Leads Quiz 227 by David Bird

A: ♠2. The bidding tells you that dummy will contain a diamond suit that will provide discards. You should therefore attack in one of the black suits, hoping to set up a winner there before declarer can discard his losers.

David Mossop decided to lead the ♣Q. Unlucky! This was the deal:

____________________♠ K J 6 5
____________________♥ J 10 3
____________________♦ K 8 2
____________________♣ 10 9 2

♠ A 9_________________________♠ Q 8 7
♥ A K Q 6____________________♥ 8 7 5 4 2
♦ A J 7 6 4__________________♦ Q 9 5
♣ A K _______________________♣ 7 5

____________________♠ 10 4 3 2
____________________♥ 9
____________________♦ 10 3
____________________♣ Q J 8 6 4 3

As you can see, a spade lead would set up the ♠K and beat the slam. Leading a spade is perhaps the better bet because the 6-card club length suggests the possibility that declarer or the dummy will hold a singleton club (not the case here).

Your result so far:

A: ♦2. As the cards lay, the winning lead was a diamond. Tommasini found the exotic lead of the ♣8, expecting the ♣K to be in the dummy. This was the deal:

____________________♠ 6 5
____________________♥ J 5 3
____________________♦ K J 9 4
____________________♣ 9 7 6 2

♠ K 9 4_________________________♠ A Q J 10 2
♥ K Q 8 2_______________________♥ A 10 6
♦ Q 6____________________________♦ A 8 5
♣ K 5 4 3________________________♣ Q J

____________________♠ 8 7 3
____________________♥ 9 7 4
____________________♦ 10 7 3 2
____________________♣ A 10 8

South was happy when dummy went down. Would North produce the ♣Q? No, and the slam was made. As you can see, a diamond lead would set up the ♦K for one down.

Your result so far:

A: ♥J. It is clear to lead the top heart. See if you can beat the contract from this start. This is the deal:

____________________♠ Q 5 4
____________________♥ K Q 6 3
____________________♦ Q 10 7 6
____________________♣ 9 2

♠ 10 7 2________________________♠ A K 9 8 3
♥ 8 7 2_________________________♥ A 5
♦ A K 5 2________________________♦ 9 4
♣ Q J 4_________________________♣ A 6 5 3

____________________♠ J 6
____________________♥ J 10 9 4
____________________♦ J 8 3
____________________♣ K 10 8 7

Declarer ducks the first trick. You play another heart to North's queen and declarer's ace. He cashes the ace of trumps and crosses to dummy with a diamond. He then takes a safety play in trumps, finessing the 9. You win with the jack. What now?

You should force declarer with another heart. Declarer plays a club to the queen, which you duck. He returns to his hand with the ♠K and leads another club. You rise with the king and play a killing fourth round of hearts. The clubs are blocked and declarer goes one down.

It was a mistake for declarer to finesse in trumps. He would have remained in control if he had played a second top trump and then set about the clubs.

Your result so far:

A: ♣Q. The singleton club was led and this was the full deal:

____________________♠ K
____________________♥ K Q 10
____________________♦ K J 9 4
____________________♣ J 9 8 5 3

♠ A 2______________________________♠ Q 9 8 6 5 4 3
♥ J 7 2___________________________♥ 3
♦ A Q 8 6 2_____________________♦ 5
♣ A 10 2_______________________♣ K 7 6 4
____________________♠ J 10 7
____________________♥ A 9 8 6 5 4
____________________♦ 10 7 3
____________________♣ Q

Declarer won with the ♣K and played a trump to the ace, the king falling from North. When he played a heart from dummy, North won with the 10. He could not safely play a minor suit and returned the ♥K. Declarer ruffed and led a club towards the dummy. If South ruffed with a trump winner, he would be ruffing a loser. He therefore discarded a heart and declarer scored dummy's ♣A.

The ♣10 was won by North's jack, and he had no good return. When he tried the ♥Q, declarer ruffed and led his last club. If South ruffed, it would cost him his trump trick. If instead South discarded, dummy would be able to ruff with the ♠2. It was a sparkling piece of cardplay by the declarer.

Your result so far:

A: ♠10. There is no reason to avoid a spade lead. The attention now passes to the declarer. Would you have made the contract?

____________________♠ K 8 6 2
____________________♥ Q J 9 3
____________________♦ J 8 2
____________________♣ K 10

♠ 4_______________________________♠ A J 7
♥ 8 7 6________________________♥ A K 4 2
♦ A Q 9 7 4 3_______________♦ 10 5
♣ A J 2_______________________♣ Q 9 7 4

____________________♠ Q 10 9 5 3
____________________♥ 10 5
____________________♦ K 6
____________________♣ 8 6 5 3

The ♠10 opening lead went to North's king and declarer's ace. Declarer than had to make 9 tricks without allowing North (the danger hand) to win the lead. He led the ♦10 to the queen, which won. He then returned to his hand with a top heart. When the ♦5 was led next, the king appeared from South and declarer allowed this to hold.

South could not continue spades effectively. When he switched to a club, declarer won with dummy's ace and took his nine tricks.

Your result so far: