Playing the High Card from the Short Side as Declarer
There are three basic ways to play a hand as declarer: trump losers, discard losers on a long suit, or a combination of both. More sophisticated techniques are available to declarer, such as throw in plays and various squeezes, but most hands can be made using basic techniques.
As mentioned, one technique is to discard losers on a long suit. How that suit is played is important. The correct way is to play the high card from the short side. Here is an example:
- Dummy: AQJxxx
- Declarer: Kx
Playing the high card from the short side means playing the King first, and then the small card to Dummy’s Ace so that the suit can continue to be played, discarding losers from declarer’s hand. It should be obvious that if the Ace is played first from the long side, a subsequent small card from dummy to the King will not allow declarer to continue playing the long suit. (Yes, there may be another way to get back to dummy to continue the suit, but this is not always the case.)
Playing the High Card from the Short Side on Defense: Unblocking
The concept of high card from the short side is usually ascribed to playing the hand. The concept is also applicable on defense, and is termed unblocking in this context. Here is an example of a recent hand Carol and I defended. The opponents bid freely to 3NT, bidding hearts, diamonds and clubs in the process. My partner led the Jack of spades, the unbid suit. Dummy was tabled showing a doubleton in spades, the Ace and a small card. I held KQx of spades, and realized that 3NT can be set once the Ace of spades was played, since Carol should have length in spades, headed by J109.
Declarer played the Ace of spades. Had I played my small spade, we would have gotten just two spade tricks, my King and Queen. So, to get back to the long side of the spades suit, my partner’s hand, I played the Queen of spades, the high card from the short side, unblocking the suit. Once Carol regained the lead, she returned a small spade to my King, and I was able to return my small spade to partner’s long side, setting 3NT two tricks.
In conclusion…
The concept of high card from the short side is simple but can have a significant impact on defense or when playing a hand.