Camrose Trials by Ben Norton

A: ♣5. You’re certainly going to lead a Club, and the Queen appears to be the normal card. However, the bidding makes it quite likely that East holds Club length.

If East had five Spades, he might have rebid the suit, and if he has only four, he cannot hold four Hearts, making it all the more likely he has four Clubs. Given this, you should try a low Club, to unblock the suit when partner has K x or 10 x. It could go wrong, especially if the ♣K is tripleton in dummy and declarer can win the ♣10, but that is an unlikely scenario.

Leading the ♣Q would let the contract through. Partner did hold ♣10 x, and declarer would be able to win from his K 9 x x to go about setting up the Diamonds, for the Clubs would block. A low Club lead would force declarer to duck, lest he concede four Club tricks when North took the ♦A, but that would also be fatal, for the defense could then attack the sole entry to dummy’s Diamonds, the ♠A.

Your result so far:

A: ♦8. Partner has made a Lightner double. This usually asks for the lead of dummy’s first-bid suit, but that’s unlikely here, when East-West have a Club fit. In any case, partner is suggesting you make an unusual lead.

Partner probably has a good hand and thinks both minor suits are lying badly for declarer. He is also trying to take you off your natural lead of a Spade, by suggesting you try something else. You might as well lead a Diamond, through dummy’s strength.

Partner had ♦A J 10 x and a Club stopper. The Diamond lead effectively knocked out the entry to the long Clubs in dummy, and the contract failed spectacularly. To lead a Spade would gift declarer a cheap trick with the ♠Q, and leave the ♦K Q in dummy as a slow entry to the Clubs.

Your result so far:

A: ♥8. Partner could have doubled 3♠ for a Spade lead, but he didn’t. Declarer must therefore have the suit under lock and key. In fact, he likely has a five-card Spade suit.

Your best bet is to lead dummy’s three-card suit, Hearts. Not only is this relatively safe, certainly safer than a minor-suit lead into one of dummy’s long suits, but it might also set up tricks for partner. North is very likely to have five Hearts, after all.

Partner held ♥A J 10 9 x x, so a Heart lead struck gold, setting up the whole suit.

Your result so far:

A: ♠4. It seems normal to lead partner’s suit, but before blindly doing so, you should consider the likely Heart layout. Partner is marked with a fair hand, since the opponents didn’t explore for game, so his overcall needn’t be based on a strong suit. Indeed, declarer is certain to have the Hearts stopped, and he might have length there.

On the other hand, declarer cannot have Spade length, having not issued a negative double. Your best bet is therefore a Spade lead, trying to establish your long suit. Your ♠A will serve as an entry to the long cards, and the suit will surely run when partner has three or more Spades.

Leading a Heart could still turn out alright, but only if partner worked out to shift to Spades later on, which might not be so easy. Direct the defense by leading your unknown long suit.

Partner had ♠J x x and dummy ♠Q x, so the Spade lead collected four tricks there, to go with the ♣A K and ♦A.

Your result so far:

A: ♠2. Your take-out double has lit the way. Partner surely has a good Spade holding to volunteer 2♠ on what is likely to be a poor hand. In any case, a Spade is your best shot, to set up and cash tricks before declarer’s black-suit losers go away on the Diamonds.

On the full deal, a Spade lead netted a two-trick set, scoring two Spade tricks, two Clubs and a Club ruff. To lead a red suit would let the contract make, with the Diamonds coming in for declarer.

Your result so far: