Your return?

[TylerE]

[hv=d=n&v=n&n=sk863ht93dt92c864&e=sq74hqj872d85caq2]266|200|Scoring: MP

Auction:

 

Pass Pass 1NT Ap

 

Opening Lead (std leads): 7♣ - 4♣ - A♣ - 3♣.

 

Your return?[/hv]

[mike777]

Object!

 

I play Queen of clubs at trick one.

[Gpm_bg]

partner should hold almost 10 pts. so if he didn't interevene i'll try diamonds

[Finch]

Either partner has led from KJ97(x) or from four low. Either way I can't see the purpose of playing the CQ at trick one.

 

It seems more likely that partner has led from four low clubs and has random scattered honours.

 

I switch to a low heart.

[Halo]

Once you see trick one four low has become impossible. Unless you think partner led middle of three, he has four or five to the King.

[Finch]

Once you see trick one four low has become impossible. Unless you think partner led middle of three, he has four or five to the King.

True.

 

So now I have to ask if partner ever leads from 3 low (97x).

[mike777]

Why is partner leading low from a nothing 3 card suit?

If partner is going to make random nothing passive leads, this is silly.

 

I assume partner is leading 4th from strongest and longest, not random.

[inquiry]

I am not smart enough to return anything other than the suit partner lead here. I will begin unblocking by returning the ♣Queen.

[Codo]

Why is partner leading low from a nothing 3 card suit?

If partner is going to make random nothing passive leads, this is silly.

 

I assume partner is leading 4th from strongest and longest, not random.

Maybe pd is smart enough not to lead from KJ97 into a 1 NT opener?

 

I will "always" lead from my pds suit or from my longest and strongest. But there are times where I would not and KJ97 simply cries: Pls lead another suit.

[mike777]

Why is partner leading low from a nothing 3 card suit?

If partner is going to make random nothing passive leads, this is silly.

 

I assume partner is leading 4th from strongest and longest, not random.

Maybe pd is smart enough not to lead from KJ97 into a 1 NT opener?

 

I will "always" lead from my pds suit or from my longest and strongest. But there are times where I would not and KJ97 simply cries: Pls lead another suit.

IF your partner leads low from a nothing 3 card suit in clubs and does not lead from your example suit vs 1nt, that would drive me nuts. :o

[jtfanclub]

I switch to a low heart.

I can't imagine switching to a low heart here. Surely switching to a heart honor is better?

[inquiry]

I switch to a low heart.

I can't imagine switching to a low heart here. Surely switching to a heart honor is better?

You do see teh T9x in dummy, low puts declerer to an evil guess if he is Kx in hearts.... Queen does nothing.

[Mcauley]

agree with the low ♥

[Rebound]

This is the reason 1NT is one of my least favorite contracts to defend... defeating the contract often relies on making the correct decision at or immediately after the opening lead, moreso, that is, than other contracts. I'd like to see if I have the right of it here... with a 5-card heart suit to the QJ and with 109x in dummy, leading an honour will either block the suit or set up the 10 when partner holds Ax or Kx or singleton honour. Low heart is a good attacking lead though, when partner has either holding.

 

I can also understand the reasoning that one may be reluctant to lead from KJ in clubs, however, with no other attractive lead due to scattered honour holdings, partner may be leading from a 5-card suit. So, I am forced to agree with Inquiry/Ben and return the ♣Q. The one occasion I can see where it would most definitely be the suit I would lead would be if I held Axx in ♠ and 2 or three to an honour in either red suit (in keeping with the assumption partner holds approx 10 hcp.)

[jtfanclub]

You do see teh T9x in dummy, low puts declerer to an evil guess if he is Kx in hearts.... Queen does nothing.

But then he can...ah, I see. My mistake. Thanks!

[Apollo81]

I would switch to a low heart.

 

IMO a vast majority of the time partner will have ♣KJ97x in this position. True, declarer *could* play low from ♥Kx or ♥Kxx here, but it's much more likely that he will play the ♥K since low gives up all (well, nearly all) hope to make the contract when clubs are 5-3 or worse. Low is also better than ♥Q when partner has the singleton ♥K. Finally, if partner did happen to lead from small clubs, we will have protected our ♣Q by playing high at trick one and returned the best possible suit at trick two.

[Halo]

I find this kind of hand very hard to defend at Pairs, weighing the 'dream' of taking the first ten tricks against handing declarer an overtrick. I'm not so sure people put up the King of hearts from three to risk -400.

[Apollo81]

Time to see the other hands?