Leads Quiz 236 by David Bird

A: ♦9. Against 6NT, you should look for a passive lead. Even if hearts had not been bid, a heart lead against 6NT would be terrible. Ask yourself: which side is likely to hold the ace and queen of hearts when they have close to 34 HCP between them? This was the layout:

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

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

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

Declarer won the diamond lead in the dummy. How would you have planned the play? After cashing the ♣K, declarer led the ♣4 and finessed the ♣10, as a safety play. If South had won with the jack, the suit would be breaking no worse than 4-2 and declarer would have 12 top tricks. As it was, the ♣10 won and declarer again had 12 top tricks.

Your result so far:

A: ♣A. South found the best lead of club ace, and declarer then had to play well to make the contract. This was the deal:

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

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

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

North ruffed the club continuation and switched to the ♦K, won with the ace. How would you have continued the play, as declarer?

All would be well if hearts were 3-2. If instead North held four hearts, declarer would need to squeeze him in the red suits, forcing him to throw one of his guards.

Declarer drew the remaining trumps in three rounds and then surrendered the second round of diamonds. Whichever defender took this trick, North would have to throw one of his red-suit guards on declarer's last trump.

Note that declarer could not afford to test the heart suit before surrendering a diamond. A third round of hearts would then spoil the entry situation.

Your result so far:

A: ♦K. Against a grand slam, you should look for a safe lead. Here, the safest lead is the ♦K. This was the deal:

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

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

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

Declarer, Kranyak, won with the ♦A and correctly drew just two rounds of trumps. He then played the king and ace of hearts and ruffed a heart with the jack. The suit broke 4-2, but he could now cross to dummy, draw the last trump, and establish the hearts with a low ruff.

That was 13 tricks and a flat board when the declarer in the other room followed the same excellent line.

Your result so far:

A: ♥J. Fergani cannot be faulted for his lead of the ♥3, but it turned out that the ♥J (or a low club) would have beaten the contract.

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

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

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

North played the ♥7 on dummy's ♥4 and David Bakhshi won with the 8. He played a spade to the queen and ducked a spade to the bare king. The ♥J was won with the ace, and declarer eventually led towards the ♣K for his ninth trick.

The same lead was made at the other table, but declarer played a spade to the 10 and attempted an endplay, late in the deal, for one down.

Your result so far:

A: ♣A. Bakke led the ♣A and this was the deal:

____________________♠ Q 10 9 8 5 2
____________________♥ K 10 8 2
____________________♦ J 8
____________________♣ Q

♠ J 6___________________________♠ A K
♥ A Q 9 7 3______________________♥ 6
♦ Q 10 9 3 2_____________________♦ K 7 6 5 4
♣ K_______________________________♣ 10 9 4 3 2

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

The ♣A drew the king and queen from the next two hands. How would you have continued the defense?

The only winning continuation is to play another club. David Bakhshi, the declarer, ruffed with dummy's ♦10, overruffed with the ♦J, and that was one down. At the other table, the England South also led the ♣A, but he switched to a spade at trick two. 5♦ was then made.

Your result so far: