Menu Vu-Bridge | Play like a Champion!

 Leads Quiz 247 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 declarer play or defense.

Question 1

  Your Hand
♠ 8 7 4
♥ A 10 8
♦ Q 9
♣ K 9 8 7 5 		 
Q: 1 - What will you lead against 6♠?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1NT
Pass2♥Pass2♠
Pass4♣Pass4♦
Pass4NTPass5♣
Pass6♠All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♠8. What is the most common reason for leading a trump? To stop ruffs in the dummy? No. It's because you fear that any of the side-suit leads may give a trick away. This is particularly true at the slam-level.

♠  A Q J 10 6 2

♥  K J 4

♦  K 6 3

♣  2

♠  3

♥  9 7 5 2

♦  10 4 2

♣  J 10 6 4 3

♠  8 7 4

♥  A 10 8

♦  Q 9

♣  K 9 8 7 5

♠  K 9 5

♥  Q 6 3

♦  A J 8 7 5

♣  A Q

South leads a trump. How would you play the slam, as East?

You draw trumps and play a heart to the queen and ace. You win the heart return and cash a third heart. You can now combine your chances in the minor suits. You play the ace and king of diamonds. If this does not drop the queen, you will take the club finesse for a diamond discard from dummy. Two chances for the price of one!


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
♠ Q 9 8 6 3
♥ 
♦ J 7 4
♣ K Q 10 9 6 		 
Q: 2 - What will you lead against 4♥ here?
SouthWestNorthEast
-1♦Pass1♥
DbleRdble2♣4♥
All Pass


West made a Support Redouble to show three-card heart support.

 Your choice:
A: ♣K. A club lead is not completely safe, but the lead of either other suit would be more risky.

♠  K J

♥  J 5 2

♦  A K Q 9 5 3

♣  J 8

♠  10 7 4

♥  Q 10 9 7

♦  6 2

♣  A 4 3 2

♠  Q 9 8 6 3

♥ 

♦  J 7 4

♣  K Q 10 9 6

♠  A 5 2

♥  A K 8 6 4 3

♦  10 8

♣  7 5

South scores the king and queen of clubs, switching to a low spade. How would you have played the contract? (If you play the ♠J from dummy, North follows with a low spade.)

The only real risk is that of losing two trump tricks. The safety play is to win the spade switch in your hand and lead a low trump towards dummy's jack. Here, South shows out and North wins the ♥J with the queen. You can then reach dummy twice more to take two finesses against North's ♥10 9 7.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
♠ Q 7 4 3
♥ A K Q J 7 2
♦ K 10
♣ 9 		 
Q: 3 - What will you lead against 4♠?
SouthWestNorthEast
1♥DblePass1♠
2♥4♠All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♥A. It is clear to start with a top heart. This is the deal:

♠  A K 10 6

♥  9 4

♦  A Q J

♣  A K Q J

♠  J

♥  8 5 3

♦  9 7 5 2

♣  10 8 6 5 3

♠  Q 7 4 3

♥  A K Q J 7 2

♦  K 10

♣  9

♠  9 8 5 2

♥  10 6

♦  8 6 4 3

♣  7 4 2

Partner shows an odd number of hearts and you cash a second winner in the suit. What will you do next? Switching to the ♣9 is as good as anything. Take declarer's cards now. How might you make the contract?

You win in the dummy and play the ♠A, the ♠J dropping from North. Only one card is good enough now; you must play the ♠10. You hope to use your ♠9 8 to furnish an entry to your hand. Let's say that South ducks. You then play clubs. When South ruffs and plays a third round of hearts, you ruff in your hand and finesse the ♦Q. You then draw South's last trump and claim the contract.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
♠ 8 7 6 3
♥ 10 9 8 5
♦ 9 5
♣ 8 5 3 		 
Q: 4 - What will you lead against 4♠ here?
SouthWestNorthEast
--1♦1♠
Pass2♦3♦3♠
Pass4♠All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♦9. It is best to lead your partner's suit. This was the deal:

♠  K 9 4

♥  A K 6

♦  10 8 6 3

♣  A 9 4

♠  2

♥  7 4 2

♦  A K Q J 7 2

♣  K Q 6

♠  8 7 6 3

♥  10 9 8 5

♦  9 5

♣  8 5 3

♠  A Q J 10 5

♥  Q J 3

♦  4

♣  J 10 7 2

North wins the diamond lead and plays another high diamond. Take the East cards now. How would you continue the play?

You ruff high and play the ace and king of trumps, North discarding a diamond. South must hold at least three hearts, so you cash three rounds, ending in the dummy. You ruff a diamond high in your hand, cross to the ♣A and ruff another diamond high. That gives you nine tricks and dummy's high trump will make it ten. The play is known as a 'dummy reversal'.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
♠ J 9 8 7 6 5 2
♥ 10 5 4
♦ 10 9
♣ 3 		 
Q: 5 - What will you lead against 4♥?
SouthWestNorthEast
---2♣
Pass2♦Pass3NT
Pass4♦Dble4♥
All Pass


West's 4♦ was a transfer to hearts.

 Your choice:
A: ♦10. After partner's lead-directing double of 4♦, a diamond is a better lead than the singleton club. This was the deal:

♠  3

♥  Q J 7 6 3

♦  7 4 3

♣  8 7 5 2

♠  Q 4

♥  9 8 2

♦  A K 8 6 5

♣  Q 6 4

♠  J 9 8 7 6 5 2

♥  10 5 4

♦  10 9

♣  3

♠  A K 10

♥  A K

♦  Q J 2

♣  A K J 10 9

North wins with the ♦K and continues with ace and another diamond to declarer's queen. South ruffs with the 4 and returns the ♥5. Take declarer's East cards now. How would you play the contract?

You play your remaining high trump, South following, and then the ♣A. South has shows six cards outside spades, so can have no more than seven spades. You cash the ♠A K. When you ruff a spade high in dummy, you know that South's shape was 7-3-2-1. You draw the last trump and finesse the ♣J, certain that this will win.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Overall Results

Your results:   out of    Average: 

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
More informations on our website: www.VuBridge.com

Rate yourself:

0 - 40% We applaud your effort.
Review the subject and try again. You'll be surprised how much better you'll do.
We're here for you!!
41 - 50% Buy your mentor a cuppa and ask for clarification on the ones you got wrong.
No mentor? Make finding one a priority!
51 - 60% Nice improvement! One more review and you'll have this down solid!
61 - 80% What a good job! All that's left is some fine tuning
Over 80% Wow! It's time for you to become a mentor. Find someone who needs help and share your knowledge!
Return To Home

© 2014 - 2019 Vu-Bridge. All Rights Reserved.