Tuesday, February 11, 2003 9:20 PM

Lead Directing Pass

PITBULLS:

An article by Eddie Kantar and I think read by Klimo ..

THE LEAD-DIRECTING PASS!

Say you overcall or preempt and later in the auction your right hand opponent cuebids your suit. What should you do?

Traditionally you double to make sure your partner leads the suit, but is this a good idea? Your double now gives your LHO two additional options- pass or redouble.

Good opponents now have an easier time reaching 3NT (among other contracts) because "redouble" can be used to show a 1/2 stopper and "pass" to deny a stopper, etc. At higher levels, redouble can be used to second round control in the doubled suit, reserving the cue bid to show an unlikely first round control.

Clearly it is not in your best interests to double a suit that your partner was probably going to lead anyways.

A.  THE CUEBID IS MADE AT THE TWO OR THREE LEVEL AND THE OPPONENTS WIND UP IN NOTRUMP.

Your options are either "pass" or  "double".  "PASS" means you WANT your suit led, "DOUBLE" says you DON'T  want  a lead in your suit.

Say you are sitting South with either of these hands:

(a)  S. Qxx    H. KQJxx   D. Kx   C. xxx

(b)  S. x        H. Kxxxx     D. Kxx   C. KQJ10

East    South (you)  West    North

1D       1H                3D       Pass

3H        ?

With (a) you want a heart lead against a likely 3NT contract, so you pass.

With (b) you don't want a heart lead so you double.

Now let's say regardless of what you have done, the opponents wind up in 3NT anyways. You still have another bid coming!  Basically you have four options:

(1)  You pass the cue bid and then pass 3NT. 

This action announces that you want the lead in your suit, but are not confident enough that the lead will actually beat 3NT. 

(2)  You pass the cue bid and then double 3NT.

This time you are telling your partner not only do you want your suit led, but the opponents have made a mistake and you want them to pay.

(3)   You double the cuebid and then pass 3NT.

This one says you don't want your suit led and you have outside values so partner should tend to lead his or her suit.

(4)  You double the cuebid and then double 3NT.

This one says you don't want your suit led, but you have another suit (usually a lower ranking suit) that you do want led.  

2. THE CUEBID IS MADE AT THE TWO OR THREE LEVEL AND THE OPPONENTS WIND UP IN A SUIT SLAM.

You have the same four options:  Pass/pass,  pass/double, double/pass or double/double.  Let's see what they should mean:

Pass/Pass  Asks for your suit.

Pass/Dbl.    You wanted your suit for notrump, but now that they have arrived in a suit contract, you want something else. The most likely possibility is that you have a side suit void. A Lightner type double.

Double/Pass    You have a weakish suit with strength on the outside.

Double/ Double    This one is rare, but if it comes up, it shown an outside AK (as opposed to a void). 

C.  THEIR CUE BID (OR RESPONSE TO BLACKWOOD) IS MADE ABOVE THE LEVEL OF 3NT.

In other words, they seem to be headed for a suit slam. This time you can actually tell your partner which suit to lead!

Pass/Pass       Asks partner to lead your suit.

Pass/Dbl.        Asks for the lower ranking side suit

Dbl/Pass        Shows scattered outside strength 

Dbl/Dbl          Asks for the higher ranking side suit.  This one you have to plan in advance when you know where they are heading.