Lead with Barry by Barry Rigal

A: ♠5: Yes a diamond is technically safer; but the objective of leading is to defeat the contract, and spades offer far more chance of setting up your suit. Almost any five-card suit is more attractive than a four-carder as a source of tricks on lead to a no-trump contract. With the long suits reversed one might well lead from QJ9x at pairs in an attempt to combine safety and aggression. At pairs the objective is EITHER to defeat the contract or to avoid giving away an unnecessary trick if nothing appeals. If you save a trick on four hands and fail to beat the fifth you come out way in front over the player who beats one hand and lets through an overtrick on four deals.


Your result so far:

A: ♠4: Lead a spade, the four is the normal card, but the jack is not absurd either. Declarer surely has the hearts guarded, and may be relying on dummy to produce good spades. If you can get partner in for a heart switch you may take quite a few tricks off the bat, and spades look the best way to do that.


Your result so far:

A: ♠5: Declarer appears to have a strong hand with a singleton spade, and dummy has not rebid spades, so maybe you can lead through dummy’s suit, and subsequently regain the lead to play spades through dummy again.

Your result so far:

A: ♥4: Although it is normally a good idea to lead partner’s suit when they overcall here, your good suit of your own coupled with your sure side entry and your singleton in partner’s suit make a heart lead reasonable. Be prepared to apologize if necessary, though!


Your result so far:

A: ♦3: Leading a spade into declarer’s suit is passive, but a heart might risk pickling partner’s holding, and a club is far too likely to cost a trick by letting declarer’s king score cheaply. That just leaves diamonds – unattractive, but what else can one do? The French believe leading from ace-fourth into a strong hand is a terrible idea, and who am I to argue?

Your result so far: