poorbridge.com
Poor Bridge of the Week
Opening Lead Problem
By David Burn

N/S vulnerable, pairs, dealer South.

You are West. Your partner is a reasonably strong player. Your left-hand opponent is a keen sort who has not been playing for very long, but has regrettably absorbed much of the latest theories on competitive bidding. Your right-hand opponent has represented England in the not-too-distant past.

WestNorthEastSouth
1D1
Pass1SX2D
2HX2Pass3NT
Pass4CX6D
PassPassXAP

Notes
(1)Four-card suits, weak no trump, 2C only strong opening.
(2)Ostensibly "takeout", though into what is far from clear.

Your hand is:

S7 3 2
H7 4 3 2
D7 2
CA 4 3 2

What is your opening lead?

From my point of view as South, this was what was happening:

S8 6
HQ 8 6
DA K Q 9 8 6 5 3
C

I decided to open 1D rather than some pre-empt, or 3NT. When it went pass — 1S — double, I thought I would bid only 2D to see what developed (moreover, I wasn't sure whether North would think 3D was strong or pre-emptive, since I have no idea how trendy people play such sequences nowadays).

I nearly passed out 2H doubled, since it can't logically be for takeout. But partner had been producing a load of intellectual nonsense during the evening, so I thought better of it, especially in view of my own heart length. Of course, I didn't have much of a club stop, but no one had bid clubs.

When partner removed 3NT to 4C, I thought the opponents were messing around with some shape and not many high cards. In fact, they had plenty of high cards and my partner was barmy, for the full deal was:

N/S Vuln
Dealer S
SQ J 9 5
H10
DJ 10
CQ J 10 7 6 5
S7 3 2
H7 4 3 2
D7 2
CA 4 3 2
DIR
SA K 10 4
HA K J 9 5
D4
CK 9 8
S8 6
HQ 8 6
DA K Q 9 8 6 5 3
C

Still, the opening lead was the ace of clubs, so I scored one of the more unlikely 1540s in the history of bridge. East, who had doubled 6D with ace-king ace-king king, and seen his partner lead an ace, did rather well in the circumstances. "Sorry, partner", he said. "These light doubles don't always pay, even at matchpoints."