Leads when you have bid yourself by Matthias Huberschwiller

A: ♣6 – You have two equivalent suits, but your opponents have bid 3NT expecting a Heart lead.

This ist the moment to surprise them by leading the ♣6. Maybe they don’t even stop the Clubs!


Your result so far:

A: ♣2 - Despite your partner’s fit, leading a Heart is excluded. Partner has not promised an honour, South could have the king!

You rather need to lead an unbid suit, Clubs, hoping that your partner gets on lead and plays a Heart.

As you haven’t led them, he will know that you have a tenace.


Your result so far:

A: ♥6 – Dummy has a strong hand with good Diamonds. As you only have the ace, you know that declarer can discard losers on the established honours once your ace is gone.

When there is the risk of a discard, you need to lead aggressively, here a small Heart, to establish tricks.

Even if dummy has Ace-Queen in Hearts, you won’t give away a trick, as your king would be placed in front of them in any case.


Your result so far:

A: ♥6 – Your length in Hearts is attractive, after all South has promised to stop them only once.

Which card should you lead?

You have no entry in another suit, so if you lead the ace, even if you establish the Heart suit, your partner will never be able to cross back to your hand if he gets on lead.



Your result so far:

A: ♥9 – You opponents have stopped in 2NT, this normally means that your partner has some points.

If you lead a Spade, you can be nearly certain that you’ll give a trick to South.

North has mad a negative double, hoping to find a Heart fit, but as South has not shown a fit, you know that your partner has some, so you can lead the ♥9 (top of nothing), playing through dummy and hoping that partner will play back a Spade when he takes the lead.


Your result so far: