Leads with a length in trumps by Matthias Huberschwiller

Your opponents have bid a suit contract.

You have a trump length. Should you lead it, should you try ruffing with it, or look for something else?

It is your lead.

Question 1

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

Q: 1 - What do you lead as West?

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

A: ♥8 – Your small trumps will never yield natural trump tricks. Your best hope of taking tricks with them is by getting ruffs. The lead of your singleton is perfectly suited for this plan.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

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

Q: 2 - What do you lead as West?

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

A: ♥10 – You are not interested in ruffing when you have natural trump tricks.

On the contrary, when you have trump tricks, you need to lead from your own long suit, trying to get declarer to ruff and end up with more trumps than him.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

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

Q: 3 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1♥	Pass	2♥	Pass
4♥

A: ♥3 – All other leads are very risky and it is not likely that you will get ruffs with your trumps.

Therefore you need to lead a trump and hope that it limits ruffs in the short hand.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

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

Q: 4 - What do you lead as West?

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

A: ♦2 – Dummy will come down with a small fit in Diamond (often only 3 cards) and shortnes in Spades. Declarer’s plan is obvious: he will try to ruff his Spades in the short hand.

To prevent him from that, you need to lead a Diamond, even though you have the queen. If your partner has an honor as well, you’ll be able to draw dummy’s trumps rapidly.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

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

Q: 5 - What do you lead as West?

South	West	North	East
1♥	Pass	2♥	Pass
Pass	Pass

A: ♦8 – Your partner has a relatively strong hand as the opponents have stopped on the two-level. Your small trumps might be useful for ruffing.

By leading from your doubleton, you can hope that you can set partner on lead after taking your ♥A and that he can let you ruff.

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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