Quiz Expert by Vu-Bridge

Question 1

Your Hand
♠
♥ K Q 9 2
♦ K 6 4 3
♣ Q J 7 3 2

Q: 1 - What will you lead against 4♠ doubled on this deal from the Italian Men's Teams?

South	West	North	East
1♣	Pass	1NT	2♠
Pass	3♠	3NT	4♠
Dble	All Pass

1NT was game-forcing, probably balanced, asking for more information.

A: ♥K. It is perfectly reasonable to lead a club or a heart. I would be the last person to commend a diamond lead, although this was in fact the only lead to defeat the contract!

How would you play 4♠ doubled as East? This was the layout:

♠ J 10 9 2

♥ J 6 4

♦ Q 10 8 7 2

♣ 4

♠ K Q 6

♥ 10 7 5

♦ A J 9 5

♣ A 10 5

♠

♥ K Q 9 2

♦ K 6 4 3

♣ Q J 7 3 2

♠ A 8 7 5 4 3

♥ A 8 3

♦

♣ K 9 8 6

Percario led the ♥K and Hugony won with the ace. What next? To play the ♠A would lead to defeat, but declarer remembered North's 3NT bid and played another heart. South won with the queen and played a club to North's ace. A third round of hearts was won with dummy's Jack.

The ♠J was led and declarer ran the card when it was not covered. He could then play a trump to the ace and claim ten tricks. His last two clubs would be ruffed in the dummy.

At the other table, West did not raise spades and 3NT was easily made by North for a 15-IMP swing!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ 8 2
♥ K Q 9 3
♦ 10 9 5
♣ A 10 9 4

Q: 2 - What would you lead against 4♠ here?

South	West	North	East
-	1♦	Pass	1♠
Pass	1NT	Pass	4♠
All pass

A: ♥K. Dummy's diamond suit may provide discards, so it is natural to attack in either hearts or clubs. You have the better honors in the heart suit.

See if you can make the contract as East after a heart lead.

♠ J 10 5

♥ A 7 4

♦ A K 6 4

♣ 7 3 2

♠ 6 4

♥ 10 8 6 5

♦ Q J 7

♣ Q J 9 6

♠ 8 2

♥ K Q 9 3

♦ 10 9 5

♣ A 10 9 4

♠ A K Q 9 7 3

♥ J 2

♦ 8 3 2

♣ K 5

You should duck the heart lead. South switches to a trump and you win with the ace. Next, you lead the ♥J, covered with South's queen and ducked in the dummy. Can you see the purpose of this?

You will now be able to discard a diamond on the ♥A and possibly establish the 13th diamond without allowing North on lead to switch to a club through your king.

You win the next trump in dummy, cash the ♦A K and ruff a diamond. When the suit breaks 3-3, you return to dummy with a trump and discard a club on the 13th diamond. Brilliant!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ 7 3
♥ 10 9 8
♦ 9 7 5 4
♣ K 10 8 5

Q: 3 - What will you lead against 4♠?

South	West	North	East
-	1♣	Pass	1♠
Pass	2NT	Pass	4♠
All Pass

A: ♥10. Any lead except a club from the king would be fine.

At the table, South did lead the ♣5. See if you can then make the contract with the East cards.

♠ A 9 5

♥ K Q 3 2

♦ Q J

♣ A Q 6 3

♠ 6 4 2

♥ A J 6 5

♦ A K 10 8

♣ 9 7

♠ 7 3

♥ 10 9 8

♦ 9 7 5 4

♣ K 10 8 5

♠ K Q J 10 8

♥ 7 4

♦ 6 3 2

♣ J 4 2

The club lead was run and gave declarer three club tricks. By ruffing a diamond in dummy, declarer made his contract. So, you must not draw trumps straight away, but lead a diamond at trick two.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ Q 4
♥ J 8 6
♦ Q J 10 8
♣ K J 7 6

Q: 4 - What will you lead against 6♥?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♥
Pass	1♠	Pass	2♣
Pass	2♦	Pass	3♣
Pass	3♥	Pass	3♠
Pass	4NT	Pass	5♦
Pass	6♥	All Pass

A: ♥6. The only winning lead, as it happens, is a trump.

South led the ♦Q, as most players would. Take the East cards now and see if you can make the contract.

♠ A 10 8 6 5

♥ Q 5 3

♦ A K 9 3

♣ 5

♠ K J 9 7 2

♥ 9 7

♦ 7 6 5

♣ Q 10 3

♠ Q 4

♥ J 8 6

♦ Q J 10 8

♣ K J 7 6

♠ 3

♥ A K 10 4 2

♦ 4 2

♣ A 9 8 4 2

After the ♦Q lead, you can make the contract on a crossruff. You ruff two clubs in the dummy with low trumps and ruff one spade and two diamonds in your hand with low trumps. You then score the remaining tricks that you need on a high crossruff.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A 7 5
♥ 10 8 6 5 2
♦ Q J 8
♣ K 10

Q: 5 - What will you lead against 4♠ doubled?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♣	1♠
Dble	2♠	3♥	4♠
Dble	All Pass

A: ♣K. The deal comes from the final of the Australian Grand National Teams. Jacobs led the ♣K, a natural lead after partner had opened in the suit. The interest lay in the subsequent defense.

This was the deal:

♠ Q J 9

♥ K 7

♦ 10 9 7 6 5 4

♣ 7 5

♠ K 2

♥ Q J 9 3

♦ K 3 2

♣ A 9 8 4

♠ A 7 5

♥ 10 8 6 5 2

♦ Q J 8

♣ K 10

♠ 10 8 6 4 3

♥ A 4

♦ A

♣ Q J 6 3 2

When your ♣K wins, drawing the 4 and 2 from the closed hands, what will you lead next as South?

Jacobs reasoned that declarer was likely to hold the ♠K. Any defensive diamond trick was unlikely to vanish, so he switched to a heart, won with dummy's King.

This was not immediately disastrous for the defense but... when declarer called for the ♣7, North (M.Smith) played low! Canberra 2 (East-West here) then gained 14 IMPs against 4♥ bid and made at the other table.

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Leads Quiz 258 by David Bird

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