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 Leads Quiz 244 by David

As always, you will be South, leading towards a contract played by East.

The interest may be not only in the opening lead, but also in the subsequent defense or declarer play.

Question 1

  Your Hand
 K 10 9 8
 K 7 5 3 2
 9 6 2
 5
 
Q: 1 - France faces Denmark in the European Championship. What will you lead against 6NT?
SouthWestNorthEast
---2
DbleRdble2Pass
Pass3Pass3NT
Pass6NTAll Pass


Rightly or wrongly, you intervened with a double of 2 (which was strong but not always forcing to game.) Your double showed the major suits.

 Your choice:
A: 6. Jepsen, for Denmark led the 3 on the strength of his partner choosing hearts rather than spades. A lead from either king was the only way for declarer to make the contract.

♠  Q 3

♥  Q J

♦  K 8 5

♣  Q J 9 7 3 2

♠  J

♥  10 8 6 4

♦  Q J 10 3

♣  10 8 6 4

♠  K 10 9 8

♥  K 7 5 3 2

♦  9 6 2

♣  5

♠  A 7 6 5 4 2

♥  A 9

♦  A 7 4

♣  A K

Declarer had only 10 tricks on top. The very unwise heart lead gave him an eleventh trick and a subsequent lead towards the Q provided a twelfth.

Against 6NT, you should always choose a safe lead. The opponents are likely to hold a very high point-count. The chance of your partner matching an aggressive lead from you is correspondingly low.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
 J 7 5 4
 3
 A K 10 9 4
 10 6 5
 
Q: 2 - Two of the world's top teams face each other: Norway against Switzerland. What will you lead against 6 here?

This was the auction, with Klukowski East and Gawrys West:
SouthWestNorthEast
Pass1Pass1
23Pass3
Pass4Pass4
Pass4NTPass5
Pass6All Pass


 Your choice:
A: A. Grude led the A and this was the deal:

♠  K 6 3

♥  A 9 7 6

♦  7

♣  A K J 9 6

♠  Q 10

♥  Q 10 5 4

♦  8 5 3 2

♣  8 7 4

♠  J 7 5 4

♥  3

♦  A K 10 9 4

♣  10 6 5

♠  A 9 8 2

♥  K J 8 2

♦  Q J 6

♣  Q 3

Grude continued with a low diamond, ruffed in the dummy. It seemed that only a double-dummy view would allow declarer to pick up the trump suit without loss. However, Klukowski played the A and ran the 9, South discarding a spade! He finessed again in trumps and made the slam.

How had declarer read the cards? Perhaps he thought that South would not bid 2 on so little without a bit of shape in his hand. Switzerland eventually took the silver medals, close behind the Netherlands.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
 7 2
 7 4
 K 10 7 4 3 2
 A Q J
 
Q: 3 - Frace faces Portugal. What will you lead against 5 redoubled?
SouthWestNorthEast
1Dble24
Pass5Pass5
PassPassDblePass
PassRdbleAll Pass


 Your choice:
A: 7. Dias led the A and the contract could not be beaten. Only a trump lead can succeed. This was the deal:

♠  K 10

♥  A K Q J 6 5 3 2

♦  A Q

♣  9

♠  A 6

♥  10 9 8

♦  J 9 8

♣  K 8 7 6 5

♠  7 2

♥  7 4

♦  K 10 7 4 3 2

♣  A Q J

♠  Q J 9 8 5 4 3

♥ 

♦  6 5

♣  10 4 3 2

South continued with the Q, ruffed in the dummy. Declarer discarded two clubs on the A K. He then claimed 11 tricks.

Do you see the winning defense? When a trump is led, North must duck! Whichever suit is played next, the defenders will score three tricks.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
 J 7 6 5 4
 4 2
 Q 10 6
 A 7 3
 
Q: 4 - What will you lead against 4 here?
SouthWestNorthEast
-111
23Pass4
All Pass


1 was a transfer to spades.

 Your choice:
A: 6. Asulin led the 6, which was as good as anything. The contract should have been made, but went one down.

♠  A

♥  Q 9 3

♦  5 2

♣  K Q 9 6 5 4 2

♠  10 3

♥  7 6 5

♦  A K J 7 3

♣  J 10 8

♠  J 7 6 5 4

♥  4 2

♦  Q 10 6

♣  A 7 3

♠  K Q 9 8 2

♥  A K J 10 8

♦  9 8 4

♣ 

North won with the K and switched to a trump. Veronique Bessis crossed to the A and ruffed a low club with the A. After discarding dummy's remaining diamond on the K, she continued with the Q. North ruffed, but the contract was not yet down.

When a trump was returned, Bessis mistakenly won with her king. The 9 forced the jack, setting up the 8, but declarer had to lose two diamond tricks. The winning line was to utilise dummy's K Q.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
 9 7 4 2
 K Q 10 9 4 2
 9
 9 5
 
Q: 5 - Lithuania faces Estonia in the European Championship. What will you lead against 3NT?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1NT
Pass3NTAll Pass


 Your choice:
A: K. Naber led the K. The contract could have been made, but it actually went down. This was the deal:


♠  K 5 3

♥  J 7

♦  J 10 5

♣  A Q 7 3 2

♠  A Q 10

♥  8 3

♦  K 8 3 2

♣  J 10 8 6

♠  9 7 4 2

♥  K Q 10 9 4 2

♦  9

♣  9 5

♠  J 8 6

♥  A 6 5

♦  A Q 7 6 4

♣  K 4

The declarer, Skrzypczak, won the third round of hearts. He continued with the king and ace of clubs. His next move was to run the J successfully, dropping the 9 from South. What should he do next?

It was tempting to try the Q, hoping for a 3-3 break there, or for five diamond tricks. South showed out on the Q. The 10 was then covered with the king and ace. Declarer played queen and another diamond to North, but he then cashed a club and the A for one down.

As it happens, declarer does better to go for the diamonds first. When the 4-1 break shows, a spade to the king and ace endplays North. He will have to give dummy the lead with a club, for a finesse of the 7.


Your result so far:
Open Question

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