ACBL13S – Defense: Higher/Lower Suit Signals Ward Trumbull
Nov 18, 2004
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WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
How can one defender signal to his/her partner which suit to
switch to when the declarer is in a suit contract. This document
will describe two situations in which Higher/Lower Suit Signals are applicable. Although the applications differ, the signals are the same.
Higher/Lower Suit Signals Applications
1. You are leading a non-trump ace against a suit contract
and the dummy has a singleton in that suit. You should
now switch to one of the other outside suits. But which
one?
Example: The contract is four spades.
Dummy
s....A K x x
h....Q J x x
d....x
LHO c....K J x x
s....x x
h....x x x
d....A K x x x
c....x x x
After cashing the diamond ace, you should switch to either hearts or clubs. Again, which one? Your partner should use the Higher/Lower Suit Signal to tell you which one.
ACBL13S – Defense: Higher/Lower Suit Signals Nov 18, 2004
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Higher/Lower Suit Signal Application (continued)
2. Your partner has signaled that he/she will probably be
ruffing the suit you are about to lead. After he/she does
the ruff, you want a return lead in another suit in which
you have an entry. Thus you might give him/her a second
ruff and/or you have the setting trick.
Example: The contract is three spades.
Dummy
s....A K x x
h....Q J x
d....x x x x
LHO c....K J
s....x x
h....x x x
d....A K x x
c....A x x x
You lead the ace of diamonds and partner plays the five.
When you cash the king of diamonds, partner shows out. You
give partner a ruff by leading another diamond. Now if he/she
comes back in clubs, you can give another ruff. You must give
the Higher/Lower Suit Signal when you give the ruff.
ACBL13S – Defense: Higher/Lower Suit Signals Nov 18, 2004
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Higher/Lower Suit Signal
There are four suits. In a suit contract there three suits outside the trump suit. When one of them is being played, that
leaves two outside suits. One of them will be higher in rank than
the other. That is the “higher” suit. The other is the “lower” suit.
Example 1 for Higher/Lower Suit Application 1
The contract is four spades.
Dummy
s....A K x x
h....Q J x x
d....x
LHO c....K J x x
s....x x
h....x x x
d....A K x x x
c....x x x
When you play the ace of diamonds, a suit switch is indicated
Partner helps out by signaling which “outside” suit to switch to.
In this example, diamonds is the suit being lead, and hearts/clubs
are the remaining “outside” suits. Hearts is the “higher” ranking
suit, and clubs is the “lower” ranking suit. If partner wants a switch to hearts, he/she should play a high diamond. However, if
partner wants a switch to clubs, a low diamond should be played.
ACBL13S – Defense: Higher/Lower Suit Signals Nov 18, 2004
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Higher/Lower Suit Signal (examples continued)
Example 2 for Higher/Lower Suit Signal Application 2
The contract is three spades.
Dummy
s....A K x x
h....Q J x
d....x x x x
LHO c....K J
s....x x
h....x x x
d....A K 8 4
c....A x x x
In the example, spades is the trump suit, diamonds is the suit
being lead, and hearts/clubs are the remaining “outside” suits.
Hearts is the “higher” ranking outside suit, and clubs is the “lower”
ranking outside suit. Of the remaining diamonds, 8 is higher than 4. So if you want partner to return hearts after the ruff, lead the 8.
If you want a club return, lead the 4. In this example, you have the ace of clubs; so the diamond 4 is the correct card to lead to
set up another ruff.