MIT/DL Session Note                                              27 Oct 96
-------------------                                             Paul Wendt

HIGH FROM A DOUBLETON?

The high lead from doubleton spots is not often costly, but recall this
recent slam hand from MIT/DL (8 Oct):
        KQJ8x
        ATx
        --
        KQ8xx
9x              ATxxx
xx              Q9xx
QT9xxx          Kxx
Jxx             9
        x   
        KJxx
        AJxx
        ATxx
At my table, North-South reached 6C quickly after beginning 1S-2C.
South certainly makes 6C by finding the heart Q or a successful squeeze,
or by ruffing the third spade high and finessing the club J.  The defense
is a limited success if it requires South to take such a "right view."

6C is easy if the defenders lead or continue clubs (enjoy two spade ruffs
without trump promotion or finesse) or hearts (one spade ruff is enuff;
pitch the other on diamonds).  

Those who lead low from 9x --one pair at MIT/DL?-- can safely lead and
continue spades.  But the spade 9 "freezes" the suit: continuation blows
the hand.  After the spade 9, East must switch to diamonds here, but that
sets up two diamond tricks thru AQxx or AJTx whereas a heart is safe thru
Kxxx.  So the standard agreement, high from 9x, costs by requiring East to
take a "right view" here.

After a diamond lead, declarer will probably play spades from hand, sooner
or later.  In some versions, a routine count signal from West with the 9
will help declarer by freezing spades for the defense, as above.

(This is not an endorsement for low from doubleton spots.)

----

High from a doubleton honor is costly more often.  For example,
        9xx
    KTxxx   Qx
        AJx
Low from East establishes two tricks in the suit --albeit blocked if South
wins the first round.  After queen from East, South wins routinely and
defenders cannot continue the suit from West.  

Most players routinely follow low from second hand except with two honors
or to cover an honor.  In both cases, high is often costly.  For example,
        Txx
    ?       AQ
        ?
Gary Schwartz showed (apres bridge at the pub a while ago) that East
should routinely play low --Queen-- on the trump Ten or x.  Similarly,
        JTx
    ?       Qx
        ?
East should routinely duck the "jen".  In these cases, high typically
costs by saving South an entry, or a guess, or both.

                                                 ----Paul Wendt, 27 Oct 96