JULIAN POTTAGE on DEFENCE Suit-Preference Discards: McKenney et al. n the last issue, we reviewed the For example: trumps rather than ruffing diamonds in “standard” methods for sending a dummy? Isignal with a discard (mainly high to Now imagine that you regard a encourage and low to discourage). ♠ 10 8 6 3 diamond discard as too risky. Perhaps Many duplicate players, however, ♥ K 8 5 4 the bidding puts South with 5-5 in tend not to use these standard methods. ♦ 8 spades and diamonds. Can you still find One of the most common of the ♣ K 7 6 5 a way of asking for a heart? alternative methods is that a discard ♠ J Since a McKenney discard never asks gives a suit-preference signal. Some ♥ A Q 9 2 for the suit discarded, you cannot do it N players do this by using a system called W E ♦ Q 10 6 5 2 by discarding a heart. You will have to Lavinthal (after Hy Lavinthal, its inven- S ♣ Q 9 3 throw a club. If you are throwing a club, tor) or McKenney (its publicist). As a McKenney discard will be for either “McKenney” is the name best known in hearts or diamonds. With hearts the the UK, this is what I shall use in this Suppose that South plays in 4♠. Partner higher-ranking suit, you want to throw a article. leads a low diamond and your queen high club – the nine – to ask for a heart. loses to the ace. Declarer cashes the ace The fact that, when you want to ask for The McKenney discard of trumps and continues with a second a particular suit, you have a choice of in suit contracts round. two suits from which to discard is one It looks natural to discard a diamond. of the strengths of the method. First, let’s establish what constitutes a Using McKenney discards, how can suit-preference discard. It is the play of you ask partner for hearts as you do so? a card directing partner’s attention to We exclude two suits – diamonds, the ♠ 10 8 6 3 some other suit. That other suit is never suit you are discarding – and spades – ♥ K 8 5 4 the suit led or the suit discarded, and in the (trump) suit being led. A McKenney ♦ 8 suit contracts it will never be the trump discard can thus ask either for hearts or ♣ K 7 6 5 suit – on which the discard is most clubs. Since hearts is higher ranking ♠ J likely to occur. So, in a suit contract, it than clubs, a high diamond asks for a ♥ Q 9 3 N will be one of two side suits. heart. W E ♦ Q 10 6 5 2 The clearest diamond to play to ask for S ♣ A Q 9 2 a heart is the ten, your highest remaining The signal conveyed to partner is diamond. Although declarer might have that the play of a conspicuously J-9-x and be able to take a ruffing The contract (4♠ by South), the dummy high card asks for the higher-ranking finesse against partner’s king, a single and the early play are the same as remaining suit, whilst the play of discard from dummy is unlikely to be of before, but your holdings in hearts and your lowest card asks for the lower- much benefit. More likely, in any case, clubs have changed slightly. What ranking remaining suit. is that declarer holds the king of should you discard on the second round diamonds – otherwise why play on of spades? This time you want to ask for a club. Clubs, being the lowest-ranking suit of Julian Pottage’s new book all, will always be the lower-ranking suit, so you know straight away that you EASY GUIDE TO DEFENSIVE SIGNALS AT BRIDGE want to discard a low card. If you dis- card a diamond, it should be the two. If is published by BT Batford you discard a heart (because you think declarer has a side suit of diamonds), £13.20 including p&p from the Mail Order Service you discard the three. Continued on page 25 Page 24 POTTAGE ON DEFENCE continued from page 24 clubs (discard the highest from equals as this is clearest). In practice, you will prefer the nine of clubs to the queen of Now let’s face a slightly different The McKenney discard hearts. problem: in no-trump contracts Similarly: You can play McKenney discards just ♠ 10 8 6 3 the same at no-trump contracts. Remem- ♠ Q 3 ♥ K 8 5 4 ber, your discard cannot ask either for ♥ 8 5 4 ♦ 8 the suit discarded or the suit being ♦ K J 10 9 4 3 ♣ K 7 6 5 played, so there are only two suits it ♣ 10 7 ♠ J might ask for. For example: ♠ J 10 8 2 ♥ A9 3 ♥ Q 6 3 2 N N W E ♦ Q 10 6 5 2 ♦ 7 W E S ♣ A 10 4 2 ♠ Q 3 ♣ A J 9 8 S ♥ 8 5 4 ♦ K J 10 9 4 3 The contract, dummy and early play are ♣ 10 7 Given the same situation, this time you again the same. This time, however, your ♠ J 10 8 2 want to ask for a club as you hope to run holdings in hearts and clubs are such ♥ A Q J 6 the suit if partner has Q-x-x, K-x-x or N that you cannot so easily say which suit ♦ 7 W E better. Since clubs is the lowest-ranking you want partner to lead. Perhaps a ♣ 9 8 5 4 S suit, your two ways of asking for a club passive exit in trumps or diamonds is are both with low cards. You can discard better than opening up either of those either the two of hearts or the two of suits. How do you say: “I don’t know On this hand, you lead the jack of spades. Either will clearly ask for a club, what suit you should lead?” spades against South’s contract of 3NT. and a heart must be safer than a spade You may have guessed the answer. If Declarer wins in hand with the king, because one discard will unguard the a high card asks for a high-ranking suit leads the queen of diamonds and, when spade ten but not the heart queen. and a low card for a low-ranking suit, a this holds, continues with a low one. middle card logically cannot ask for Partner, you hope, has held up the ace of The flaw in the system either. While the definitions (without diamonds and will want to know what discussion) of a high card (the highest to lead after getting in with it. One of the reasons why McKenney card you can afford) and of a low card You want a heart back and have a discards are popular is that people are (your lowest card) are clear-cut, it is not choice of ways to ask for it. You could familiar with suit-preference signals on quite so clear what constitutes a middle throw a high spade, either the ten or the leading (particularly when you expect card. Some people seek to avoid any eight – hearts are higher than clubs, partner to ruff) and in following suit. confusion by saying this: which is why a high spade asks for a They suffer from a technical flaw, how- heart. Alternatively, you could throw ever, when you want to ask for the your lowest club, the four – hearts are highest-ranking suit. You may have a The seven, eight, nine (and any lower than spades, so a low club asks choice of ways to do so but both involve higher cards) are high. for a heart. discarding a high (spot) card. The two, three and four are low. Now consider this deal: This was the situation that we had on The five and six are middle cards. the very first example on this page: ♠ Q 3 What this loses in efficiency (you may ♥ 8 5 4 ♠ 10 8 6 3 be stuck if you have A-9-8-7 or K-4-3-2, ♦ K J 10 9 4 3 ♥ K 8 5 4 for instance) is probably more than ♣ 10 7 ♦ 8 made up (in all but expert partnerships) ♠ A J 10 8 2 ♣ K 7 6 5 by the avoidance of misunderstanding. ♥ Q J 6 ♠ J N On this particular deal, since the five ♦ 7 W E ♥ A Q 9 2 S N and six of diamonds are both (on the ♣ 9 8 5 4 W E ♦ Q 10 6 5 2 definition suggested) middle cards, you S ♣ Q 9 3 can discard either of these cards to convey a neutral message. You would The early play, contract (and bidding, not, however, be able to discard either a which I had not given you: 2NT – 3NT, South, you recall, was in 4♠ and your heart or a club without asking for a perhaps) are the same as before. Once queen of diamonds had forced out the particular suit. The ten of clubs would again, you need to find a discard on the ace. When you came to discard on the ask for a heart, the three of hearts for a second round of diamonds. Since second round of trumps you could ask club and any of the other three cards spades rank higher than either hearts or for a heart either with the ten of dia- (the nine of hearts and the two and four clubs, you will need to discard a high monds or the nine of clubs.