To lead or not to lead a trump? (Part 2) by Matthias Huberschwiller

A: ♥3 – The only possible lead is a trump.
But which card should you chose?
If your partner has nothing, you will not get any trump trick.
But if, for example, partner holds the singleton Queen, leading the Jack bears the risk of losing your trump trick if declarer can later finesse against your ten.
Therefore, you need to lead the three.

Your result so far:

A: ♦2 – What will be declarer’s plan ?
As his hearts are not high, he will try to ruff them in the short hand.
To prevent this, you need to lead a trump! Yes, even from the Queen third!

When the opener’s two-suiter has not gotten any support from partner, it is nearly always right to lead a trump. Dummy is often singleton in the first suit and has only three trumps.

Your result so far:

A: ♥3 – Your partner doubled, so he has a decent hand.
Where will declarer make his tricks?
By ruffing!
You want them to go down by as many tricks as possible, so you need to lead a trump.


Your result so far:

A: ♣3 – North has bid a long Diamond suit.
South is likely to use it in order to discard his losers.
Therefore, you need to get your tricks as fast as possible. You need to lead your fourth best in Clubs in order to establish tricks there.


Your result so far:

A: ♥10 – North has made a splinter bid and declarer will most probably want to ruff Clubs in dummy.
Can you prevent this?
You could try to lead a trump, but as dummy has four of them, you won’t be able to draw them all.
If you lead a trump, you sacrifice your Queen, which will certainly take a trick if you don’t lead the suit.
Therefore, you need to lead a neutral card, the ♥10, and let declarer try to establish his tricks by himself.


Your result so far: