Lead with Barry by Barry Rigal

OBVIOUS OR NOT?

The deals in this set might appear to have an obvious lead. Sometimes you have a sequence, sometimes partner has bid a suit, or doubled, or the opponents have avoided bidding a suit. Obvious isn’t always right – but I’m devious enough that it might be right on all five hands here – or on none of them.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ 9 3 2
♥ J 5 2
♦ A K 3
♣ 10 8 6 4

Q: 1 - As South, what do you lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♥
p	2♥	3♣	4♥
p	p	p

A: ♦K: Lead the diamond king (or ace if you prefer). Yes partner bid clubs, but when fate deals you an ace-king you should lead one of them and decide what to do next, rather than lead something else and perhaps have no recovery if you made the wrong choice. You don’t want to spit in the face of fate, do you?

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ J 4
♥ 9 5
♦ 9 4
♣ Q 10 8 6 5 4 2

Q: 2 - Your partner doubled 4♠. What will you lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♦	1♠
p	2♠	p	4♠
p	p	dbl	p
p	p

A: ♣6: Partner’s double is not based on a trump stack; he may well have a club void and be hoping to get a ruff, and take three side-suit winners after that. Almost all out-of-the-blue doubles suggest either that you have the contract set in top tricks, or that an unusual lead is called for.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

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

Q: 3 - What do you lead against 4♠ doubled?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♥	3♠
4♥	4♠	dbl	p
p	p

A: ♠4: On this sort of auction the most likely way declarer will come to a significant number of tricks is via a cross-ruff. Once you establish that, the trump lead stands out. You needn’t worry that this will pick up a trump honor in partner’s hand (if partner has the doubleton spade king and dummy the queen-ten, chalk it down to bad luck. Your partner will understand…

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ 9 5 2
♥ 10 8 7 6
♦ A 5 3 2
♣ A 4

Q: 4 - What do you lead against 4♠?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♦
p	1♠	p	2♠
p	3♦	p	4♠
p	p	p

A: ♦A: This auction suggests you might be able to set the contract on the go by leading the diamond ace and giving your partner a ruff, then regaining the lead with the club ace for another ruff. If dummy disappoints, you can always switch directly to clubs.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ A 4 3
♥ A 4
♦ 9 6 5 4
♣ Q 7 3 2

Q: 5 - What do you lead against 3♦?

South	West	North	East
-	-	p	1♦
p	1♠	2♥	p
p	3♦	p	p
p

A: ♦4: Partner’s decision to pass initially then to back in with hearts suggests a bad heart suit not a good one. So, instead of leading hearts, wait for declarer to tackle the suit. Note that you would always expect to have enough time to broach hearts later, since you have decent controls in both black suits.

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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