Alarm Clock Leads

 

Suppose that you have preempted in a suit and end up on lead against a suit contract.  You lead the Two of your suit.  Will that wake up Partner?  It cannot be the "normal" 4th best (or 3rd and 5th) lead from your long suit, it's intended to alert Partner to something or other.  A typical message would be that the opening leader has a void somewhere.

 

Related Extracts from Past Wednesday Games

 

 

1	♠ K7 ♥ KQ982 ♦ 9 ♣ QT986	From 19th July, 2006
♠ ♥ AJ643 ♦ AKQJT63 ♣ 5	North West             East         Dummy	♠ QT98632 ♥ ♦ 852 ♣ A32	Dlr     North      Vul     None
© BES, Inc All Rights Reserved	♠ AJ54 ♥ T75 ♦ 74 ♣ KJ74	West     North   East      South                1♥        3♠         4♥   Dbl       Pass     Pass     Pass

 

In 4♥ doubled, East leads the Spade Two (yes, really!), ruffed by West, who will cash one Diamond, and shift to a Club.  East wins the Ace, gives Partner another Spade ruff, and gets out with a high Diamond, ruffed by Declarer.  Now, K♥ by declarer, ducked by West.  After this excellent defense by E-W, they score 6 tricks and +500 for a well-deserved top.  Note how E-W had to do everything exactly right to get their +500:

(a)    That opening lead of the Spade Two was intended to send a message to Partner … it clearly couldn’t be a normal lead … the oddness of the lead should act as a wake-up call to Partner, and the obvious message was a suit preference signal, for the lowest suit, Clubs ... it's the so-called Alarm Clock Lead.

(b)   After cashing one Diamond, West could not play another high Diamond, he needed that as an exit card later on … so he shifted to a Club, confident that Partner had the Ace;

(c)    After getting his second Spade ruff, West was now able to exit with that second high Diamond;

(d)   And, then, when North played the K♥, it was essential for West to duck, otherwise he would have been end-played, and would not score his J♥.

And, yes, E-W needed all of those tricks, as they are cold for 5♦ or 3NT.

 

 

29	♠ K52 ♥ J6 ♦ 9875 ♣ J732	From 13th December, 2006
♠ 87 ♥ K987542 ♦ KJ43 ♣	North West       Dummy           South	♠ 964 ♥ A3 ♦ QT2 ♣ A9854	Dlr     North  Vul     Both
© BES, Inc  All Rights Reserved	♠ AQJT3 ♥ QT ♦ A6 ♣ KQT6	West    North   East     South             Pass    Pass    1♠ 2♥        2♠        3♥        Dbl 4♥        Pass    Pass    Pass

 

Suppose that South decides to bid on to 4♠, no doubt doubled by East.  West will be on lead and foremost in his mind will be how to get a Club ruff (or two).  The most likely entry to Partner’s hand is a Heart, and this is an excellent opportunity for an “Alarm Clock” lead, which is to say a lead which Partner will recognize as being abnormal, and which should give him pause for thought.

-         If E-W play 4^th best leads, then the Two should wake up Partner … he’ll win the Ace, realize that the Two cannot be a 4^th best (surely West has at least 5 Hearts), and realize that a routine Heart return is not required … when East lays down the A♣ all becomes clear, and the ruff ensures a 500 set.

-         If E-W play 3^rd and 5^th leads, the lead of the Two won’t do the job, it will look completely normal to East … so West should try the Nine, which hopefully will appear sufficiently unusual to awake Partner from his slumber.

 

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