STANDARD ENGLISH

Leading

Fourth Highest

if he wishes, but it makes sense to try and that the six. That is precisely what the Rule

Sandra Landy decode the messages in the cards played. of Eleven helps you work out.

But how does one decode the message the

opening lead is sending?

Subtract the pips on the card led from

WHAT card would you lead from the The Rule of Eleven eleven; the result gives the number of

hand below after dealer opened 1NT higher cards than the one led in the

which was raised to 3NT? When partner leads a fourth highest card, other three hands.

you know that he must have three cards

I would bet that higher than the one led. As you can see how

´ 10 9 4 nearly all of you said many higher cards there are in dummy and Not very interesting, you may think, but

™ Q 10 7 6 3 ‘the six of hearts’ in your hand, you can do a simple sum to consider this problem:

t Q 10 2 because a heart is the work out how many cards declarer holds

® 97 obvious lead. We nor- that are higher than the card led. ™Q 8 5

mally choose to lead On the hand shown the lead is the six of

N

our best suit in the hearts. The cards bigger than the six are ace, ™7 led W

S

E ™K 9 2

hope of setting up winners for our side to king, queen, jack, ten, nine, eight and seven.

cash when we get the lead. But why do we That is, there are eight cards higher than the ™?

lead the six of hearts? Why not the seven six of hearts and partner only has three of

or the three of hearts? Does it matter them. If dummy has two of them and you Partner leads the seven of hearts, the five is

which small card you choose to lead? also have two, that accounts for seven cards played from dummy. What cards has de-

In one sense it probably and declarer can have only one card bigger clarer got?

doesn’t matter at all: any Try the Rule

of your three small hearts of Ele ven.

would do, provided you Partner has led

find partner with one or

Farewell, but not Goodbye the ™7; 11 – 7 =

two useful cards in 4.

hearts. But there is a ‘IT is time for me to take a break,’ says Sand Dummy has

ra Landy. ‘I started

good reason to lead the writing my “Standard English” column in 1997 two cards high-

and it is now 2011 –

six of hearts and that is fourteen years is long enough for anybody!’ er than the

because as a partnership We have to respect Sandra’s wishes, but hope seven, and so do

that she will come

you have agreed to lead back to English Bridge sooner rather than later. you. So declarer

Over the last fourteen

years, Sandra has been one of the biggest ‘nam

the fourth card down es’ to write for our magazine and can have no

her column one of the most appreciated.

from the top when you heart higher

One of England and Great Britain’s greatest

lead a suit that does not champions, Sandra Landy’s contribu- than the seven.

tion to bridge goes well beyond boosting the

have a good honour nation’s medals cabinet. After retir- Partner must

ing early from her lectureship in Computer

sequence. Studies at Brighton University, she have ™A-J-10-7

worked for the EBU to develop Bridge for

You have to cooperate All – a scheme for teaching bridge to and maybe a

beginners. ‘It was very hard work,’ Sandra says,

with your partner in ‘but I gathered a great team (Simon smaller heart as

Ainger, Jean Patefield, and Mike Pomfrey) to

trying to beat declarer’s write material. I am delighted that the well. You should

courses we created are still in use and the book

contract. Or if it can’t be s I wrote are still being read.’ play your heart

Sandra continued writing for English Bridge

beaten, you must do after retiring from Bridge for All. Her two or heart

articles showed the same clarity and friendly

your best to minimise approach that characterise her books. nine, and your

Readers have been most appreciative of her

the number of tricks ability to go back to basics without side will win

being patronising, and we have all benefited

that declarer makes. from her sage bridge (and, often, the trick! If you

editorial) counsel. We will miss you, dear Sand

Every card you play ra, but while this is definitively a fond play your king

farewell, it is not, we very much hope, a final

carries some sort of goodbye! of hearts declarer

message. Your partner will have a heart

can ignore that message stopper.

12 English Bridge October 2011 www.ebu.co.uk