Leads Quiz 235 by David Bird

A: ♣Q. The deal is from the French Premier Division. Remarkably, both South players (Switzerland's Klukowski and Ireland's Hanlon) found the excellent deceptive lead of the ♣Q! They reasoned that the dummy was more likely to hold the ♣K than the pre-emptive opener. This was the deal:

____________________♠ 8 4
____________________♥ A Q J 7 6 4 2
____________________♦ 7 6
____________________♣ 6 3

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

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

Not surprisingly, Pierre Zimmermann played low from the dummy. Hanlon continued with the ♣A and a club ruff. A heart return put the contract one down.

At the other table, the declarer (Zaleski) was suspicious and put up the ♣K. He then made the contract.

Your result so far:

A: ♠8. It is obvious to lead the singleton in partner's suit. The interest in the deal lies with the subsequent declarer play. Australian ace, Tim Bourke, was East and this was the deal:

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

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

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

North won with the ♠A and returned a spade. What would your plan be, as declarer in the East seat? Tim Bourke found the only winning play - to discard the ♣3. South ruffed, in fact from a natural trump trick. There was no diamond ruff (North would doubtless have switched to a singleton diamond), and the contract was made.

Your result so far:

A: ♥7. It was obvious to lead the ♥7, in the suit that partner had doubled for the lead. The interest was then in the dummy play. This was the deal:

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

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

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

Simon Mostyn, the declarer, won the heart lead in dummy. He then ran the trump suit. South needed to keep ♠K 10 and therefore had to throw two diamonds. Declarer then played the ace, king, queen and 8 of diamonds, throwing South on lead. With only ♠K 10 remaining, South had to lead a spade, giving declarer his slam.

Your result so far:

A: ♥6. Declarer was marked with a club stopper, so Tom Hanlon dismissed the idea of a club lead. He led a heart instead, dummy's four-card suit. This was the deal:

____________________♠ Q J 7 2
____________________♥ Q 8 4 2
____________________♦ Q
____________________♣ Q 7 4 3

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

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

North won with the ♥Q and switched to a club. South won with the 10 and played another heart. The declarer, Stephen Peterkin, cashed all his top winners. He then threw South in with a club.

South made tricks with the ♣A and ♣K and then had to lead a diamond from his 10 6 (he had previously had to split his 10 9 to prevent a finesse of dummy's 8) into dummy remaining ♦J 8. Well played by the declarer!

Your result so far:

A: ♦Q. Of course you lead a diamond, and it might as well be the queen. This was the deal:

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

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

____________________♠ 9 7
____________________♥ J 6 3
____________________♦ Q J 4 3
____________________♣ J 10 8 7

The declarer, Runar Einarsson of Iceland, ruffed the diamond lead in the dummy. A trump to the ace, all following, was followed by the ace and queen of clubs. North showed out but could not ruff! Declarer was then able to finesse the ♥10, ruff a club and return to the ♥Q to make the remaining clubs for his grand slam.

At the other table, 11 tricks were made in 5♥, for a huge swing away.

The last three deals were all played on the excellent online RealBridge platform. This allows video facials of the four players to be displayed alongside the hand diagram and the bidding.

Your result so far: