Lockdown League by Ben Norton

A: ♥8. You’re not going to lead dummy’s suit, and between the reds, a Heart offers the best chance of setting up tricks. After all, partner had two chances to double artificial Diamond bids for the lead, yet didn’t. You hope to establish a trick in partner’s hand to cash when you gain the lead with the ♣K.

A Heart lead was necessary to set the slam. Partner had the ♥K Q and your ♣K was indeed a second-round stopper.

Your result so far:

A: ♦A. It looks like partner has Clubs and Hearts, and he surely has an entry in one of those suits. To achieve the maximum set, you should lead the ♦A, angling to get partner on lead, likely in Hearts, to give you a ruff.

On the full layout, you needed to take a Diamond ruff to collect 800. You might survive on a Heart lead if partner works out to return a Diamond before cashing a second Heart, but a Club lead would be ruffed and declarer would draw trumps.

Your result so far:

A: ♥4. Don’t be put off by East’s having bid the suit. Hearts still represent your best chance of setting the contract, either by scoring four Heart tricks and another trick in partner’s hand, or five Heart tricks. Indeed, it’s at times like these, when dummy has a long suit, that you should lead aggressively.

When you’re leading a suit that an opponent has shown length in, it’s best to lead low from holdings you would otherwise start with an honor from, against No-trump contracts, that is. To crack off a top card would risk blocking the suit when partner has ♥J x, and a low one might be necessary to retain the defensive link to the long Heart when partner has as little as a small doubleton.

A Heart lead set the contract straight off the bat. With partner holding ♥J x x, you’d survive by laying down a top card first, somewhat undeservedly.

Your result so far:

A: ♠3. The omens are bad for the defense. You have small cards sitting behind declarer’s long Diamonds and high cards beneath dummy’s length in Hearts. What's more, you know Hearts are splitting 3-3. Whatever finesses declarer takes will be working, and, if given time, he will surely rack up nine tricks.

You had better defend actively and kick off with a Spade, hoping to set up tricks. This is no time for a passive Club.

Partner had ♠Q x x x x, so a Spade attack established four tricks to go with partner’s ♦A. Any other lead would give declarer a much needed tempo and let the game through.

Your result so far:

A: ♥K. You could argue that, since East-West have conducted an invitational auction to game, they’re not going to have much in the way of surplus high cards. That seems to suggest a passive defense and the ♠Q lead.

However, there could easily be a source of tricks in dummy, then you may need to cash your tricks pronto. With partner’s having competed to 3♥, he presumably has strength in the suit and a Heart lead won’t give anything away. It may also be necessary to cash your tricks while you can.

The best card to try is the ♥K, retaining the lead in case you need to make a shift through a tenace in dummy. With your holding nothing in the side-suits, you’d rather be the one to switch than partner.

Partner had both red-suit Aces and you needed to cash your two Heart tricks straight away, before they went away on the Clubs. A Spade lead would concede an overtrick!

Your result so far: