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 Lockdown League by Ben Norton

Lockdown League

The English Bridge Union have been running an online round robin over this period of uncertainty.

Many of the country’s top players have turned out to try and stay sharp.

Try your hand at these five opening lead problems from the Lockdown League. The South chair awaits.

Question 1

  Your Hand
 4 3 2
 9 8 7
 8 6 4
 K 10 8 3
 
Q: 1 - We start with a bang.

*3 was natural and game-forcing, 4 was a cue-bid and the rest was RKCB, West showing one keycard and the Q, but no side-suit Kings.

SouthWestNorthEast
-1Pass1
Pass1NTPass3
Pass4Pass4NT
Pass5Pass5
Pass5NTPass6
All pass


 Your choice:
A: 8. You’re not going to lead dummy’s suit, and between the reds, a Heart offers the best chance of setting up tricks. After all, partner had two chances to double artificial Diamond bids for the lead, yet didn’t. You hope to establish a trick in partner’s hand to cash when you gain the lead with the K.

A Heart lead was necessary to set the slam. Partner had the K Q and your K was indeed a second-round stopper.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
 J 5 3
 K 8 6 4
 A
 A J 10 6 4
 
Q: 2 - More excitement here.

SouthWestNorthEast
---2
Pass44NT5
5NT6PassPass
77DbleAll pass


 Your choice:
A: A. It looks like partner has Clubs and Hearts, and he surely has an entry in one of those suits. To achieve the maximum set, you should lead the A, angling to get partner on lead, likely in Hearts, to give you a ruff.

On the full layout, you needed to take a Diamond ruff to collect 800. You might survive on a Heart lead if partner works out to return a Diamond before cashing a second Heart, but a Club lead would be ruffed and declarer would draw trumps.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
 10 5 4 2
 A K Q 6 4
 7 5
 4 2
 
Q: 3 - What do you make of this?

SouthWestNorthEast
-1Pass1
Pass2Pass2NT
Pass3NTAll pass


 Your choice:
A: 4. Don’t be put off by East’s having bid the suit. Hearts still represent your best chance of setting the contract, either by scoring four Heart tricks and another trick in partner’s hand, or five Heart tricks. Indeed, it’s at times like these, when dummy has a long suit, that you should lead aggressively.

When you’re leading a suit that an opponent has shown length in, it’s best to lead low from holdings you would otherwise start with an honor from, against No-trump contracts, that is. To crack off a top card would risk blocking the suit when partner has J x, and a low one might be necessary to retain the defensive link to the long Heart when partner has as little as a small doubleton.

A Heart lead set the contract straight off the bat. With partner holding J x x, you’d survive by laying down a top card first, somewhat undeservedly.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
 K J 7 3
 Q J 9
 7 4
 10 9 5 2
 
Q: 4 - What are your thoughts?

*3 was game-forcing with five Hearts

SouthWestNorthEast
PassPassPass1
Pass1Pass2NT
Pass3*Pass3NT
All pass


 Your choice:
A: 3. The omens are bad for the defense. You have small cards sitting behind declarer’s long Diamonds and high cards beneath dummy’s length in Hearts. What's more, you know Hearts are splitting 3-3. Whatever finesses declarer takes will be working, and, if given time, he will surely rack up nine tricks.

You had better defend actively and kick off with a Spade, hoping to set up tricks. This is no time for a passive Club.

Partner had Q x x x x, so a Spade attack established four tricks to go with partner’s A. Any other lead would give declarer a much needed tempo and let the game through.

Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
 Q J 10
 K 9 3
 J 7 6 3
 9 7 4
 
Q: 5 - Active or passive?

*East’s double was a game try, inviting West to bid game

SouthWestNorthEast
PassPass11
223Dble*
Pass4All pass


 Your choice:
A: K. You could argue that, since East-West have conducted an invitational auction to game, they’re not going to have much in the way of surplus high cards. That seems to suggest a passive defense and the Q lead.

However, there could easily be a source of tricks in dummy, then you may need to cash your tricks pronto. With partner’s having competed to 3, he presumably has strength in the suit and a Heart lead won’t give anything away. It may also be necessary to cash your tricks while you can.

The best card to try is the K, retaining the lead in case you need to make a shift through a tenace in dummy. With your holding nothing in the side-suits, you’d rather be the one to switch than partner.

Partner had both red-suit Aces and you needed to cash your two Heart tricks straight away, before they went away on the Clubs. A Spade lead would concede an overtrick!

Your result so far:
Open Question

Overall Results

Your results:   out of    Average: 

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