Leads against a suit contract by Matthias Huberschwiller

When leading against a suit contract, the priority is to avoid giving a trick to declarer, as most of the times it is impossible to establish tricks from length for your side.

Leading an Ace from A-K is an excellent lead.
Leading a singleton can give you the opportunity of ruffing before declarer can draw trumps.
The lead from a sequence composed of at least two touching honors is a good lead.
If none of the above is an option, it is possible to lead from another suit in which case the principle of “fourth best” is applied. From a doubleton, we lead high, and from three small we lead the second best, following « middle-up-down ».

Question 1

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

Q: 1 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1♠	Pass	2♠	Pass
Pass	Pass

A: ♣2 – You have only bad leads! This means you have to chose the least bad one.
Underleading the trump queen is excluded, you need to chose between the other three suits.
When you are under the obligation of underleading an honor, the least dangerous is to underlead the weakest. Therefore, you need to lead a club; the fourth best.

A doubleton Ace is too dangerous, if declarer has the king, you'll give it to him. And you don't want to ruff, since you already have a trump trick.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

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

Q: 2 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1 NT	Pass	2♦ *	Pass
2♥	Pass	3 NT	Pass
4♥	Pass	Pass	Pass

* Transfer to Hearts

A: ♦A – You have two good leads: the sequence A-K in diamonds and the singleton Spade.
How to chose?
Leading the Ace from A-K gives you the option of having a look at dummy and then chose if leading your singleton is a good thing. Therefore, you need to lead the♦A.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ 6
♥ Q J 10 6
♦ Q 6 4
♣ K 9 4 3 2

Q: 3 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1♠	Pass	4♠	Pass
Pass	Pass

A: ♥Q - There is only one possible lead here, the highest of your sequence in Hearts.
Leading a singleton trump is absolutely forbidden. It is not useful as you cannot ruff the trump suit and dangerous because it can help declarer solve the trumps!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ J 6 3
♥ Q 9 2
♦ 7 6 2
♣ K J 9 3

Q: 4 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1♦	Pass	1NT	Pass
2♣	Pass	3♦	Pass
Pass	Pass

A: ♦2 – None of the majors seems promising. Declarer will certainly want to ruff his clubs in dummy. The best way of preventing him from ruffing too often is to lead a trump!

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

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

Q: 5 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1♠	Pass	2 NT *	Pass
3♣	Pass	3♦	Pass
4 NT	Pass	5♥	Pass
6♠	Pass	Pass	Pass

* Spade support, 13-15.

A: ♦J – Leading a singleton against a slam when you hold an ace yourself is excluded; your partner won't have an entry to give you a ruff.
Leading from your sequence in diamonds is without danger, therefore it is the lead you need to chose. Leading a club could finesse your partner's queen.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Overall Results

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