Online Escapades by Ben Norton

A: ♣2. Even though West has bid the suit, a Club lead stands out. Partner must have some high cards and you can hope he has a couple of entries to provide ruffs. No other line of defense is so promising.

A Club lead didn’t achieve a ruff directly. Declarer had to ruff Spades in dummy to reach ten tricks, which involved giving up a Spade. North could then provide you with a ruff.

Your result so far:

A: ♠A. East’s 3♥ showed values in the suit, angling for 3NT. West has all but denied a major, after all. Both players would have bid 3NT if they had a Spade stopper, preferring the nine-trick game to the eleven-trick one. You can therefore place partner with some Spade values, and you should lead the suit before your winners disappear. Lead the Ace in case you need to switch at trick two.

On the full layout, you had three Spade tricks to cash, but only if you led one.

Your result so far:

A: ♠6. Declarer must have the ♥K for his 3NT bid, and there’s a distinct danger that a Heart lead will gift him a ninth trick, especially given that he has a long Club suit.

It’s likely that one Heart play from partner’s side will allow you to run the whole suit. Play a waiting game and lead a pointed suit, preferably a Spade as neither opponent rates to have extreme length in the suit. Therefore, if partner’s entry is in Diamonds, declarer is less likely to be able to run for home, and you may get a second chance. Either opponent might have some Diamond length, though, so an unsuccessful Diamond lead might be fatal.

A Heart lead would give declarer his ninth, whereas passive defense set the hand; a Spade would lead to a three-trick set, and a Diamond would defeat the game by one. Partner had the ♥Q J, ♠A K and ♦Q J x.

Your result so far:

A: ♥5. The double of 3NT was Lightner, asking for an unusual lead. Most pairs play that it asks partner to lead their shorter major on this auction. North should have long Hearts, then, and a Heart lead stands out.

On a Heart lead through dummy’s King, partner would score two tricks there to go with the ♣A and a slow Diamond. This was your one and only chance to lead Hearts.

Your result so far:

A: ♦3. It could be that no Spades will stand up, and you’re unlikely to take three tricks in the Club suit. The East-West bidding is indicative of a double fit in the red suits, in which case there’s a strong chance that partner is void.

Lead the ♦3 as a suit preference signal; you don’t want partner to underlead in Spades for a second ruff, but you don’t care for Clubs either.

A Diamond lead was necessary to set the hand. Partner had a Diamond void and the ♣A K, but no Spades were standing.

Your result so far: