OCBL Open by Ben Norton

A: ♥2. You can infer from the auction that West has some shape, else he would surely pass his partner’s suggestion of 3NT. You should therefore look to cut down on dummy’s ruffs via a trump lead, which is likely to be safe. Nothing else really appeals.

A trump lead gave nothing away and the contract was defeated. The alternative of a Spade would blow a trick as declarer held ♠A x x facing K 10 x in dummy.

Your result so far:

A: ♦3. You could plump for a Heart lead on the basis that it will be easier to establish that suit than your poor Diamonds, given you have few outside entries. However, you’ll need a lot from partner for either lead to work, and there’s more to gain in Diamonds, your five-card suit.

Your fourth-highest Diamond is best. The second-highest card from rubbish should be reserved for when you hold 10 x x x and are therefore much less serious about the suit.

The Diamond lead struck gold, enabling you to run the first five tricks.

Your result so far:

A: ♦3. You’d normally prefer a major-suit lead to a minor on this auction, when the opponents have made no effort to locate a fit in Hearts or Spades. However, the relative holdings in your long suits sway the decision.

An A x x x holding doesn’t make for an attractive lead as it often gives something away, and it will frequently be enough to switch to that suit later on if needs be. By contrast, it may take time to set up your Q x x x suit, and it might be essential to get them going right away. Indeed, you have more winners to set up in Diamonds than Hearts as the ♥A is already good for a trick.

The Diamond lead caught partner with K J x x x and was the only one to set the hand.

Your result so far:

A: ♦5. It’s unlikely that too many rounds of Spades will stand up. You have better chances in Diamonds, especially since your King will fill partner’s suit. It may be necessary to cash quick tricks before declarer can run the Clubs.

A Diamond lead worked fine on the layout, since the Spade suit was frozen; neither side could attack it without giving away a trick, and declarer eventually had to broach the suit himself.

Your result so far:

A: ♦Q. It’s very likely that West has a void. He would surely have asked for keycards otherwise. That void is probably in Spades, your long suit, but the ♠A is unlikely to go away even if it's not.

In that case, laying down the ♠A could give the contract by setting up the King for declarer. It’s best to go passive and wait to score a black-suit trick, but the ♦Q is preferable to a trump, since a Diamond lead might damage declarer’s communications.

A Diamond opening was the only one to give declarer a problem, for it took out an entry to dummy’s long Clubs. Declarer would have to play double-dummy to make from there, by pinning partner’s ♠Q x x beneath his K J 10 x.

Your result so far: