Which card should you lead? by Matthias Huberschwiller

In this quiz, you’ll need to lead against No-trump contracts and to choose your card well.

When you underlead honours, you need to lead the fourth best, but it is even better if you have a sequence of honours that you can lead. It can also happen that you don’t have a length that you can lead from – in these cases you need to choose which card to play.

It is your lead.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ K Q 7 6 2
♥ 8 2
♦ 9 6 2
♣ K 6 2

Q: 1 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1NT	Pass	3NT	Pass
Pass	Pass

A: ♠6 – Against No-trumps, two honours are not enough to form a sequence. Despite King-Queen in Spades, you thus need to lead the fourth best, the six.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ K 3
♥ 9 8 7 4 2
♦ A J 3
♣ J 7 5

Q: 2 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1NT	Pass	3NT	Pass
Pass	Pass

A: ♥8 – 9-8-7 are not a sequence. The smallest possible sequence is headed by the ten. As you have no honour in Hearts, it is also not right to lead the fourth best. The right card is the second best, so that your partner knows that you have nothing in the suit.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

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

Q: 3 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♠	Pass
1NT	Pass	2♦	Pass
2♠	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	Pass	Pass	Pass

A: ♣9 – Spades and Diamonds are not eligible because they are your opponents’ suits and the doubleton Heart is only little encouraging because your partner has not bid the suit. So what is left are the three small Clubs.

You need to lead the ♣9, the highest of three cards, following the principle of “Top of Nothing”. Your partner will know that you have neither length nor an honour in the suit.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

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

Q: 4 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♣	1♥
3NT	Pass	Pass	Pass

A: ♥2 – You have no reason not to lead your partner’s suit. With a third honour, you need to lead the smallest card to show count and in no case start with the Ace.

Imagine that declarer has Q-x-x and your partner has K-J-10-x-x. Leading the Ace would immediately offer an trick to the Queen.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ K 6 5 2
♥ J 6 5 2
♦ 9 2
♣ Q 6 5

Q: 5 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1NT	Pass	3NT	Pass
Pass	Pass

A: ♥2 – You have the choice between the two majors. But how should you choose?

With an honour fourth, the risk of giving away a trick immediately is smaller with the smaller honour, so it is better to underlead the smaller honour.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Overall Results

Your results: out of Average:

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
More informations on our website: www.VuBridge.com

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