Leads Quiz 221 by David Bird

A: ♥7. At the table, a heart was chosen. On such a weak hand, it is reasonable to look for partner's best suit. All then depended on your partner's action at trick two. This was the deal:

____________________♠ Q 8 6 5 3
____________________♥ A 8 3
____________________♦ 3
____________________♣ K J 8 5

♠ J 10 9_________________________♠ A K 4 2
♥ Q 10 2_________________________♥ K J 6 4
♦ A Q J 2______________________♦ K 10 5
♣ 10 6 2_________________________♣ Q 7

____________________♠ 7
____________________♥ 9 7 5
____________________♦ 9 8 7 6 4
____________________♣ A 9 4 3

At the table, North won with the ♥A and, without pausing for thought, returned another heart. The contract was then made.

North should calculate how another four tricks could be possible for the defense. As you see, a low club will yield four tricks in that suit and beat the contract. An even better return would be the ♣J (a possible surrounding play). This would beat the contract also when South held ♣A 9 x.

Your result so far:

A: ♦2. It was a bit of a guess, but the winning lead (as it turns out) was a diamond. South chose to lead the ♠10 and this was the deal:

____________________♠ 8 7 6 3
____________________♥ 9
____________________♦ A J 7 5
____________________♣ J 7 4 3

♠ K Q J 2_________________________♠ A 4
♥ 8 5 3_________________________♥ A K Q J 10
♦ 10 8 4_________________________♦ K 6
♣ Q 10 2________________________♣ A 9 8 6

____________________♠ 10 9 5
____________________♥ 7 6 4 2
____________________♦ Q 9 3 2
____________________♣ K 5

Declarer won with the ♠A, drew trumps in four rounds and crossed to dummy with a spade. Two more rounds of spades allowed him to ditch his two diamonds. All now depended on how he played the club suit. What would you have done?

The percentage play is to lead the ♣10. This runs to the king and declarer ruffs the diamond return. He can then cross to the ♣Q and lead the ♣2 for a marked finesse of the 9. Leaving the ♣10 in dummy would block the suit.

Your result so far:

A: ♥2. The best lead is a trump, but at the table declarer showed how the slam could still be made. This was the deal:

____________________♠ K J 5 3 2
____________________♥ 7
____________________♦ 10 8 6 2
____________________♣ J 9 5

♠ 10 9 7 6_______________________♠ 4
♥ A 10 9 3_______________________♥ K Q 8 6 4
♦ K J 4___________________________♦ A Q 5 3
♣ A 8______________________________♣ Q 6 2

____________________♠ A Q 8
____________________♥ J 5 2
____________________♦ 9 7
____________________♣ K 10 7 4 3

Declarer won with the ♥8 and led a spade. South won with the Queen and played another trump, won with dummy's 9. Declarer ruffed a spade in his hand and used diamond entries to ruff two more spades. He then re-entered dummy with the ♣A to draw the last trump. It was a perfect dummy reversal.

Your result so far:

A: ♥A. Woolsey decided to lead his singleton diamond, but this turned out very unluckily. This was the deal:

____________________♠ A K 6
____________________♥ 10 8 5 4 3
____________________♦ K 5 4
____________________♣ 9 7

♠ 2______________________________♠ Q 10 9
♥ J 6___________________________♥ Q 7
♦ Q 8 7 6 2_____________________♦ A J 9 3
♣ Q 10 8 4 2_______________♣ A K J 3

____________________♠ J 8 7 5 4 3
____________________♥ A K 9 2
____________________♦ 10
____________________♣ 6 5

The ♦10 was covered by the queen, king and ace. The declarer, Ai-Tai-Lo, then drew trumps, discarded a heart on the diamonds and ruffed two spades in the dummy to make the game.

Your result so far:

A: ♠J. Rosenberg led the ♠J, which seems a good choice. This was the deal:

____________________♠ A 7
____________________♥ 9 4 2
____________________♦ 10 6 2
____________________♣ K 10 8 7 3

♠ K 8 5_________________________♠ Q 4
♥ J 7 5_________________________♥ A 10 8 6 3
♦ 9 7 3_________________________♦ A K Q 5
♣ Q J 6 2________________________♣ 9 4

____________________♠ J 10 9 6 3 2
____________________♥ K Q
____________________♦ J 8 4
____________________♣ A 5

Max Schireson (North) played low on the first trick, since he knew declarer held the ♠Q. Tom Bishel, the declarer, won with the ♠Q, continuing with ace and another trump. What should South do next, after winning the second round of trumps?

She continued with the ♠9, dummy playing low, and North won with the ace. North switched to a diamond and declarer was then able to win, cross to the ♥J and discard a club on the established ♠K.

South might have played the ♣A before the second spade. North would then be able to cash the ♣K for one down. North might also have found the club switch, since partner could hardly hold the ♦A Q when East had jumped to 4♥.

Your result so far: