Opening Leads against No-trumps 8 by Paul Bowyer

This is the final set on leads against No-trumps; the next series will be on leads against a suit contract.

You are always South, on lead to East's contract.

In this section the bidding is relatively straightforward (except for Q5).

What is your best shot?

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ 8 6 4
♥ 10 9 8
♦ 7 5
♣ A Q J 7 4

Q: 1 - You are South, on lead to 3NT after the opponents have reached 3NT.

Given the bidding, what is your choice of lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1NT
P	3NT	P	P
P

A: The ♣Q.

It is obvious to lead a Club; maybe less obvious to lead the ♣Q.

This is the top of an interior sequence, however. You hope that you will dislodge the ♣K at trick one and then the suit will be yours to run if and when the defense gains the lead.

Yes, it might be right to go passive by leading the ♥10 and allowing partner to lead a Club through declarer's King, but this is a long shot and relies on too many variables - including the fact that partner has to do the right thing.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ 8 6 4
♥ 10 9 8 6
♦ 7 5
♣ A Q J 7

Q: 2 - You are South, on lead to 3NT after the opponents have reached 3NT.

Given the bidding, what is your choice of lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1NT
P	3NT	P	P
P

A: The ♥10.

Now, in contrast to Q1, there is much less urgency to lead a Club. You only have a four-card suit, so can only set up three winners at best.

Here, it is best to go passive and wait for Club tricks to materialize for your side.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ 8 6 4
♥ 10 9 8
♦ A 5
♣ A Q J 7 4

Q: 3 - You are South, on lead to 3NT after the opponents have reached 3NT.

Given the bidding, what is your choice of lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1NT
P	3NT	P	P
P

A: The ♣A.

It's right to set up Clubs with a five-card suit; the crucial difference between this hand and Q1 is that you have an outside entry in the guise of the ♦A.

This way you can survey the dummy before leading a second round of Clubs. Who knows? Perhaps dummy has ♣K × (and declarer ♣ 10 9 × ×) in which case a low Club at trick two will bring declarer's house down.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ 8 6 4
♥ 10 9 8 6
♦ 7 5
♣ A K 7 4

Q: 4 - You are South, on lead to 3NT after the opponents have reached 3NT.

Given the bidding, what is your choice of lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1NT
P	3NT	P	P
P

A: The ♣A.

From a holding of ♣A K × × × (and no outside entry) you would certainly lead the fourth-highest Club. There is less of an imperative to do so with only a four-card suit as you cannot hope to cash the first five tricks in your suit.

Clubs may be declarer's weakness (in which case, leading the ♣A will do no harm). However, Hearts may be the spot, and the lead of a top Club gives you the chance to take a look at dummy and maybe continue the suit or shift suits according to what you see.

A low Club lead is too committal.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ Q 9 7 3
♥ J 10 9 8
♦ 7 5
♣ A K 7

Q: 5 - You are South, on lead to 3NT after the opponents have reached 3NT.

Given the bidding, what is your choice of lead?

*The 3NT opening bid, incidentally, is of the "gambling" type. It shows a long, solid minor-suit and at most a King outside.

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	3NT*
P	P	P

A: The ♣A.

East has a long, strong Diamond suit (you have the top Clubs, so you know he doesn't have those).

The danger with a Heart lead is that declarer may have nine tricks on the table before you can blink; you may need to grab five fast tricks first.

So, the classic defense is to cash an Ace to have a look at the dummy. A Heart shift may be best - a Club continuation may be best and even a Spade shift may work.

A Heart lead would be putting all of your eggs in one (fragile) basket.

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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