Lockdown League III by Ben Norton

A: ♠2. You should go on the offensive with a black-suit lead, aiming to set up tricks before declarer can get his Hearts going.

With that in mind, you might prefer a Club attack from your shorter suit, since declarer is less likely to ruff your side’s winners, but West’s 4♣ cue-bid changes all that, combined with partner’s pass over 4♣. West probably has Club length as well, having failed to bid a major at his first turn. Thus, there is no hurry to play Clubs.

The Spade suit is where the urgency lies. You should attack dummy’s short suit before the Hearts are established. Indeed, it’s often best to lead your side’s longest and strongest suit.

A Spade lead was the only one to set the game. Your side had one trick to take in each of the side-suits, but with dummy being 2.3.4.4, a Club lead would give declarer time enough to get dummy’s Spade loser away on the fourth Heart. The same couldn’t be said about the Clubs on a Spade lead.

Your result so far:

A: ♥8. You should prefer a major-suit lead to a minor, since West didn’t invoke Stayman to find a Heart or Spade fit. Having decided against a Diamond lead, the choice between the majors is clear, with longer and slightly stronger Hearts. You should lead second-highest without an honor in the suit.

Any lead was alright apart from a Diamond, which would give declarer his ninth trick.

Your result so far:

A: ♦J. East’s 3NT bid must be based on long, solid Clubs and a Heart stopper. He’s hoping to run nine tricks on a pedestrian Heart lead, but you have other ideas. You should try the sneak attack of a Diamond, attempting to cash five tricks of your own before declarer can get on play.

The ♦J lead served to pick up three Diamond tricks for the defense, with partner holding A x x over dummy’s Q 9 x x. A subsequent Spade shift, through dummy’s King to partner’s Ace-Queen, would set the game. Declarer had enough winners for his contract on a rounded-suit opening.

Your result so far:

A: ♠6. You shouldn’t be afraid to lead declarer’s suit when you have a strong five-card holding. The presence of the ♠10 and the ♠A, which gives you control of the suit, make this lead all the more appealing, especially since you know East only has four Spades. No other lead looks particularly promising from an offensive point of view.

A low Spade lead was required to defeat the game. Partner had ♠Q x x behind dummy’s singleton King, along with the ♥A, so when declarer sought to establish Heart tricks, as he had to, partner would rise then lay down Queen and another Spade.

Your result so far:

A: ♠A. You have all the defensive strength, so you can’t count on anything from partner. As such, you shouldn’t attack in one of the rounded suits, which would only give away a trick. Rather, you ought to wait for declarer, who probably has a strong hand as well, to take losing finesses into your hand. The ♠A, to be followed by the ♠6, will give declarer nothing he couldn’t have taken for himself.

Ace and another trump would set the contract with careful defense thereafter. A low Diamond would also work, but that’s a random choice.

Your result so far: