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 Leads Quiz 260 by David Bird

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

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

Question 1

  Your Hand
♠ K 9 6 3
♥ Q J 5
♦ 10 9 3
♣ K J 6 		 
Q: 1 - What will you lead here?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1♥
Pass2♥Pass3♣
Pass4♥All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♦10. Leading any of the other three suits would be very risky and could easily give away a trick.

This was the deal, where you should take the East cards and try to make the contract:

♠  8 7 4 2

♥  K 10 8 2

♦  Q J 5

♣  9 2

♠  Q J 10 5

♥  7

♦  A 8 4 2

♣  Q 8 5 3

♠  K 9 6 3

♥  Q J 5

♦  10 9 3

♣  K J 6

♠  A

♥  A 9 6 4 3

♦  K 7 6

♣  A 10 7 4

North wins the diamond lead and switches to the ♠Q. How will you play the contract?

If you play the ace and king of trumps next, you will go down. You need to ruff two clubs in dummy and South would draw a third round of trumps when you conceded a club trick to prepare for the ruffs.

Instead, you should play ace and another club. When you regain the lead, you will cash the two top trumps and easily achieve the two club ruffs that you need for the game.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 2

  Your Hand
♠ A J 9 6 2
♥ 9 8 5 3
♦ J 2
♣ 5 3 		 
Q: 2 - What will you lead against 3NT?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1NT
Pass3NTAll Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♠6. A five-card suit makes the perfect lead against 3NT. When you have six cards, partner is likely to be too short in the suit to assist you.

This was the deal, where you should take the East cards and try to make the contract:

♠  10 7

♥  K 6 2

♦  K 5 4 3

♣  K J 9 6

♠  Q 4

♥  J 10 4

♦  10 9 8 6

♣  A 8 4 2

♠  A J 9 6 2

♥  9 8 5 3

♦  J 2

♣  5 3

♠  K 8 5 3

♥  A Q 7

♦  A Q 7

♣  Q 10 7

How will you play when South leads the ♠6 to North's ♠Q?

You have at most eight tricks readily available (if diamonds break 3-3), and will therefore have to play on clubs.

If you win the first trick, you will go down. Instead, you should hold up the ♠K and duck again when the ♠4 is returned. South wins with the ♠J. Since North holds the ♣A, you will make the contract whatever South does next.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 3

  Your Hand
♠ Q J 10 9 4
♥ K 9 4
♦ Q 5
♣ J 8 4 		 
Q: 3 - What will you lead here?
SouthWestNorthEast
-1♦Pass1♥
1♠2♣Pass2NT
Pass3NTAll Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♠Q. It is clear to lead the spade queen. You must take the East cards now and try to make the contract.

♠  A

♥  10 6

♦  A 10 7 6 3 2

♣  A 10 3 2

♠  7 5 2

♥  J 7 5 3

♦  K J 9

♣  Q 9 7

♠  Q J 10 9 4

♥  K 9 4

♦  Q 5

♣  J 8 4

♠  K 8 6 3

♥  A Q 8 2

♦  8 4

♣  K 6 5

You win the spade lead with dummy's ace. What now?

You need to develop the diamond suit and should lead a low diamond from dummy at trick two (preserving the ♦A as an entry later). North wins and returns the ♠7. What do you do?

If you win with the king, you will go down. When you set up the diamonds, North will still have a spade to return. So, you should hold up your ♠K for a round. South wins and clears the spade suit.

By good fortune, it is North who wins the third round of diamonds, and he now has no spade to play. The game is yours.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 4

  Your Hand
♠ 10 8 5
♥ 9 8 2
♦ K 10 5
♣ K Q 8 7 		 
Q: 4 - What will you lead against 6♠?
SouthWestNorthEast
---2♣
Pass2♦Pass2♠
Pass3♠Pass4♣
Pass4♥Pass6♠
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♣K. A major-suit lead might be safe, but it is reasonable to attack with the ♣K.

Take the East cards now and see if you can make the slam. This is the layout:

♠  Q 4 3

♥  K 7 6 4

♦  8 7 3

♣  9 3 2

♠  2

♥  J 10 5

♦  J 9 6 4 2

♣  J 10 5 4

♠  10 8 5

♥  9 8 2

♦  K 10 5

♣  K Q 8 7

♠  A K J 9 7 6

♥  A Q 3

♦  A Q

♣  A 6

You win with the ♣A and see a potential loser in each minor. How will you play the red suits to give yourself the best chance?

You must try to combine the chance of a 3-3 heart break with that of the diamond finesse. If your first move, after drawing trumps, is to finesse the ♦Q, you will go down if it fails. So, you should play three top hearts first. Here, the suit will break 3-3 and you can discard your club loser.

If hearts did not split that well, you would still be on lead and could combine your second chance, that of the diamond finesse.


Your result so far:
Open Question

Question 5

  Your Hand
♠ 10 9 4 2
♥ 10 9 7
♦ K J 8
♣ 9 5 2 		 
Q: 5 - What will you lead against 4♥?
SouthWestNorthEast
---1♥
Pass2♥Pass4♥
All Pass


 Your choice:
A: ♥10. A passive trump is as good as anything. A diamond would often give a trick away.

Take the East cards now and see if you can make the contract.

♠  K 8 7 3

♥  6 5 3

♦  5 4 3

♣  K Q 6

♠  6 5

♥  4 2

♦  A 10 9 7 6

♣  A J 10 8

♠  10 9 4 2

♥  10 9 7

♦  K J 8

♣  9 5 2

♠  A Q J

♥  A K Q J 8

♦  Q 2

♣  7 4 3

One chance is to lead twice towards dummy's clubs, hoping that South holds the ♣A. There's no need to take such a risk.

You should draw trumps and unblock the ♠A Q J. Only then do you play a club to the king. North will win, but the ♣Q will be an entry to the ♠K.


Your result so far:
Open Question

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