Opening Leads against No-trumps 2 by Paul Bowyer

A: The ♥10. Leading Hearts is clear enough, the question is which card?

With this type of holding the Ten is best. As there is a higher honor than the Ten we call this an interior sequence.

Similar considerations apply to, say, the ♥A J 10 9 × or to the ♥K J 10 9 8 where you would lead the Jack.

Your result so far:

A: The ♠5. Why lead a Spade and not a Club? Well, picking up on point made in a previous quiz it is generally better to lead majors than minors.

It would not be surprising to see five Clubs in either declarer's hand or dummy's, but it would be surprising if either opponent held long Spades.

Following that logic, the Spade suit offers the defense a greater promise of some tricks.

Your result so far:

A: ♦Q. It is obvious to lead a Diamond; maybe it's less obvious to lead the Queen.

However, this is the top of an interior sequence. You hope that you will dislodge the ♦K at trick one and then (maybe) the suit will be yours to run if and when the defense regains the lead.

Your result so far:

A: The ♥A. Leading Hearts is clear enough, the question is which card?

You might lead the ♥J, the top of an interior sequence, but that might allow declarer to steal a trick with the ♥Q (even a doubleton Queen) and run off with his booty before your side regains the lead.

Best is to start with the Ace and judge the lie of the land on the sight of dummy.

If it looks as though declarer has the guarded Queen then it would be best to shift suits, hoping partner gains the lead for a deadly Heart lead through the remaining ♥Q ×.

Your result so far:

A: The ♥6. As in the previous question, it is clear to lead Hearts, the question is which card?

With no intermediate cards it is now right to lead the fourth-highest card (not the Seven-spot - this does not count as an interior sequence).

The gain is when partner has ♥Q ×, and the suit can be run off, or ♥× × and the defense maintains communication. In either of these cases leading the Ace would prevent the defense from establishing and running the Hearts.

Your result so far: