This Week in Bridge
(626) Fundamentals of Trick Taking – Length Leads
© AIB Robert S. Todd
Level: 3 of 10 robert@advinbridge.com
General
One of the ways that we develop additional tricks (beyond Quick Tricks) as declarer is by using our long suits – Length Tricks. These tricks usually depend upon good luck or “suits splitting well.” This can sometimes be done immediately (without giving up the lead) or sometimes requires some work to develop these tricks. As a defender, when we are on lead (especially opening lead against a NT contract) we use a similar technique for developing tricks from our long suits. Let’s see how we use our long suits to develop tricks as a defender.
Opening Leads Against NT Contracts – Length Tricks
When we are on lead against a NT contact, we often choose to lead our longest suit. If we do not have a large number of honors, we lead a “4th best from our Longest and Strongest” suit. This lead can use Quick Tricks or Promotion to set up tricks for our side, but it even more often helps us develop tricks from our long suits.
Example 1
♠ K642 ♠ AQ7
This lead will produce three tricks (the ♠A, ♠K, and ♠Q are immediately winners) and take a fourth “length trick” if the suit divides 3-3.
Example 2
♥ JT5
♥ K874 ♥ A63
♥ Q92
If we lead 4th best from this suit, then we will get two “top tricks” (the Ace and King) and if the suit splits 3-3, we can get an additional trick. The best way to play this suit after our 4th best lead (♥4), is when partner wins ♥A and then returns the ♥6, to duck (not take the ♥K) and let the opponents win their card. This keeps communication open with our partner. If partner later gains the lead, they can return the ♥3 and we can take our ♥K and our final winner – the length trick we worked so hard to develop.
Opening Leads Against Suit Contracts – Length Tricks
When we lead a long suit against a suit contract, we are far less likely to produce length tricks. When either opponent runs out of cards in the suit, they can trump our winners.
Example 3
♦ JT5
♦ K874 ♦ AQ63
♦ 92
Here we take the first two tricks (with the ♦A and ♦K), but declarer ruffs our ♦Q on the third round. However, we were able to establish our 4th ♦ as a winner (the suit split 3/2). Though we cannot take a trick with this little ♦ now, it can still be useful. After declarer draws trump, they may be out of trump and we may be able to take a trick with this card, or this card can be used to force declarer to ruff again, further reducing their trump.
Establishing potential length winners in suit contracts is often more useful than it may originally seem. This is one reason we often still lead from our long suits, even against a suit contract.
Conclusion
The goal of this discussion is to get you to see your 4th best opening leads as similar forms of developing tricks as when we try to develop long suits as declarer. Since this is often a good way to develop additional tricks as declarer, it can also be a good way to develop additional tricks as a defender. Length leads (opening and in the middle of the hand) help us develop our small cards into winners and allow us to take tricks with them. Since we often have fewer HCP as defenders, learning to take tricks with our little cards is extremely important. Make sure you work on using your long suits to take as many tricks as possible.