Leads Quiz 238 by David

A: ♥Q. With touching honors, against a suit contract, you should lead an honor. Someone or other will doubtless be ruffing the third round, so you want your top cards to play a role on the first two rounds. This was the deal:

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

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

____________________♠ K J
____________________♥ Q J 7 2
____________________♦ K 10 9
____________________♣ A J 9 7

Now take the East cards. How will you play after winning the heart lead with the ace?

Only one card is good enough next. You must lead the ♣3! If South puts up the ♣A, you will have a second discard for your diamond losers (after running the ♦Q through South). If instead South plays low, then you can discard the ♣K on the ♥K.

Your result so far:

A: ♦8. France faced India in the semi-finals of the world seniors championship. Saha knew that his partner held the red suits. Since hearts had been bid, he tried his luck with the ♦8. This was the deal:

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

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

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

North (Das) won with the ace and switched to hearts. Yes, but which heart? It was necessary to lead the ♥Q or ♥10, to keep the lead if declarer held off the king. When he chose the ♥5 instead, won with South's ♥J, the game could not be beaten.

Your result so far:

A: ♥K. You lead a sensible ♥K and this is the deal:

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

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

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

Take the East cards now. How will you play the slam?

You do not want to have to rely solely on the club finesse. After winning the heart lead with the ace, you should ruff the ♥7 in your hand. You draw trumps with the ace and king, then cash the ♦A K Q.

Next, you cross to a trump and lead the ♥10. As you hoped, North cannot cover this card. You discard the ♣7 and leave South endplayed. He will either have to lead a club into your tenace, or concede a ruff-and-discard.

Your result so far:

A: ♠10. The only lead to beat the contract is (surprisingly) the trump 10. Not surprisingly, Starkowski made the normal lead of the ♦J. This was the deal:

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

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

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

The defenders persisted with diamonds, declarer ruffing the second round. His next move, without drawing any trumps, was to run the ♣Q. Kwiecien, sitting North, defended cleverly by letting this card win. When declarer continued by running the ♣J, North won and gave partner a club ruff. The game was one down.

Declarer could have saved the ship, as you can see, by drawing just one round of trumps before playing on clubs.

Your result so far:

A: ♥J. Schou led the ♥J and this was the deal:

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

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

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

Hansen (North) could see that the defenders might need three tricks in the red suits to beat the contract. He therefore overtook with the ♥K. It was possible that South held four hearts and the ♦A Q, so North switched to the ♦6, drawing the king and ace.

Although it was possible that the ♦6 was a singleton, Schou judged well to switch back to hearts. That was one down. At the other table, 4♠ was made with an overtrick.

Your result so far: