Leads Quiz 230 by David Bird

A: ♠4. You hold 12 HCP and the opponents have bid to game. Your partner will therefore hold very little. It is too dangerous to lead from either hearts or clubs. In fact, both those leads would have handed the contract to declarer on a plate. Quite rightly, South led the ♠4 and this was the deal:

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

♠ 10 9 8 5 2_____________________♠ A K Q 3
♥ 10 8____________________________♥ K 2
♦ A K_____________________________♦ 10 7 5
♣ J 9 8 7_______________________♣ A 10 5 2

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

All declarer's finesses were doomed to fail, provided South did not lead one of those suits. However, Australian expert, Tim Bourke, demonstrated how the contract should be played on a trump lead.

He played the ♠10, covered by the jack and queen. He then cashed the ♦A K, crossed to the ♠K and ruffed his last diamond. When the ♣7 was run to South, that defender could not safely play a red suit; he had to play back a club. Bourke won and played ace and another club to endplay South for the second time. South then had to open the heart suit.

Your result so far:

A: ♥8. Dummy has shown a very weak hand, possibly without an entry. You should not therefore lead any of the side-suits, which may give declarer a finesse that he will otherwise be unable to take. This was the deal:

____________________♠ Q 10 9 6
____________________♥ 10 9 6
____________________♦ J 2
____________________♣ Q 10 7 2

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

____________________♠ 8 5
____________________♥ 8 4
____________________♦ Q 10 8 4 3
____________________♣ J 9 4 3

Take the magnificent East hand now. Can you see the best way to play 6♥ after a trump lead that does not help you at all?

You should draw just one round of trumps. Everything will be easy if spades break 3-3, or the ♠Q drops in two rounds. You can increase your chances by playing a low spade at trick two.

Let's say the defenders win and play a second trump. Now you play the ♠A K. Spades do not break 3-3, nor does the ♠Q fall but... a third chance materializes! The remaining trump lies with the defender who still holds the ♠Q. You can therefore ruff the fourth round of spades and make your slam.

Your result so far:

A: ♠4. You hold 9 points; partner is marked with almost nothing. Nevertheless, Duguet chose to lead the ♥5 rather than a safe trump. This was the deal:

____________________♠ 5 2
____________________♥ 9
____________________♦ J 9 8 7 5
____________________♣ 10 9 8 5 4

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

____________________♠ 10 6 4
____________________♥ Q 8 7 5 4
____________________♦ Q 10 2
____________________♣ K Q

The heart lead had saved declarer a guess in that suit, but the contract still went down. Tom Hanlon, the declarer, won with the 10 and crossed to the ♠A. He then played a club to the jack. Duguet won and gave his partner a heart ruff for one down.

At the other table, West was declarer after a transfer auction. The ♥9 was led, again giving away the position of the ♥Q. However, declarer managed to set up a squeeze to make the slam.

Your result so far:

A: ♥4. It was natural to lead the suit bid by partner. Either a heart or a spade lead can beat the contract, but there was more to the play. This was the deal:

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

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

Dummy's ♥Q won the first trick, North playing the ♥2. A club was led to the 9 and queen, and all depended on Gaviard's continuation. When he played another heart into East's tenace, Zimmermann won and led the ♦8, South rising with the king. The contract was then easily made.

Your result so far:

A: ♠2. Phillipe Cronier led the ♥J and the slam was easily made. He might perhaps have noted that neither opponent had made a control bid in spades.

(Mind you, if East-West were playing ace-and-king control bidding, 4♣ should have denied first- or second-round control of spades. In that case, West had no right to bid 4♦, knowing that there were two top spade losers.) This was the deal:

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

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

____________________♠ K 4 2
____________________♥ J 10 9
____________________♦ 9 3 2
____________________♣ 8 4 3 2


Your result so far: