Leads against a part score in trumps by Matthias Huberschwiller

A: ♥10 - Underleading the spade ace is of course excluded.
Leading small under the ♦J is to risky, because it could give away the position in the suit, and leading from an honor doubleton is also excluded.
There is only a trump lead left; with 10 9 8, the risk of giving away a trick is very small and you can inhibit ruffs in the short hand.


Your result so far:

A: ♣Q - You have the choice between two sequences. For deciding, you need to look at the number of touching honours: In diamonds, you have only two whereas you have three in clubs. Therefore, you need to lead the ♣Q.

Your result so far:

A: ♦6: Declarer will certainly want to ruff his hearts with dummy’s diamonds. (North has passed over Two Diamonds, so he is very short in Hearts.)
The best way of preventing him from doing that is to lead a trump, even from an honor!


Your result so far:

A: ♦J -Leading a heart from your doubleton would be helping declarer to set up his suit; and a club under the queen would be too dangerous.
What is left is the sequence in diamonds, which, despite North’s bid in that suit, has little chances of giving away a trick.


Your result so far:

A: ♦J - You have a length in trumps, so you need to think about shortening trumps in the long hand of your opponents, which is the dummy.
Therefore you need to lead from your length in diamonds. The goal is that dummy has to ruff and becomes shorter in trumps than you.

Your result so far: