Giving Partner a Ruff

Ruffs are some of the easiest tricks a defence can take, but only if you notice the chance. When partner leads a suit where you and dummy hold almost every card, ask yourself whether partner has just led a singleton.

Why it works

Count the suit. If you and dummy hold nine cards between you, only four are left for partner and declarer. A low or middle card led from that short holding is very often a singleton. Returning the suit gives partner a trick with a small trump that would otherwise never score.

A worked example: Ace, ruff, ace, ruff

The Contract: 4♥ by South. You are East. Partner leads the ♦9.

Dummy (North):

♦ Q J 5 4 (other suits not relevant here)

Your Hand (East):

♠ A 8 3

♥ 6 4

♦ A 10 8 7 3

♣ 9 5 2

8 HCP.

You and dummy hold nine diamonds. The only ones missing are the ♦K, ♦6 and ♦2, plus partner's ♦9. Partner would lead low from a holding with the king, so the ♦9 is a singleton or from a doubleton.

Declarer plays dummy's ♦J. You win the ♦A and declarer follows with the ♦2.

You need four tricks. Count them: the ♦A, a diamond ruff, your ♠A and a second ruff. Return the ♦10. Partner ruffs. Your high diamond is a suit-preference signal asking partner to return the higher of the two remaining side suits — spades, not clubs.

Partner leads a spade to your ♠A, and you lead another diamond. Declarer's ♦6 follows, and partner ruffs again. That is four tricks and the contract is one down — provided partner started with at least two trumps.

If partner's ♦9 had come from a doubleton, declarer would hold ♦K and one other. Your return then costs nothing: declarer's ♦K, ♦Q and ♦J were always going to score.

Four common mistakes

• Switching to your own suit at trick two without counting the suit partner led.

• Returning a random card instead of a suit-preference card that shows partner your entry.

• Cashing your side ace first, leaving no way back for the second ruff.

• Leading the suit again after declarer has drawn partner's trumps.

When the rule does not apply

If partner is likely to have no trumps left (for example, declarer showed a very long trump suit), or if a ruff would only use a trump trick partner was going to make anyway, a ruff gains nothing. And if a passive defence is clearly working, do not give declarer a chance to discard a loser on a ruff that partner cannot actually take.

Key takeaways

• Count the suit partner leads: when you and dummy hold most of it, think singleton.

• Count your defensive tricks, including ruffs, before playing to trick two.

• Use a suit-preference return to show partner where your entry is.

• Keep your side entry until partner has taken the first ruff.