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 Leads Quiz 257 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 subsequent declarer play or defense.

Question 1

  Your Hand
 
 J 9 8 4
 Q 10 8 5
 Q J 8 7 2
 
Q: 1 - What will you lead against 4 here?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1
Pass1NTPass3
Pass4All Pass


 Your choice:
A: Q. All the leads risk giving away a trick. The club lead is safest, with the touching honors. Declarer is also more likely to be short in clubs than any of the other side-suits.

♠  A 4

♥  10 7 6 2

♦  9 7 4 3

♣  A 10 6

♠  10 9 8 6 2

♥  Q 5

♦  K J

♣  K 9 5 3

♠ 

♥  J 9 8 4

♦  Q 10 8 5

♣  Q J 8 7 2

♠  K Q J 7 5 3

♥  A K 3

♦  A 6 2

♣  4

Right, take declarer's East cards now and see if you would have made the contract.

You win the club lead in dummy. What next? Unless the trumps are 5-0, you have ten tricks on top. To survive five trumps with North, you will have to score all the low trumps in your hand.

It is therefore essential to ruff a club at trick two. You cross to the A, finding the 5-0 break, and ruff another club low. Six trump tricks and four top winners are then yours.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
 J 6
 9 7 4
 9 5 3
 Q J 10 8 7
 
Q: 2 - What will you lead against 4NT on this deal from the Australian Trials?
SouthWestNorthEast
PassPass1Dble
Pass1Pass3NT
Pass4Pass4NT
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: Q. Leibowitz led the Q, which made life easy for the defenders. This was the deal:

♠  Q 10 9 8 4 2

♥  6

♦  7 6

♣  6 4 3 2

♠  A K 7 5

♥  K Q 10 8 3

♦  2

♣  K 9 5

♠  J 6

♥  9 7 4

♦  9 5 3

♣  Q J 10 8 7

♠  3

♥  A J 5 2

♦  A K Q J 10 8 4

♣  A

Declarer won and ran the diamonds, but he had no hope of a tenth trick and went one down. West should have passed 3NT.

Suppose South leads a heart instead and declarer allows the Q to win. North should cash the A K, to isolate the dummy. He cannot then play a major suit. Although a club happens to be safe, declarer might have held the A Q, so a diamond would be the best continuation from North. One down.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
 Q 10 8 6 3
 8 7 2
 10 7
 K J 6
 
Q: 3 - What will you lead against 4 here?
SouthWestNorthEast
--3Dble
4PassPassDble
Pass4 All Pass


 Your choice:
A: 6. Leibowitz led the 6 and this was the deal:

♠  J 5 2

♥  A J 10 3

♦  9 8 6 2

♣  8 2

♠  K 9

♥  Q 4

♦  Q 4 3

♣  Q 10 7 5 4 3

♠  Q 10 8 6 3

♥  8 7 2

♦  10 7

♣  K J 6

♠  A 7 4

♥  K 9 6 5

♦  A K J 5

♣  A 9

Declarer won the Q with the ace. How would you have continued the play?

Tony Nunn continued with the K, expecting the non-pre-emptor to hold the trump length. A finesse of the J lost to the queen. A club to the jack was followed by a trump return.

Declarer picked up the diamonds for no losers and then played ace and another spade to the jack. When North won with the bare king, he had to give a ruff-and-discard and the game was made.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
 10 8 3 2
 7
 A K Q 9 4
 K 10 7
 
Q: 4 - What will you lead against 4 here?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1
22Pass3
Pass4All Pass


 Your choice:
A: A. There is no reason not to make the obvious diamond lead. This was the deal:

♠  7 5

♥  K J 10 6

♦  10 3 2

♣  A 6 5 2

♠  Q J 9 6

♥  8 4 3

♦  J 8 6

♣  J 4 3

♠  10 8 3 2

♥  7

♦  A K Q 9 4

♣  K 10 7

♠  A K 4

♥  A Q 9 5 2

♦  7 5

♣  Q 9 8

South plays his three top diamonds. Take the East cards now. How will you play 4?

You ruff the third heart and play the ace and king of trumps, finding the 3-1 break. Leaving one trump out, You play the A K and ruff a spade in dummy.

After South's overcall, you decide to play him for the K. You lead a low club from dummy and play the 9. South wins and has to lead from the K or give a ruff-and-discard.

The play is known as a partial elimination, because you did not eliminate the last trump before making the throw-in play.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
 K 8 7
 8 7 5 4
 Q J 9
 A K 6
 
Q: 5 - What will you lead against 4?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass11
24All Pass


 Your choice:
A: Q. Most would lead the A, but in fact the diamond lead is the only one that can beat the game. This was the deal:

♠  Q 10 9 2

♥ 

♦  6

♣  J 9 8 7 5 4 3 2

♠  5

♥  K 10 9 6 3 2

♦  A 10 8 3 2

♣  10

♠  K 8 7

♥  8 7 5 4

♦  Q J 9

♣  A K 6

♠  A J 6 4 3

♥  A Q J

♦  K 7 5 4

♣  Q

South leads the A and switches to the Q, won with North's ace. Declarer wins the diamond continuation with the king and lead a low trump towards dummy (essential). The Q wins and he ruffs a club.

The A is followed by a diamond ruff, then a club ruff to hand, setting up the suit. Declarer ruffs his last diamond and plays a good club, throwing a heart. South can ruff, but he then has to lead into the A Q.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Overall Results

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