At the expert level, every card played by a defender has a meaning. Unless a card is played in an effort to win the trick, or to prevent declarer from winning the trick cheaply, it is usually a signal. The first signaling priority is attitude — an encouraging or discouraging card in the suit of the signal. Second priority is count — usually high to show an even number or low to show an odd number. When a defender’s attitude and count are both known, or not relevant, the card played becomes a suitpreference signal. A high card shows a preference for the higher-ranking of the two remaining suits, excluding the suit of the signal and the trump suit. A low card asks for the lower ranking.
East’s pre-emptive raise pressured South into making an overcall that he didn’t have the values to make at the three level. North, expecting more, raised to game. East’s double seems a little greedy, but East-West needed to compensate for the value of the fourclub contract that they would surely have made.
After partner’s ace of clubs lead and the sight of dummy, East’s attitude and count in the club suit were both irrelevant. He played the jack of clubs as a suit-preference signal for hearts. West led a low heart to East’s king, won the heart return, and cashed another heart. A fourth round of hearts was ruffed with dummy’s eight and over-ruffed by East for a two-trick set. Declarer dropped the king of spades off-side, but plus 300 was a great result. Well done!
