If partner has led low - for like - he wants the suit returned. Let us say that you win the trick, and a look at dummy makes it appear correct to return the suit.
Q: Which card do you return?
A: You show your present count (not low for like/high for hate).
Here are the basic guidelines:
[Another way to express (2) and (3) is to return the “original fourth highest”.]
Example:
Dummy | ||
Partner | ♥ 75 | You |
♥ 4 led | (i) ♥ A106 | |
(ii) ♥ A1063 | ||
iii) ♥ A10863 |
After winning ♥ A, you return...
(i) ♥ 10, top of two remaining.
(ii) ♥ 3, lowest of three remaining.
(iii) ♥ 6, second lowest from four remaining.
South Deals None Vul |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
West | North | East | South |
1 NT | |||
Pass | 3 NT | All pass |
What happened
West led ♠ 2 vs 3 NT, and East won ♠ A. At Trick Two, East returned ♠ 3. Believing East was leading back low from three remaining, and that the layout of the suit was...
Dummy | ||
♠ 75 | ||
West | East | |
♠ KJ92 | ♠ A863 | |
Declarer | ||
♠ Q104 |
West beat declarer’s ♠ 10 with ♠ J and tried to cash ♠ K. No good. Declarer followed with ♠ 6, won West’s ♠ 9 with ♠ Q, and cashed his nine minor-suit winners. Game made plus one, with East never even scoring ♥ A.
What should have happened
East wins ♠ 2 lead with ♠ A, and returns ♠ 8 (key play - top of two remaining). West beats declarer’s ♠ 10 with ♠ J, and can work out that declarer has ♠ Qx remaining. Needing to put his partner back on play, West switches to ♥ 9 (lead high for hate in dummy’s weakest suit). East wins ♥ A and returns ♠ 3, enabling West to score both ♠ K9, sitting as they are over declarer’s ♠ Q6. Down one.
If you remember one thing...
Which card to lead back on the second round of a suit