Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-18
BRIDGE TALKS
BY MRS. JOHN MUNcE, JR.

Continuing the discussion of the
plays of the declarer, we now come
to the leads toward the minor tenace.
or the king-jack and others. We have
seen that there are many advantages
in leading toward the ace. queen COM
binations, and this also applies to the
other tenaceS.
when the honor we are trying to
catch is on the left of the tenace,
nothing can be gained or lost bv lead
ing either way. but when this honor
Is in the hand on the right of the
tenace, trick may be gained by MAX
ing the right lead
The lead toward the king-jack NAV
get you two tricks, If the ace or queen
is on the right, but you cannot lose.
because should the hand on the left
hold both the ace and queen. SO that
you take no tricks, the result is the
same as had you led from the king
Jack, and as your chances of winning
are even with those to lose it is always
worth trying.
When it comes to leading toward
what is known as the double tenace.
or ace, queen. 10; this presents another
particular problem, and that is, whether
to play the queen or 10-spot on the
first trick. Again the answer is de-
termined fundamentally. II declarer
and dummy's hands contain a total of
eight cards or fewer, you should take
the double flnesse, namely, play the
10-spot. But with total of nine or 10,
you should take what is known as the
single hnesse, playing the queen. It is
obvious, therefore, that the lead should
be toward the hand containing the
double tenace, and should second hand
play an honor, the play of the hand
containing the double tenace should be
governed accordingly.
The majority of beginners find It
easy to understand the advantage of
leading toward most high-card COM
binations, but do not seem to appre-
ciate the fact that king-queen should
be led toward and not from. This
being two-card sequence, it seems to
be IN the class with the ace, king;
king, queen, jack; and queen, jack, 10
spot. But 1t is quite as necessary that
the lead be made toward king queen:
or king, queen and one, as toward the
tenaces and you will gain by 1t in
half of the hands in which it is tried.
To illustrate the advantages of leading
toward tenaces and king-queen suits
the following hands are splendid ex-
ambles. South, the declarer, holds:
Spades--A, K, 10.
piamonds-s' s. s. g.
Clubs-l0, 6, 3.
West, the leader, holds:
Spades, 9, 2.
Hearts,, 3, 2.
Diamonds-A. 10, T.
Clubs-K, J, 8, =.
North, the dummy holds;
Spades; A.;
pismonds@1K., q. "a.
Clubs-A, Q, 2.
North, leaders partner, holds:
B HB::$;;:ass 33::ss.
Clubs, z, 5.
The declaration is one no trump
and first lead Is the 4-spot of clubs
BY applying the rule of eleven declarer
realizes he can take the trick with the
10-spot in his own hand, and he there
fore places the king and jack in the
leaders hand. He therefore leads a
small diamond toward the dummy hand
which contains two honors. and takes
the trick with the queen. To the next
trick he leads small heart, and
illnesses the queen in his own hand
The next lead is a diamond toward
the dummy hand, which trick is taken
by the king in dummy. Now declareT
leads a small diamond, letting the ad-
versaries take this trick with the ace
To the following trick the original lead.
er leads another small club, which de.
clarer takes in dummy with the queen
then leads the small spade from dummy
and illnesses with the l0-spot in closec
hand. Then declarer leads the 3-spot
Of diamonds from his own hand. over
takes It in the dummy with the 4-spot
and then leads small heart to the
closed hand, on which the declareT
illnesses the jack. BY playing the
illnesses in this manner. declarer was
able to make a small slam, due to the
leads.