Opening Leads against Suit Contracts 4 by Paul Bowyer

We continue with a series on opening leads against suit contracts.

Opening Leads against suit contracts is tricky, and there are many pitfalls.

Basically, there are four strategies:

1. Short suit leads;
2. Sequence leads;
3. Passive leads;
4. Attacking leads.

In this series we look at attacking leads, which are leads away from honors in the hope of setting up fast tricks.

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

Question 1

Your Hand
♠ 7 5 4
♥ K 2
♦ A 10 6 3
♣ K 9 5 4

Q: 1 - You are South, on lead to 4♠ after the auction below.

What is your choice of lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
P	3♠	P	4♠
P	p	P

A: Lead the ♠4.

Yes, this is a passive lead, not an attacking lead, but let's start this series with a question to set the basis for discussion.

Here, with no evidence that the opposition have any long suits about, you have no reason to rush madly around trying to grab early tricks.

Best to let East get on with it and hope he can't manufacture ten tricks.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ 7 5 4
♥ K 2
♦ A 10 6 3
♣ K 9 5 4

Q: 2 - You are South, on lead to 4♠ after the auction below.

What is your choice of lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
P	2♥	P	2♠
P	4♠	P	P
P

A: Lead the ♣4.

So what's the difference between this Question and the last one? The bidding!

In Q1 there is no strong evidence of a long suit in either dummy or declarer’s hand, so it was reasonable to defend passively by leading a trump.

In this case, though, West probably has a long Heart suit that will soon be ready for discards, so it is reasonable to attack.

That means leading the suit your side is most likely to have some tricks in, before the rats get at them – so you ought to try a low Club.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ 5
♥ A 10 7 5
♦ K 5 4 2
♣ K 10 6 2

Q: 3 - You are South, on lead to 4♠ after the auction below.

What is your choice of lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
P	3♠	P	4♠
P	p	P

A: Lead the ♣2.

A pretty unappealing choice but the rules say you have to lead something.

A singleton trump is usually a no-no (it often wrecks partner’s holding in the suit), keep well away from Hearts (underleading Aces is foolish; leading empty Aces unwise), so it's a choice between Clubs and Diamonds.

Your Clubs are stronger, so that might be the better option. This is a guess, though, and anything could be right.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ K 10 5 2
♥ 2
♦ Q 10 6 2
♣ J 8 6 2

Q: 4 - You are South, on lead to 4♥ after the auction below.

What is your choice of lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♥
P	2♥	P	4♥
P	p	P

A: Lead the ♦2.

Another very awkward choice.

In general, avoid leading a singleton trump as it so often mangles partner’s ♥Q × ×. Also, leads from Jacks frequently open up frozen suits.

Leads from Queens are usually safer than leads from Kings, so it may be best to try a low Diamond, hoping to set some tricks up there.

Anything could work out well, though.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ K 9
♥ 7 6 4 2
♦ K J 8 5
♣ 9 7 3

Q: 5 - You are South, on lead to 4♠ after the auction below.

What is your choice of lead?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
P	2♥	P	2♠
P	4♠	P	P
P

A: Lead the !5.

The bidding suggests that dummy (West) has a decent Heart suit that may well provide discards for declarer’s losers.

Try a low Diamond lead, hoping partner has the ♦A or ♦Q and that you can get at your tricks quickly before the rats get at them.

This may well be a tempo hand where you need to set up your tricks before declarer sets up his.

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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