When returning a partner's lead, the card to return him is the higher of
two remaining, the lowest of three or more remaining. Thus, if you held
originally ace, knave, and the three, and your partner led this suit, you
should play the ace third in hand, and return the knave. If you held ace,
knave, four, and three, you win with the ace, and return the three.
It does not follow that you should return your partner's lead
_immediately_. You may wish him to abandon his suit, and to play for one of
your own. {196} If so, the correct card of this suit should be led, so that
your partner may be informed of the change of policy which you advocate. If
he has confidence in you, he will then abandon his own suit and play for
yours. To return your partner's lead at once means that you have no better
game of your own.
Although, as a general rule, it is advisable to lead from a numerically
strong suit, yet to continue this suit when the partner is found to hold no
high card in it is not winning play. For example, a player holds six
diamonds, headed by the nine; one trump, the five (clubs); three spades,
headed by the queen; three hearts, headed by the knave. He leads the fourth
best diamond; his partner, third in hand, plays knave; fourth hand wins
with queen. The original leader may now feel confident that both the ace
and king of diamonds are against him; if, therefore, he win a trick with
the queen of spades, it would be useless to lead another diamond, unless he
is anxious to force his partner, which, with one trump only, would not be
sound play.