Leads against 1NT by Matthias Huberschwiller

A: ♥J – A doubleton honor in partner’s suit offers you a good lead with the possibility of rapidly establishing tricks from length.
Leading high from a doubleton, you lead the Jack.


Your result so far:

A: ♠J – If you lead a Heart, you’ll lead directly into declarer’s tenace. As your opponents stopped in 1NT, your partner certainly has some honors in his hand, meaning that he’ll be able to get on lead to plqy through South’s Hearts.
Therefore, you need to lead your second suit, Spades. There you have a sequence and don’t risk giving away a trick.


Your result so far:

A: ♣J – South has a solid diamond stopper, and your partner does not necessarily have a long suit. Concerning Spades, South is likely to have some of them and most probably to hold a tenace.
Therefore, you need to choose a neutral lead, from your Club sequence, and wait for your partner to lead a Spade when he gets on lead.


Your result so far:

A: ♥Q – Even if your partner has bid Spades, you have a sufficiently good suit and entries in the other suits so that you can establish your Hearts.
It is often a good choice to lead your own suit rather than partner’s when you're singleton in his suit, have a good suit of your own, AND side suit entries.


Your result so far:

A: ♠10 – Against 1NT, you’ll have several occasions to get on lead.
Therefore, the most important is not to lead your longest suit but to lead a suit that bears the least risk to give declarer the seventh trick. Hearts are too dangerous because declarer could hold Ace-Queen.
Leading from your three small cards in Spades is less risky, and your partner should have several cards there, as North did not make a transfer bid.


Your result so far: