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 Leads Quiz 259 by David Bird

As always, you will be South, on lead to a contract played by East.

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

Question 1

  Your Hand
♠ 8 6
♥ A K Q J 9
♦ 10 9 8 2
♣ Q 6 		 
Q: 1 - What will you lead here?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥PassPass1♠
Pass2♥Pass4♠
All Pass


2♥ showed a strong spade raise.

 Your choice:
A: ♥A. It is clear to lead a heart. Some players like to lead the Ace from A K to request an attitude signal (not much use here), and the King to ask for a count signal. This was the deal:

♠  K J 3

♥  7 6 5 2

♦  A 6

♣  K 10 5 4

♠  Q 4 2

♥  8 3

♦  7 5 4 3

♣  J 8 3 2

♠  8 6

♥  A K Q J 9

♦  10 9 8 2

♣  Q 6

♠  A 10 9 7 5

♥  10 4

♦  K Q J

♣  A 9 7

South played his three top hearts, North discarding a club. After ruffing the third round, how would you continue the play as East?

You should play the ♦A K Q, throwing a club from dummy. You then cash the ♣A and ♣K, followed by a ruff of dummy's last heart. Now there is no need to guess who holds the ♠Q! You simply exit with a third round of clubs and the defenders will have to give you three trump tricks.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
♠ 9
♥ 9 8 7
♦ K 10 8 7
♣ A Q 8 7 5 		 
Q: 2 - What will you lead against 4♠ here?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1♠
Pass2♠Pass4♠
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♥9. A minor-suit lead is all too likely to give away a trick. Nor is a singleton trump often a good choice. This was the deal:

♠  K 5 4 2

♥  Q J 10 2

♦  J 5 2

♣  10 3

♠  8 3

♥  K 6 5 3

♦  Q 4 3

♣  J 9 4 2

♠  9

♥  9 8 7

♦  K 10 8 7

♣  A Q 8 7 5

♠  A Q J 10 7 6

♥  A 4

♦  A 9 6

♣  K 6

Now take the East hand and see if you can make the spade game.

You should play low from dummy and win with the ♥A. (There are no spot-card trump entries to dummy, so you must ensure you can set up the hearts.)

After drawing trumps with the ace and queen, you lead your remaining low heart to the queen and king. Whichever minor suit North switches to, you will be able to discard two diamonds on dummy's hearts.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
♠ Q 10 9 4 2
♥ 10 3
♦ 6 4
♣ K 7 6 4 		 
Q: 3 - What will you lead against 3NT here?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1NT
Pass3NTAll Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♠10. There is no reason not to lead a spade. Although a low spade will occasionally work well (perhaps when partner has a doubleton honor), the ♠10 lead is best. This was the deal:

♠  8 6 5 3

♥  K 7 2

♦  A Q 10 7

♣  Q 2

♠  J 7

♥  Q J 9 8 5

♦  K 5 2

♣  10 9 3

♠  Q 10 9 4 2

♥  10 3

♦  6 4

♣  K 7 6 4

♠  A K

♥  A 6 4

♦  J 9 8 3

♣  A J 8 5

Take the East cards now and see if you can make 3NT.

You win with the ♠K and do best to lead a low club towards the Queen. If South goes in with the king and clears the spades, you win and run the ♦9. North will have no spades to play when he wins. (If he did have a spade, the suit would be 4-3 and pose no problem.)

Suppose instead that the ♣Q is allowed to win. You then play a heart to the ace and run the ♦9. Two spades, two hearts, three diamonds and two clubs give you the game.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
♠ K Q 9 6
♥ Q J 8 5
♦ Q 10
♣ K J 3 		 
Q: 4 - What will you lead against 4♠ here?
SouthWestNorthEast
-1♣Pass1♠
Pass1NTPass4♠
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♥Q. Leading from any of these honor holdings is quite likely to give away a trick. The least risk is in hearts, because of the touching honors.

Take the East cards now and see if you can make the contract.

♠  J 3

♥  K 3

♦  A 6 3 2

♣  A 8 6 4 2

♠ 

♥  10 9 6 4 2

♦  J 7 5 4

♣  Q 10 9 7

♠  K Q 9 6

♥  Q J 8 5

♦  Q 10

♣  K J 3

♠  A 10 8 7 5 4 2

♥  A 7

♦  K 9 8

♣  5

How will you play 4♠ when South leads the ♥Q?

You have just one loser in the side-suits: a diamond. So, the contract is safe unless you lose three trump tricks. You should win the heart lead in hand, with the ace, and lead a low trump towards dummy. This will allow you to restrict the trump losers to two, whichever defender holds all four trumps.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
♠ J 10 9 4 2
♥ A K 4
♦ 
♣ J 10 9 8 2 		 
Q: 5 - What will you lead against 5♦ doubled?
SouthWestNorthEast
--Pass1♦
1♠Dble3♠5♣
Dble5♦DbleAll Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♥A. It is best to lead the ♥A to look at the dummy. Take the East cards now and see if you can make the diamond game.

♠  K 7

♥  10 9 7 5 3 2

♦  Q 4 2

♣  5 4

♠  A 8 5 3

♥  Q J 8 6

♦  7 6 5 3

♣  6

♠  J 10 9 4 2

♥  A K 4

♦ 

♣  J 10 9 8 2

♠  Q 6

♥ 

♦  A K J 10 9 8

♣  A K Q 7 3

You ruff the heart lead and see that your possible problem may lie in clubs, if that suit breaks badly. You should lead the ♠Q at trick two. North wins and forces you with another heart. South shows out on the ♦A and you cash the ♣A.

Your winning continuation is to cross to the ♠K and lead a second club towards your hand, thereby preventing North from ruffing an honor. If North discards, you win with the ♣K and ruff a club with the ♦Q.

If North were to duck the ♠Q, you would cash the ♣A then lead a low club out of hand.


Your result so far:
Open Question

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