Menu Vu-Bridge | Play like a Champion!

 Leads Quiz 249 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 declarer play.

Question 1

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


 Your choice:
A: ♠Q. Everyone will lead the ♠Q from this sequence. This is the deal:

♠  6 5 3 2

♥  K 10 4

♦  K Q 10

♣  Q 9 6

♠  K 7

♥  9 7 5 2

♦  A 8 2

♣  8 7 4 2

♠  Q J 10 9 4

♥  8

♦  9 6 4

♣  A 10 5 3

♠  A 8

♥  A Q J 6 3

♦  J 7 5 3

♣  K J

South leads the ♠Q, North playing the king. Take the East cards now. How would you play 4♥?

Suppose you win with the ♠A and draw trumps in four rounds. You will need to guess which minor to play first. If you guess wrongly and play a diamond, North will win and return a spade. You will have to ruff the spade continuation with your last trump. With only nine tricks, you will have to play a club. South will win and cash spades to put you one down.

It is better to duck at trick one and win the second round of spades. Then, if you guess wrongly, North will have no spade to return. When you set up the other minor suit, you will have a trump left to deal with South's spade return.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
♠ J 9 5 4 3
♥ 9 8
♦ Q 10 8
♣ J 8 3 		 
Q: 2 - What will you lead against 3NT?
SouthWestNorthEast
--1♥1NT
Pass3NTAll Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♥9. There is little point in leading a spade from such a weak hand. You should lead partner's suit. This was the deal:

♠  7 6

♥  7 5 2

♦  9 6 5

♣  A K Q 5 2

♠  K Q 10

♥  K J 10 6 4

♦  K 7 4 2

♣  10

♠  J 9 5 4 3

♥  9 8

♦  Q 10 8

♣  J 8 3

♠  A 8 2

♥  A Q 3

♦  A J 3

♣  9 7 6 4

The ♥9 runs to the East hand. Take declarer's cards now. How would you play 3NT?

Two hearts, two aces in your hand, plus five club tricks will give you the game. Let's say you win the heart lead with the queen and lead the ♣4 to the ace. Both defenders follow, so your worries about a 4-0 break are over. You continue with the ♣K and... oh no! North shows out and, too late, you see that your three remaining clubs will block the suit. You will have to play dummy's queen on the next round, to take South's jack, and the last club in your own hand will win the fourth round. One down!

To make the contract, you must keep your ♣4, leading a higher spot-card on the first round, and again on the second and third rounds. Then you lead the ♣5 from dummy, dropping your precious ♣4 from hand. Dummy's ♣2 will be your ninth trick.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
♠ A J 9 6 3
♥ J 9 7 3
♦ J 4
♣ 9 3 		 
Q: 3 - What will you lead against 3NT here?
SouthWestNorthEast
-1♣Pass1♠
Pass2♣Pass3NT
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♠6. Even though declarer has bid spades, a lead of that suit offers the best chance. This was the deal:

♠  8

♥  K 5 2

♦  A 9 8 3

♣  A Q 10 8 6

♠  10 7 4

♥  10 8 6

♦  Q 10 7 5

♣  K 4 2

♠  A J 9 6 3

♥  J 9 7 3

♦  J 4

♣  9 3

♠  K Q 5 2

♥  A Q 4

♦  K 6 2

♣  J 7 5

Take the East cards now and see if you can make 3NT. North plays the ♠10 on the first trick.

The eventual club finesse will be into the North hand. You must therefore remove his spades before you play on clubs. You duck the first trick and play low on the spade return. When North leads a third spade to the king and ace, South clears the suit. You are then safe to finesse a club into the North hand. The game is yours.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
♠ 10 6 5 2
♥ 8 3
♦ 9 8 4 2
♣ 9 8 7 		 
Q: 4 - What will you lead against 3NT?
SouthWestNorthEast
--1♥Dble
Pass1♠Pass2NT
Pass3NTAll Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♥8. It is clearly right to lead partner's suit. This was the deal:

♠  J 8 4 3

♥  5 2

♦  Q 7 3

♣  Q 10 6 2

♠  9 7

♥  K Q J 10 7

♦  K J 10

♣  K 5 3

♠  10 6 5 2

♥  8 3

♦  9 8 4 2

♣  9 8 7

♠  A K Q

♥  A 9 6 4

♦  A 6 5

♣  A J 4

How would you play 3NT on the East cards when the ♥8 is led to North's 10?

You duck the first two rounds of hearts and win the third round. You then cash the ♠A K Q. When you exit with the ♥9, North wins and cashes another heart. You keep ♠J ♦Q 7 ♣Q 10 in the dummy. Whichever minor suit North chooses for his exit, you will have nine tricks.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

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


 Your choice:
A: ♥A. It is clear to lead the ♥A. This is the deal:

♠  K J 6

♥  5 3

♦  K 10 9 7

♣  K 8 5 3

♠  9 8 4 2

♥  Q 9 8 6

♦  8 2

♣  J 10 2

♠  5

♥  A K J 10 4 2

♦  A 6 5

♣  Q 9 6

♠  A Q 10 7 3

♥  7

♦  Q J 4 3

♣  A 7 4

Take the East cards now and see if you can make 4♠. South begins with the ♥A K.

If you ruff the second round of hearts, you will lose control and go down. Since you are going to lose a club trick anyway, you should discard a club at trick two. The defenders cannot continue to force you in hearts, since you would ruff in the dummy. Whatever South does instead, you will win and draw trumps. You can then safely set up the diamonds because you still have one trump left.


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.