Mix and Match 9 by Ben Norton

A: ♥4. Declarer must be ready for a Heart lead to try 3NT opposite known shortness. However, he might still bid as he did with a Heart holding like A J x, then you can hope to cash four tricks in the suit. It’s true that a Heart lead is less attractive seeing as partner didn’t Double 3♥, but he wouldn’t do that with a holding like K 10 x x anyway.

The alternative is a Diamond. The problem is there’ll usually be Diamond values on the dummy, so you’d probably need to hit partner with five of them for the lead to be successful. It’s quite close between the red suits, but in Hearts you know your Queen is sitting behind declarer’s values in the suit, so it’s pulling its weight. Furthermore, partner is the one who’s going to get on lead, so he can play through declarer’s Heart tenace. The reverse is true for Diamonds. You don’t expect to get on lead so you can only play Diamonds through once, which might not be enough. A Heart lead is best.

Your result so far:

A: ♦4. A trump lead doesn’t usually pay when the hand on your right has shown six or more of them. Here you could just be doing declarer’s work for him by picking up partner’s honor(s). A Heart away from the Ace is out, so that leaves the minors. There’s hardly anything to choose between them, the one factor being that your lowest Diamond spot might be easier for partner to read than your lowest Club.

Your result so far:

A: ♠3. There must be a reason why the opponents didn’t try 3NT. They haven’t shown any interest in slam, so it must be that they don’t have a great Spade stopper. Partner can’t have much in the way of high cards but what he does have must be in Spades, likely the Queen. Lead a Spade to set up a trick there. Leading either of the other side suits is too dangerous. There’s something to be said for a trump, the passive option, but then declarer might have the time to get a Spade loser away on a Heart, or a Club.

Your result so far:

A: ♦10. There can be little point in trying the ♣J. Looking at the strength of your trumps it’s unlikely that a ruff will gain you anything, and you risk blowing the Club suit when partner has the Queen or the King. A Heart into dummy’s suit isn’t at all appealing. In fact, dummy’s Hearts are likely to be a source of tricks, so you need to be active. A Diamond it is. It might give away a trick now and again, but it stands to establish the suit when partner has the Queen. The best card to lead is the Ten, which might smother the Jack on dummy.

Your result so far:

A: ♠7. The opponents have had a constructive auction to 3NT, so partner’s Double is Lightner, not just based on power. He’s asking you to find an unusual lead. You know he has nine cards in the majors so you’re going to pick one of them, but which one? Had partner quietly Passed out 3NT you would have led a Heart, your natural lead given that your side has agreed the suit. Therefore partner must be asking for a Spade, holding poor Hearts. Oblige him. He’ll most likely have a holding like ♠A K J x x sitting over dummy’s four-card suit (shown by the Double of 1♥). He may well duck the first Spade, keeping communications open for you to continue the suit when you win the ♣A.

Your result so far: