e holding of
the Dummy or some other development renders such action plainly
inadvisable.

Shifting suits is about as advantageous as swapping horses while
crossing a stream, and the advice to return the partner's suit rather
than risk a new one applies with equal force whether a No-trump or suit
declaration is being played, but does not refer to the situation in
which the partner evidently desires that the suit he has declared be
led through strength up to him.

HOW TO RETURN PARTNER'S LEAD

When the original Third Hand returns a suit opened by his partner, he
should lead the winning card, if he hold it. If without the best card,
when the lead is against a No-trump declaration, it is far more
important that a high card should be led through strength, and also
that the holder of the length should be accurately advised as to his
partner's high cards, than that he should be told the exact number of
small ones. Therefore, when playing a No-trumper, the highest card
should be returned from either three or two remaining. With four
remaining (five originally), the holding may be longer than that of the
original leader, and, therefore, the lowest should be led. If the
partner be a keen counter of small cards, the next to the lowest is
doubtless more informatory and just as advantageous as the lowest. When
the original Third Hand returns a suit opened by his partner against a
suit declaration, there is some difference of opinion among good
players as to whether he should follow the Whist rule, which is the
most informatory as to number, and lead the lowest of three remaining,
the higher of two; or whether it is unwise to complicate matters by
distinguishing between this case and the return when a No-trump is
being played. The question is not very important as long as partners
understand which convention is being used.

None of these rules applies in the case, readily distinguishable, in
which the adverse strength in the suit is in the Dummy, and it is
necessary to hold a high card over that hand; the play must then be
made to fit the situation, and not according to any hard-and-fast
principle.

THE FINESSE

The cards of the Dummy being exposed make it easy for the player
sitting back of him to determine when to finesse. As the object of a
finesse is to catch a high card on the right, it is folly to finesse
against nothing--for example, the leader opens with Knave against a
No-trump; the Third Hand has King and othe