Leads against a doubled contract by Matthias Huberschwiller

Your opponents have bid a contract that was doubled.

Your lead will not be the same whether the contract was bid to win it or to defend against yours.

It is your lead!

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ 7
♥ J 6 3 2
♦ K Q 6 3 2
♣ A K 7

Q: 1 - As West, what do you lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♥
1♠	2♠ *	4♠	Double
Pass	Pass	Pass

* Cue-bid: Four-card fit and forcing game.

A: ♠7 – Your opponents have bid 4♠ as defense.
You have more points than they have. Where will they get their tricks?
By ruffing! To reduce the number of ruffs, you need to lead a trump.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ 9 6 4 3 2
♥ 7
♦ Q 6 3
♣ 10 9 8 4

Q: 2 - As West, what do you lead?

South	West	North	East
1 NT	Pass	3 NT	Double
Pass	Pass	Pass

A: ♥7 – Your opponents have decided to play 3NT and your partner doubles.

Often, this is for a Spade lead, but with five Spades in your own hand you know that this is not possible.

Your partner wanted to prevent you from leading what you’d lead without the double. He probably has a length in Hearts and his double allows you to find this lead!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ A Q 6 3 2
♥ K 10 9 7
♦ 7
♣ Q J 10

Q: 3 - As West, what do you lead?

South	West	North	East
1♥	1♠	2♥	3♠
4♥	Double	Pass	Pass
Pass

A: ♣Q – Your opponents have obviously bid too high and will suffer from the bad distribution in trumps.

There is no urgency to lead a Spade; if South has the King it would be terrible.

The singleton Diamond is equally prohibited: With all the trumps, you don’t want to ruff; you’ll get your trump tricks anyway.

Therefore, you need to lead a club, trying to establish tricks in the suit. Lead the Queen as top of your sequence.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ 6
♥ K 6 2
♦ K Q 9 8 6 2
♣ A 6 2

Q: 4 - As West, what do you lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
2♦	Pass	Pass	Double
Pass	Pass	Pass

Question: Would you have made the same bids as our West?

A: ♠6 – Even if you don’t really want to ruff, you need to put your partner on lead so that he can play a trump without giving a trick to declarer.

Therefore, it seems to be most reasonable to lead his suit – a Spade.

As you’ve passed over his double, your partner knows that you have a good hand and length and strength in your opponents’ suit.

Concerning the bidding, it is very well played to pass over 2♦. As your partner has shortness there, he will reopen the bidding and if he does so with a Double, you’ve hit the jackpot! Poor South!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ 7 2
♥ J 6 4
♦ J 7 6 3 2
♣ A 4 3

Q: 5 - As West, what do you lead?

South	West	North	East
1♠	Pass	2♦	Pass
2♠	Pass	4♠	Double
Pass	Pass	Pass

A: ♦2 – Your partner has doubled 4♠! Obviously, this is not because he has bad news in the trump suit; you have two small cards there.

Why did he double? Because he wants you to find the lead that will beat the contract! Often a double asks for dummy’s suit – here, as you have five small cards there, partner is certainly void!

But which card should you lead?
You want him to play back a Club so that you get on lead again and can give him another ruff, so you need to lead your smallest Diamond!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Overall Results

Your results: out of Average:

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
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