Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Defense, Chapter 5 - Smith Signal - Part II

In this series of articles I will write about important matters on defense. If you missed the previous ones, see Oren on Defense.

Chapter 5: Smith Signal. Part II

What is the Smith signal? When to give it?
The Smith signal is an attitude carding signal. Smith signal is given at trick 2. It can be given by any of the two defenders, either the one who is on lead, or his partner. Smith is used to show attitude, unless when looking at the dummy and declarer's play it is clearly more important to give count (will refer to that in a later example).

So, playing Smith, a defender will follow with a low card to the 2nd trick if he is not interested in the opening suit, and will play a high card if he likes the suit attacked by the opening leader.

We will continue with examples.

Example h)
♠A542
65
Q1095
♣A83
♠KJ3
K9742
A3
♣1072
10

Against 3NT you lead the 4. Partner played the 10 and declarer won with the Q. Declarer continued with the K at trick 2, and you won with the A. Partner followed with the 9. What does he signal, and what will continue? Partner is signaling you he has interest in heart! Since he can't have the A (else he would have played it at trick 1), he must have the J (and played the 10 from J10), an important card for you! Continue with 2 to develop the heart suit. This can be the heart situation:

65
K9742 J103
AQ8

Hopefully, your spade suit might provide an entry to the last hearts.

Example i)
♠A542
65
Q1095
♣A83
♠KJ3
K9742
A3
♣1072
10
Against 3NT you lead the 4. Partner played the 10 and declarer won with the Q. Declarer continued with the K at trick 2, and you won with the A. Partner followed with the 2. What does he signal, and what will he continue? Partner is signaling you he has no interest in heart. He can't have the A nor does he have the J. So... switch to another suit. This can be the heart situation:

65
K9742 1083
AQJ

Notice that if you play another heart, declarer will get freely his J too while another suit will hold him on 2 heart tricks.

As mentioned in the beginning, Smith signaling works for both defenders.

Example j)
♠A32
432
432
♣AK32
♠954
AQ976
J75
♣64
J
Against 3NT you lead the 7 (4th best). Partner played the J and declarer won with the K and continued with the ♠Q. You must play the ♠9, telling partner that you are interested in a heart continuation, as a 7 lead will not always indicate that you have a good suit:

♠A32
432
432
♣AK32
♠954
AQ976
J75
♣64
♠K76
J5
Q1098
♣J1075
♠QJ108
K108
AK6
♣Q98

Partner wins the ♠K, continues with the 5 and defense wins their 5 tricks.

Example k)
♠A32
932
432
♣AK32
♠94
107654
AQ95
♣64
J

Against 3NT you lead the 7 (2nd best). Partner played the J and declarer won with the K and continued with the ♠Q. You must play the ♠4, telling partner that you are NOT interested in a heart continuation. Partner will look for another suit, normally the weak suit of the dummy, and play accordingly:

♠A32
932
432
♣AK32
♠94
107654
AQ95
♣64
♠K765
J8
J107
♣J1075
♠QJ108
AKQ
K86
♣Q98

Partner gets the ♠K, switch to the J and defense gets their 4 diamonds and a spade trick to set.


Example l)
♠754
105
A863
♣Q752
4 ♠J10932
Q96
K5
♣643

Against 3NT partner lead the 4. You tried the Q but declarer won with the A and played his Q to your K, as your partner gave the 2. What now? Switch to the ♠J as partner is signaling a poor heart suit:

♠754
105
A863
♣Q752
♠AQ6
J8743
92
♣J108
♠J10932
Q96
K5
♣643
♠K8
AK2
QJ1074
♣AK9

A "normal" heart return will give away the contract as declarer have 4 diamonds, 2 hearts and 4 clubs = 10 tricks. ♠J switch will set the contract by 2 tricks: 5 spades and K for the defense!


Example m)
♠754
105
A863
♣Q752
4 ♠J10932
Q96
K5
♣643

Against 3NT partner lead the 4. You tried the Q but declarer won with the A and played his Q to your K, as your partner gave the 9. What now? Partner is showing interest in heart, the suit he led. Continue with the 9:

♠754
105
A863
♣Q752
♠Q6
KJ8432
92
♣J108
♠J10932
Q96
K5
♣643
♠AK8
A7
QJ1074
♣AK9

A heart return will set the contract by 2 tricks: 5 hearts and K for the defense. A spade switch will be bad this time, and declarer will make 11 tricks (2spades, 1 heart, 4 diamonds and 4 clubs).


Example n)
♠K62
986
A62
♣8732
5 ♠A73
Q73
J8753
♣K4

Against 4♠ partner lead the 5. You played the Q and declarer won with the A and continued with the ♠Q. Partner followed with the ♠4 and you won with the ♠A. Now what? Switch to the ♣K as partner is signaling a poor heart suit:

♠K62
986
A62
♣8732
♠94
10542
1094
♣A1065
♠A73
Q73
J8753
♣K4
♠QJ1085
AKJ
KQ
♣QJ9

Only a switch will set the contract: ♠A, ♣AK, and club ruff.


Example o)
♠K62
984
A62
♣8732
5 ♠A73
Q73
J8753
♣K4

Against 4♠ partner lead the 5. You played the Q and declarer won with the A and continued with the ♠Q. Partner followed with the ♠9 and you won with the ♠A. Now what? Partner ask for heart, so no reason to switch:

♠K62
984
A62
♣8732
♠94
K1065
1094
♣Q965
♠A73
Q73
J8753
♣K4
♠QJ1085
AJ2
KQ
♣AJ10

Continue heart and defense will win 2 heart tricks, 1spade and 1 club to set. If you try a club switch, declarer will be able to throw a heart loser on the A.

When not to signal Smith at trick 2:
1.) When our holding in the suit is clear, say we lead the K , showing a sequence
2.) When it's essential to give count:

♠543
54
543
♣KQJ107
♠Q ♠987
KQJ10
1092
♣952

Against 3NT partner lead the ♠Q. Declarer won your ♠7 with the ♠K and continued with the ♣4. Partner gave the ♣3 and dummy played the ♣10. What do you signal?

♠543
54
543
♣KQJ107
♠QJ102
876
876
♣A83
♠987
KQJ10
1092
♣952
♠AK6
A932
AKQJ
♣64

Spade position is clear as partner led from the top of sequence. He also knows that declarer has the ♠A else you would play it at trick 1. But even if all this is unclear, it is more important to give count in club so that your partner will know how many times to hold up the ♣A. Play low here, indicating an ODD numbers of clubs (see previous article on count) and partner will count declarer for 2 club cards and hold up just once to kill dummy. If he holds up twice, declarer has 9 tricks: 2 spades, 1 heart, 4 diamonds and 2 clubs.

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