subsequent play Is determined by
the cards seen in dummy or the cards
already played. The opening lead Is
based solely on the bidding. In this
talk am only speaking of these original
leads.
!, Auction can be divided into two
kames-no trumps and suits. The rules
of play which apply to one do not
apply to the other. The scheme OF
play, both by the declarer and the ad-
Versary, Is entirely different. The OPEN
'tng leads, therefore, differ in every es-
sential. Again this division is sub
divided. When partner has bid and
when partner has not bid. We have.
therefore. four different types Of leads.
Let us take them up in order.
Leading against a no-trump declara-
Zion, partner having made bid Lead
one exception. When you hold three
cards to an honor in that suit, or four
cards, lead low. Why? The declarer,
presumably holds a stopper in your
partners suit, otherwise he would not
bid no trumps. Let us say he has
Q-x-x Your partner has bid the suit.
You hold XXX. The lead of your
king will make the declarer'S queen
good. The lead of your low card will
force your partners ace, and when he
returns with his jack the declarer's
the theory that underlies this exception.
Perhaps you hold but three. J-x-x. Still
low. Your jack may capture the de-
clarer's ten If he hold such protection
Is Q-10-x-x.
Opening lead against no trump. no
bid by partner Lead the fourth best
of your longest suit, unless holding
three honors In that long suit If you
hold such top strength as this, you are
sufficiently strong to lead an honor with
the object of forcing out the opponents
high cards while you still hold a re-
entry in the suit itself.
suit, lead the top Of any two or three in
sequence. The first exception:
A-K-Q-x or A-K-J-x lead the king
The king lead shows either the ace or
queen. With any other sequence the
top card is led. Example: K-Q-J-x
lead the king, or K-J-10-x. lead the
Jack. The second exception: Holding
A-K-10-x or A-Q-10-x; with these
combination Of honors do not lead an
0Onor, leaQ fourth best.
Opening leads against suit decla-
ration, when partner has not bid.
Lead the highest card of partner
suit, lead the king. The reason is
that this lead shows your partner that
you hold the ace and he can base his
subsequent plays on this knowledge
Your second lead is the highest card of
your partners suit, unless the dummy
or your partners play on your king Is
such to advise a different card II,
for example, your partner play an eight
or nine on the king, your next play Is
your ace. Partner Is probably starting
a high-low signal and wants you to
continue your suit, instead Of shifting
b his suit
And this brings US to the fourth d.
vision of blind opening leads. Against
a suit declaration, with no bid by
partner.
There are, roughly speaking, three
good leads and three bad leads. There
has been no bidding on which to base
your lead-the reason for any play
rests entirely on your own IL cards. The
ood leads are, first, the highest of hon
Yors In Sequence-except, Of course, the
Ting is leadw from the ace-king COM
EbinAtion. Second, the lead Of a single
Ton when holding three trumps. And
third, the lead of your longest suit when
holding four trumps. This last lead is
the one which comes as surprise to
many. The object of this lead is to force
the declarer to ruff and by so doing
you may outnumber him in trumps and
finally be able to establish your long
suit.
There are three bad leads-tl) from
cenaces C. tenace is the old Spanish
word meaning ''pincers":: the ace-queen
s the major tenace. the king Jack the
minor tenace), CD from aces or kings,