Action Replay by Ben Norton

A: ♣8. It will surely be impossible to set up and enjoy partner’s Hearts as he has a weak hand with few entries. You should seek to establish your own long suit.

You could lay down the ♣K rather than a low one. Your supporting intermediates make an honor-lead more attractive. However, partner is more likely to have short Clubs than usual here, after his weak-two, in which case a block poses a real danger when he holds ♣A x or J x. Try a low one instead.

A Club lead was required to stay a tempo ahead and set the suit up.

Your result so far:

A: ♣5. It’s undesirable to lead away from Kings in general. It’s safer to underlead a Queen, when all you may need from partner is the Jack in order to avoid giving away a trick. Try a Club.

A Club lead set up a trick to go with two Spades and a Diamond. A red-suit lead would be fatal.

Your result so far:

A: ♥4. There will be six Diamonds coming down in dummy, so there’s a fair chance that declarer will have nine tricks ready to run now, or soon. It’s cash-out time and you should lead aggressively to try and set up tricks. A Heart offensive requires less from partner to succeed than any other lead.

A Heart lead established three tricks, but it also knocked out dummy’s ♥A; the only entry to dummy’s long Diamonds. Partner then held up the ♦A twice to neutralize the Diamond suit.

Your result so far:

A: ♥A. You have a relatively strong holding in declarer’s side-suit and are therefore reasonably happy to attack trumps in the hope of cutting down on ruffs in dummy. This could give away a trick, but so could any other lead. A Club away from the Ace is very dangerous, and both pointed suits have been bid by the opponents.

It was necessary to crack off Ace and another Heart, holding declarer to one Diamond ruff on table.

Your result so far:

A: ♣3. People don’t bid like this with a very strong balanced hand. They start with a take-out double on that. The direct 3NT overcall is usually based on a strong playing hand with a very long solid minor suit. Looking at your hand, it appears East has Diamonds and he’s expecting a Heart lead. What’s more, the Diamonds are coming in. There’s a good chance East has nine top tricks on a Heart lead.

If you’re to beat this, you must look to run one of the black suits, but partner can hardly have five Spades, having opened 1♥. He could, however, hold five Clubs. Kick off with the ♣3.

Partner had the miracle ♣A K x x x, so a Club lead set the hand straight off the bat. Any other lead would concede 520…

Your result so far: