[frank0]

In general bridge books authors advise us not to lead singleton trump. Is that still true if trump lead seems necessary based on the bidding?

A hand from sectional pair

3C=

---

I led a small♦ and declare got ♦A and 8 trumps, gave us 12% on this board.

[Mbodell]

All rules are made to be broken, and it certainly is fine to lead a singleton trump if it is likely to be a cross ruff hand.

[Cyberyeti]

There are some situations where it's almost mandatory to lead a singleton trump, there are others where it's very dangerous, it's all about recognising which one you're in. Some auctions demand a trump lead regardless of your holding.

[phil_20686]

I would not have lead a trump on this auction - you have too much strength, its likely to crush a trump trick for partner, without allowing him to get in again to lead another trump.

A diamond looks normal here to me. Sometimes you get a bad score. Here, I imagine it is because there were not many wests who got their club suit into this auction over 1NT. Its v dangerous red vs green with a passed partner.

Also, on this hand, it looks like North should dble 2c rather than bid 2d, and this would let you play in 2H some of the time. Although perhaps not here as souths hearts are not really good enough.

[S2000magic]

There are certainly times when the lead of a singleton trump is advisable, even required. (For example, if your takeout double of an opening bid of one in a suit is passed, you must lead a trump; partner has said, in effect, that he wants to be declarer in the opponents' suit, so you must draw their trumps.) If the auction suggests that declarer is likely to gain tricks by ruffing (including a complete cross-ruff), then you should consider a trump lead, even a singleton.

Here you have lots of information. Partner's 1NT bid suggests some length in clubs; if he has four a forcing game (leading a long suit to force declarer to ruff, weakening his trumps) might be an appropriate defense. On the other hand, the opponents have contracted to take 9 of the 13 tricks when it appears that the high-card strength is about evenly divided between them and you; thus, they're relying on some distributional strength. Translation: ruffs. That suggests a trump lead.

I believe that the key bit of information is that it's likely that the opponents' trumps are divided 4-4 (or, possibly, 5-4, if opener's hand is very distributional; either way, dummy should have 4 trumps to raise declarer's second suit), making it less likely that the forcing game will work: declarer might be able to trump in his hand but still draw trumps with dummy's length. That would sway me toward the trump lead.

phil_20686, on 2011-November-21, 05:54, said:

Also, on this hand, it looks like North should dble 2c rather than bid 2d, and this would let you play in 2H some of the time.

As there's only one unbid suit, I wouldn't interpret a double here as takeout. Furthermore, it's unlikely that South will want to play in 2♥ knowing that opener has 5 of them.

[lmilne]

A small diamond lead still beats it.

[wank]

nm

[phil_20686]

S2000magic, on 2011-November-21, 06:41, said:

There are certainly times when the lead of a singleton trump is advisable, even required. (For example, if your takeout double of an opening bid of one in a suit is passed, you must lead a trump; partner has said, in effect, that he wants to be declarer in the opponents' suit, so you must draw their trumps.) If the auction suggests that declarer is likely to gain tricks by ruffing (including a complete cross-ruff), then you should consider a trump lead, even a singleton.

Here you have lots of information. Partner's 1NT bid suggests some length in clubs; if he has four a forcing game (leading a long suit to force declarer to ruff, weakening his trumps) might be an appropriate defense. On the other hand, the opponents have contracted to take 9 of the 13 tricks when it appears that the high-card strength is about evenly divided between them and you; thus, they're relying on some distributional strength. Translation: ruffs. That suggests a trump lead.

I believe that the key bit of information is that it's likely that the opponents' trumps are divided 4-4 (or, possibly, 5-4, if opener's hand is very distributional; either way, dummy should have 4 trumps to raise declarer's second suit), making it less likely that the forcing game will work: declarer might be able to trump in his hand but still draw trumps with dummy's length. That would sway me toward the trump lead.


As there's only one unbid suit, I wouldn't interpret a double here as takeout. Furthermore, it's unlikely that South will want to play in 2♥ knowing that opener has 5 of them.

I basically disagree with everything that you have written:
(1) Even if you double in direct seat and partner converts under the opener, it still is not mandatory to lead a trump, although it is certainly worth strong consideration.
(2) When you hold 3 hearts there is no reason at all to suppose that declarer is not capable of setting up the hearts by ruffing and then drawing trumps. A trump lead will not disrupt this.
(3) There is no reason at all to beleive that declarer is not 5-5 or that responder does not have 5 or more trumps. In fact, at these colours, it is very likely declarer has a 5-5 with chunky suits. The hand that declarer holds should not be bidding 2C. Its a fine route to -200 opposite a weak balanced partner, or a route to -500 when opponents were on course for 3N.
(4) A t/o double of 2C instead is much better than a penalty double, as it involves partner in the decision to penalise 2C. Virtually all experts would play the dble as t/o for this reason. Here, for example, north has no reason to beleive that 2C is a good fit, and should dble to allow partner to pass it if 2Cx is your best spot - hardly unlikely after the 1N bid.

[S2000magic]

lmilne, on 2011-November-21, 07:27, said:

A small diamond lead still beats it.

I don't see how.

♦A, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff is 9 tricks.

[phil_20686]

lmilne, on 2011-November-21, 07:27, said:

A small diamond lead still beats it.

I was under the impression everyone had noticed this. In case you hadn't if declarer embarks on an immediate cross ruff south can pitch hearts on the diamond ruffs in order to over ruff the fourth round of hearts. The end position will be

---

with west on lead, and the defense will take the last 5 tricks.


EDIT: In order to complete the cross ruff you need the first ruff to come from the west hand. That would prevent south from pitching his hearts in time. This is what happens on a heart lead. On a diamond lead declarers best play, probably, is to play a spade to the K, although it might be best just to take your -100, since that seems unlikely.

[spaderaise]

S2000magic, on 2011-November-21, 07:52, said:

I don't see how.

♦A, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff is 9 tricks.

South discards hearts on the fourth and fifth diamonds, and overruffs the fourth heart?

[phil_20686]

S2000magic, on 2011-November-21, 07:52, said:

I don't see how.

♦A, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff, ♦ ruff, ♥ ruff is 9 tricks.

You are only one press of the GIB button from enlightenment

[S2000magic]

phil_20686, on 2011-November-21, 07:50, said:

I basically disagree with everything that you have written:
(1) Even if you double in direct seat and partner converts under the opener, it still is not mandatory to lead a trump, although it is certainly worth strong consideration.
(2) When you hold 3 hearts there is no reason at all to suppose that declarer is not capable of setting up the hearts by ruffing and then drawing trumps. A trump lead will not disrupt this.
(3) There is no reason at all to beleive that declarer is not 5-5 or that responder does not have 5 or more trumps. In fact, at these colours, it is very likely declarer has a 5-5 with chunky suits. The hand that declarer holds should not be bidding 2C. Its a fine route to -200 opposite a weak balanced partner, or a route to -500 when opponents were on course for 3N.
(4) A t/o double of 2C instead is much better than a penalty double, as it involves partner in the decision to penalise 2C. Virtually all experts would play the dble as t/o for this reason. Here, for example, north has no reason to beleive that 2C is a good fit, and should dble to allow partner to pass it if 2Cx is your best spot - hardly unlikely after the 1N bid.

If people didn't disagree, there'd be nothing here to discuss.

(1) Fair enough.

(2) As I said, there are reasons to lead a trump, and reasons to lead something else. This is a reason to lead something else.

(3) I did mention 5-5 as a possibility for opener. I'm not sure that declarer shouldn't bid 2♣ on the hand given, but reasonable people can disagree on that point. As for responder, while he may have 5 clubs, I believe that 4 clubs is far more likely.

(4) It sounds as though you're advocating more of a coöperative double than a takeout double here, and that makes perfect sense, as long as partner's in on the secret. A takeout double - asking partner to pick a suit - doesn't seem to make much sense as there's only one unbid suit; if you want to draw partner's attention to diamonds, you can bid 2♦.

[S2000magic]

spaderaise, on 2011-November-21, 07:59, said:

South discards hearts on the fourth and fifth diamonds, and overruffs the fourth heart?

Good point.

That's what I get for looking at this stuff when I should be working.

[S2000magic]

phil_20686, on 2011-November-21, 08:00, said:

You are only one press of the GIB button from enlightenment

The scales fall from my eyes.

Thanks!

[barmar]

At a regional over the weekend, I led my singleton trump twice.

Once I caught partner with AKx of trumps. He was able to draw all of dummy's trumps, and we set the contract, while our teammates made it on a different lead.

Another time was against a slam. I thought I'd really screwed up when he showed up with the Q, and I'd saved declarer the guess. But it turned out he had QJx, so he was always getting one of them. Declarer had all the rest of the tricks, so it didn't matter what I led.

The moral is that if the auction tells you that a trump lead is appropriate, don't let the fact that you have a singleton dissuade you.

[cloa513]

spaderaise, on 2011-November-21, 07:59, said:

South discards hearts on the fourth and fifth diamonds, and overruffs the fourth heart?

A club lead is still better- less pressure on partner.