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Your support makes all the difference.IT WAS, I think, Bob Hamman (and he should know) who once remarked "If God deals you the ace and king of a suit, He means you to lead one of them!" My partner ignored this advice on this deal from the Mixed Pairs in Lille and it had far-reaching consequences.
West opened One Spade, North doubled and, as East, I bid 2N0-trumps - showing a sound raise to Three Spades. Paul Chemla of France, as South, started with a double but, when West bid Three Spades and this was followed by two passes, contented himself by competing with Four Diamonds which was passed out.
Now, suppose that West had started with the "obvious" lead of the ace, king and another heart. East ruffs but later the trump finesse brings in 10 tricks and the par result. Instead, partner decided to lead the 10 of spades -promising just one higher honour, the queen or the jack. Chemla ruffed in dummy and, reasoning that as West did not appear to hold both !A and !K and would hardly have under-led the ace of spades at trick 1, was strongly inclined to place her with the missing king of trumps.
Accordingly, he followed with a diamond to the ace, but West's supposed king did not fall. Next, a club to dummy was followed by a second trump lead. Now it was not difficult for me to go in with my king and return a heart - collecting the ruff after all, but only after scoring another trump trick.
It was the last board of the session and we left to accompaniment (in rapid French) of severe criticism of one of the world's most successful players in recent years by his lady partner...
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