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 Leads Quiz 245 by David Bird

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

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

Question 1

  Your Hand
♠ J 8 5 3
♥ Q 10 9
♦ 9 7
♣ Q 10 6 2 		 
Q: 1 - What will you lead against 6♥?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1NT
Pass2♦Pass2♥
Pass4♣Pass4♦
Pass4♠Pass6♥
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♦9. Leading away from an honor could easily give declarer a 12th trick. A passive lead in diamonds is the best shot. This was the deal:

♠  K Q 4

♥  J 8 6 4

♦  K 3 2

♣  A K 8

♠  10 6 2

♥  3

♦  Q J 10 5 4

♣  J 7 5 3

♠  J 8 5 3

♥  Q 10 9

♦  9 7

♣  Q 10 6 2

♠  A 9 7

♥  A K 7 5 2

♦  A 8 6

♣  9 4

As it happens, only a trump lead would have given anything away. Take the East cards now. How will you play the contract?

You win the diamond lead in hand and play two top trumps, finding you have a loser there. What chance do you have of avoiding a diamond loser too?

You should lead up to the ♦K, cash the ♣A K and ruff a club, then play three rounds of spades. Next, you exit with a trump. You are in luck. When South wins with the ♥Q, he will have to give you a ruff-and-discard. Away goes your diamond loser and you make the slam.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
♠ A J 5 4 3 2
♥ 6 2
♦ 
♣ 10 9 8 7 6 		 
Q: 2 - What will you lead against 4♥?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1♦
1♠DblePass2♥
Pass4♥All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♠A. The spade ace was the popular lead on this deal played at the Auckland Bridge Club, but the contract did not often go down.

♠  K Q 7

♥  A Q J 3

♦  K 5 4 3

♣  4 3

♠  10 9 6

♥  10 9 7

♦  J 9 7 6

♣  A K J

♠  A J 5 4 3 2

♥  6 2

♦ 

♣  10 9 8 7 6

♠  8

♥  K 8 5 4

♦  A Q 10 8 2

♣  Q 5 2

South switched to the ♣10 at trick 2. How should North defend? It is right to cash a second club trick, since otherwise declarer might ditch clubs on the ♠K Q. What then?

The winning defense is a diamond switch, which South can ruff. Declarer had opened 1♦, so it was quite possible that he held five diamonds.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
♠ Q 9 8 7 3
♥ Q 7 5
♦ J
♣ K Q 7 2 		 
Q: 3 - What will you lead against 4♥?
SouthWestNorthEast
--Pass1NT
Pass2♦Dble2♥
Pass4♥All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♦J. After partner's lead-directing double (even without it), it is clear to lead the ♦J.

♠  2

♥  K J 10 8 3 2

♦  A 8 5 4

♣  9 6

♠  K J 4

♥  4

♦  K Q 10 6 3 2

♣  10 5 4

♠  Q 9 8 7 3

♥  Q 7 5

♦  J

♣  K Q 7 2

♠  A 10 6 5

♥  A 9 6

♦  9 7

♣  A J 8 3

How would you play the contract as East? Declarer won with the ♦A and continued with another diamond, preparing for diamond ruffs. North won with the ♦K and led the ♦Q. East ruffed with the 9, overruffed with the queen.

Declarer won the spade return with the Ace and played a low trump to the king. He could then ruff dummy's last diamond with the ace, claiming ten tricks. At the other table, declarer went one down, not starting on the diamonds early enough.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
♠ A K 7 3
♥ 7
♦ K 9 7 6
♣ A Q 10 2 		 
Q: 4 - What will you lead against 4♥?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♦PassPass1♥
Dble3♦Pass4♥
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♠A. It was clear to lead the ♠A, but all depended on what South did at trick 2. The deal comes from the Australian National Congress.

♠  Q 10 6 4

♥  A J 6 4

♦  8 5 2

♣  K 3

♠  J 8 5 2

♥  9 5 3

♦  J 10 4

♣  8 6 5

♠  A K 7 3

♥  7

♦  K 9 7 6

♣  A Q 10 2

♠  9

♥  K Q 10 8 2

♦  A Q 3

♣  J 9 7 4

With the ♠Q visible in the dummy, North showed his count with the ♠8. At the other table, South continued with the ♠K and the contract was made with an overtrick.

Here, Mill continued with ace and another club to dummy's king. Declarer ruffed two spades in his hand and two clubs in the dummy. He then played two rounds of trumps ending with dummy's ace. If trumps had split 2-2, he would have been able to throw South on lead with the ♠Q to the king, forcing a diamond return. When they failed to split, he led the ♠Q, ruffed with the ♥9 and overruffed with the 10. Down to ♦A Q 3, declarer had to lead the ♦3 and lost two diamonds to go one down.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
♠ J 7 6
♥ Q 8 6 5 3
♦ 5 3
♣ 9 8 2 		 
Q: 5 - What will you lead against 6♦ here?
SouthWestNorthEast
-2♣Pass2♦
Pass3♦Pass4♦
Pass6♦All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♣8. South led a club. Take the East cards now and see if you would have made the slam.

♠  A Q 8 3

♥  A K 7

♦  A Q 10 4 2

♣  A

♠  10 9 4 2

♥  10

♦  K 9 7

♣  Q J 10 7 4

♠  J 7 6

♥  Q 8 6 5 3

♦  5 3

♣  9 8 2

♠  K 5

♥  J 9 4 2

♦  J 8 6

♣  K 6 5 3

Declarer won with dummy's bare ace, crossed to the ♠K and ran the ♦J. North defended well by ducking smoothly. Declarer played another trump. Had he finessed again, North would have won and played a third trump, killing the spade ruff for one down.

No, declarer saw the danger and rose with the ace. He then ruffed a spade and discarded his heart loser on the ♣K. The slam was made for the loss of a trump trick.


Your result so far:
Open Question

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