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 Opening Leads Quiz 246 by David Bird

Here are some more opening lead problems.

As always, you will be sitting South, leading to a contract played by East. The interest may be not only in the opening lead, but in the bidding and subsequent play.

Question 1

  Your Hand
♠ 6
♥ K J 7 4
♦ K 8 7 6 2
♣ K 10 4 		 
Q: 1 - What will you lead against Brian Senior's 4♠ contract, in the Wroclaw world championship?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1NT
Pass2♣Pass2♠
Pass4♠All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♠6. Poland's Kwiecien did not like to lead away from a king. He decided to lead his singleton trump, and this gave nothing away.

♠  9 7 5 4 3

♥  A 6

♦  A J 10

♣  J 7 6

♠  J 10 2

♥  10 8 5 3

♦  5 3

♣  A 8 5 2

♠  6

♥  K J 7 4

♦  K 8 7 6 2

♣  K 10 4

♠  A K Q 8

♥  Q 9 2

♦  Q 9 4

♣  Q 9 3

Senior drew trumps and led the ♦Q, picking up that suit. He continued with the ♥A and a heart to the queen and king. South exited safely with a heart, ruffed in the dummy. Declarer now had to play clubs himself, choosing the ♣J. North won and played a club to put the game one down.

As you can see, a heart or a club lead would have given away the contract.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
♠ A J 7 5 2
♥ J 8
♦ K 7 6
♣ J 8 4 		 
Q: 2 - What will you lead against Jessica Larsson's 5♦ in the Wroclaw world championship?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1♦
1♠Dble3♠5♣
Pass5♦All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♥J. As it happens, only a heart lead beats the game.

♠  K 10 9 8

♥  K Q 4 3 2

♦  5 4

♣  6 3

♠  Q 6 4 3

♥  A 10 7 6

♦  Q 9

♣  Q 10 7

♠  A J 7 5 2

♥  J 8

♦  K 7 6

♣  J 8 4

♠ 

♥  9 5

♦  A J 10 8 3 2

♣  A K 9 5 2

North wins with the ♥A and must return the ♦9. If declarer finesses, you will win and return another trump, preventing any club ruffs and beating the game. If instead declarer rises with the ♦A, she will lose two trump tricks. At the table, a club was led and the game was made.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
♠ 10 7
♥ A Q J 5
♦ 10 8 4 3
♣ Q 9 7 		 
Q: 3 - What will you lead against Levin's 4♠ in the Wroclaw world championship?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1♣
Pass2♥Pass4♠
All Pass


West's 2♥ showed five spades, four hearts and fewer than 10 HCP.

 Your choice:
A: ♠10 Paske led the ♠10, giving nothing away.

♠  A Q 9 6 5

♥  10 8 3 2

♦  K 7 6

♣  6

♠  8 2

♥  K 6 4

♦  Q J 2

♣  A 8 5 4 3

♠  10 7

♥  A Q J 5

♦  10 8 4 3

♣  Q 9 7

♠  K J 4 3

♥  9 7

♦  A 9 5

♣  K J 10 2

Levin won in the dummy and played the singleton club. North correctly played low, giving declarer a guess. The ♣J lost to the queen, and another trump was played.

A heart was played, a diamond returned, another heart played, and another diamond played back. Levin ruffed a club, but eventually had to take a ruffing finesse with the ♣K 10. It lost to the ace for one down.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
♠ Q 9 3
♥ 10 6 2
♦ 8 7 6 4
♣ K Q 10 		 
Q: 4 - What will you lead from Hampson's hand against this world championship 3NT?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1♣
Pass1♠Pass3♣
Pass3♥Pass3NT
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♦8. Hampson led the ♦8.

♠  K 10 6 5 4

♥  A 7 5 4

♦  J 10 3

♣  9

♠  A 8 7 2

♥  J 9 8

♦  Q 5 2

♣  7 4 3

♠  Q 9 3

♥  10 6 2

♦  8 7 6 4

♣  K Q 10

♠  J

♥  K Q 3

♦  A K 9

♣  A J 8 6 5 2

The diamond lead drew the jack, queen and ace, declarer continuing with ace and another club. Hampson then switched to the ♠Q, covered by the king, ace and jack. Back came a spade to the nine and ten.

After cashing the ♥K and ♥Q, declarer had to guess whether to play a heart or a club. When he chose a club, another spade from South sunk the contract.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
♠ 9 3
♥ Q 8 6 2
♦ Q J 10 5
♣ A Q 5 		 
Q: 5 - What will you lead against Zia's 4♠ here?
SouthWestNorthEast
-1♥Pass1♠
Pass3♠Pass4♠
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♦Q. Sprinkhuizen led the obvious ♦Q and this was the deal:

♠  J 8 7 4

♥  A K 9 4 3

♦  A

♣  J 10 7

♠  A Q 2

♥  J 5

♦  K 7 4 3 2

♣  8 3 2

♠  9 3

♥  Q 8 6 2

♦  Q J 10 5

♣  A Q 5

♠  K 10 6 5

♥  10 7

♦  9 8 6

♣  K 9 6 4

Dummy's ace took the first trick, and Zia ran the ♣J to the queen. All now depended on South's next play. What would you have done?

Only a trump switch defeats the contract. The diamond continuation was ruffed in the dummy and declarer finessed the ♠10. He ruffed a diamond in dummy and played a club to the ♣9 and ace.

South now had a second chance. If he plays the ♦J, giving a ruff-and-sluff, declarer must go down whichever hand he ruffs in. North will score two trump tricks.


Your result so far:
Open Question

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