[helene_t]

Sorry for asking a probably elementary question

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This was the layout of the diamonds. The auction was (North dealer, EW silent):
North-South
1♣-1♠
1NT-2♥
2♠-pass

It was matchpoints and the auction was bread-and-butter so the reast of the field would probably be in 2♠ as well.

At a certain point, partner West lead a low diamond through the dummy. After a short hesitation, declarer played low from the dummy. I needed to win the trick since I had to give p a ruff before declarer could pull trumps. My assesment was that the only chance of setting the contract was is the jack would hold. But if declarer had the queen, playing the jack would give declarer an overtrick.

Lacking other information, should partners low diamond suggest that she had the queen?

[awm]

It makes sense to lead low from honors in this type of situation. This is not trick one, and partner is already known to be trying for a ruff in some other suit (and thus very unlikely to have doubleton diamond). I think partner should lead low from the queen and high from small cards.

[cherdano]

helene_t, on Mar 27 2007, 03:52 PM, said:

Lacking other information, should partners low diamond suggest that she had the queen?

Yes. I think the standard agreements for leads in the middle of the hand is roughly: By default count leads, but when attitude for an honor is necessary, then attitude (low from an honor, high from several small) takes precedence.
(With Han, I play attitude by default, but count when necessary.)

[helene_t]

Thanks. Partner's low diamond plus declarer's hesitation should have told me that I had to play the Jack.

In such situations I often find myself thinking in a very unproductive way - matchpoint strategy (what's going on at the other tables?), what does it look from partner's perspective (it's an attitude situation from my perspective but partner may have reason to see it as an SP/count/confuse-declarer situation, or maybe she just cannot afford to give signal), ethical issues (what kind of pressure do I put on partner by thinking for too long) etc. etc. Too many complications, it all makes me dizzy.

[1eyedjack]

I wonder whether partner should lead the Queen if holding it, so that failure to lead it suggests its absence. Just a thought.

[1eyedjack]

Jlall, on Mar 28 2007, 02:39 PM, said:

1eyedjack, on Mar 28 2007, 07:58 AM, said:

I wonder whether partner should lead the Queen if holding it, so that failure to lead it suggests its absence.  Just a thought.

That would kill declarers guess if he had the jack.

True, but it would give declarer a guess that he would not otherwise have if he had the Ace but not the Jack, and it removes partner from guessing. Still, I suppose you need the whole hand.

[mhais]

yes pd has led low from honor but this will require discussion with pd