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 Leads Quiz 253 by David Bird

As always, you will be South, leading towards a contract played by East.

The interest may be not only in the opening lead, but in the subsequence defense or declarer play.

Question 1

  Your Hand
♠ K Q J 9 6 3
♥ A 8
♦ Q 6
♣ 8 6 3 		 
Q: 1 - What will you lead against 5♦?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1♦
1♠Dble3♠4♦
Pass5♦All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♠K. Of course, you lead a top spade. The interest is in the declarer play. Take the East cards and see how you would have fared.

♠  10 8

♥  9 7 6 3 2

♦  K 4 3

♣  A Q 9

♠  7 5 4 2

♥  J 10 5 4

♦  8

♣  K J 10 4

♠  K Q J 9 6 3

♥  A 8

♦  Q 6

♣  8 6 3

♠  A

♥  K Q

♦  A J 10 9 7 5 2

♣  7 5 2

You win the spade lead and lead the ♥K to South's ace. He switches to a club and dummy's 9 loses to the 10. How will you play when a second round of spades is returned?

You should ruff with the 7, preserving the ♦2, then cash the ♥Q and ♦A. Lead the ♦J to the king and ruff a heart high. Return to dummy by leading the preserved ♦2 to the 3 and ruff another heart, establishing the suit. You can then return to dummy with the ♣A and discard your club loser on the 13th heart. The contract is yours.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
♠ 9 6
♥ Q J 4
♦ J 10 4 2
♣ A 10 9 4 		 
Q: 2 - What will you lead against 3♠?
SouthWestNorthEast
-1NT2♥2♠
3♥3♠Alll pass


 Your choice:
A: ♥Q. It is natural to lead the suit that you and your partner have bid. You must now take the East cards and see if you can make 3♠.

♠  J 4 3

♥  A 8

♦  A K 5

♣  Q J 8 3 2

♠  A 10 7

♥  K 10 7 5 3 2

♦  Q 8 6

♣  5

♠  9 6

♥  Q J 4

♦  J 10 4 2

♣  A 10 9 4

♠  K Q 8 5 2

♥  9 6

♦  9 7 3

♣  K 7 6

What is your plan for the 3♠ contract when the ♥Q is led?

You win with dummy's ♥A. If you play a trump next, you will go down. North will win with the ace, lead his club singleton to the ♣A and ruff the club return. He will then lead a low heart to his partner's jack for a second ruff.

To prevent this, you must lead a second round of hearts at trick two. This Scissors Coup prevents the defenders from taking more than one club ruff.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
♠ K Q 10 9
♥ J 4
♦ A 10 4
♣ A J 9 4 		 
Q: 3 - What will you lead against 2♠?
SouthWestNorthEast
1NT2♦2♥2♠
All Pass


West's 2♦ showed diamonds and an unknown major.

 Your choice:
A: ♥J. It is normal to lead the suit that partner has bid. You should take the East cards now and see if you would have made the contract.

♠  A J 4 3

♥  K 8

♦  K J 5 3 2

♣  8 2

♠  2

♥  Q 10 9 5 3

♦  Q 8 6

♣  Q 10 5 3

♠  K Q 10 9

♥  J 4

♦  A 10 4

♣  A J 9 4

♠  8 7 6 5

♥  A 7 6 2

♦  9 7

♣  K 7 6

You win the first trick with dummy's ♥K, cross to the ♥A and lead a diamond towards dummy. Because South opened 1NT, you guess correctly to play dummy's ♦K. You play a second diamond, North winning the queen and returning the ♣10.

The defenders persist with clubs and you ruff the third round in dummy. You then ruff a diamond, finding a 3-3 break. A trump to South's king and dummy's ace is followed by the ♦J for a heart discard (North cannot ruff). South ruffs this trick, leaving him with the ♠Q 10 and ♣9 in front of dummy's ♠J 4 and ♦7. You will score two of the last three tricks, making the contract.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
♠ Q 8 6
♥ A 10
♦ Q 10 5 3
♣ 10 7 5 4 		 
Q: 4 - What will you lead against 4♥ here?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1♥
Pass3♣Pass3♦
Pass4♥All Pass


3♣ was a Bergen Raise, showing four trumps and 6-8 HCP. 3♦ was a game-try.

 Your choice:
A: ♦3. At the table, South gave the defenders a chance by leading the ♦3. Take the East cards now and see if you can make the contract. This is the layout:

♠  K 9 4 2

♥  9 6 5 2

♦  J 2

♣  Q J 6

♠  J 10 7 5

♥  8 4

♦  A K 6

♣  K 9 8 3

♠  Q 8 6

♥  A 10

♦  Q 10 5 3

♣  10 7 5 4

♠  A 3

♥  K Q J 7 3

♦  9 8 7 4

♣  A 2

North wins with the ♦K and continues with ace and another diamond. You ruff in the dummy and play a trump to the king and ace. How will you continue the play when South plays a fourth round of diamonds?

North is poised to overruff. You cannot prevent this by ruffing with a master trump because dummy does not have one. The next best thing is to ruff with the ♥9. This wins the trick because North does not hold the ♥10. The game is made.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
♠ 8 2
♥ K 10 9 6 2
♦ 10 9 8 5
♣ K 5 		 
Q: 5 - What will you lead against 6NT?
SouthWestNorthEast
---2♣
Pass2♦Pass2NT
Pass4NTPass6NT
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♦10. You might lead the ♥10 against 3NT. It would be complete madness when the contract is 6NT (because declarer and the dummy will have nearly all of the points, including the ace and queen of hearts).

Take declarer's hand now and see if you can make the slam.


♠  J 6

♥  J 7

♦  Q J 7 3

♣  A 9 8 7 6

♠  Q 10 9 7

♥  8 5 4

♦  6 4 2

♣  4 3 2

♠  8 2

♥  K 10 9 6 2

♦  10 9 8 5

♣  K 5

♠  A K 5 4 3

♥  A Q 3

♦  A K

♣  Q J 10

You win the diamond lead in your hand, cash your other top diamond and lead the ♣Q, covered by the king and ace. What next?

You should discard the ♣J 10 on the ♦Q J, unblocking the suit. You will then have 12 tricks. The heart finesse loses, so there is no overtrick.


Your result so far:
Open Question

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