Friday,
August 04, 2006 1:24 AM
Smith Echos II
PITBULLS:
Smith echos should change your entire signaling system against NT. You do not
need to show attitude when partner makes a lead just count or preserve
your spot cards. Why ? Because attitude
is redundant
with Smith echos. You do not need to show that you like partners lead as you will on the very first card of the suit declarer plays .
Playing Smith echoes elevates count in the scheme of things. In NT contracts , your first card is count not attitude when partner leads a
suit.
I
led my 4 best club against 3NT and declarer plays the King from Kx on the
board. You hold Q82 so which card do you play ? When you can not beat an honour
on the board you play 2nd highest with Foster echos and attitude
with standard systems. Playing Smith echoes you have the luxury of showing count ! You play the 8 showing upside down
count. Declarer now attacks diamonds and your deuce of diamonds hits the table
saying you liked partners club lead. Partner knows you have 3 clubs to the
queen and 3NT goes down.
The
only time you should signal attitude is if partner can get “couped” by
continuing an honour sequence if declarer ducks. All other times just show count. You will clarify the opening
lead when declarer leads her first card J . You
lead the heart king with KQ9xx and the board hits with Axx and declarer wins
the Ace. Partner plays the eight so what do you continue when you get in ?
Partner has shown three hearts and plays a high card in the suit declarer
attacks. Therefore , declarer has
a doubleton jack . So with the queen continuation , partner will unblock
the heart 10 and down they go.
You
have AJxxx and you lead 4th best and declarer wins the Kx on the
board and partner plays the deuce.
Declarer has Qx and without this understanding there is deception/confusion
whether declarer has Qxx . Cashing your Ace will now give her an extra trick so
do you switch ? Partner denies the queen with the Smith echo but shows you 4 of
them ( declarer can not hold 4 on the bidding ). You lay down your Ace and drop
the queen. Should partner encourage on the Smith echo with 4 to the jack ? No ,
because she has already shown 4 , so the Smith echo should show the queen in
case partner only had a 4 card suit.
You
lead the queen from ♠QJx
against 3NT and the board hits
with ♠10862
♥Kx
♦KQ982
♣K10 and partner plays the spade 5 . Declarer wins the spade Ace and leads a
club to the king and partner plays the 9 . You get in with heart Ace so what do
you do ? Does partner have K97 of spades left ? No , of course not , as she played the club 9 when declarer
attacked his suit. You switch to a
diamond and 3NT goes down one . A spade continuation give declarer 4 spade
tricks .
Stan
Cabay is right . How did we ever defend properly before Smith echos ??