Champions Leads 207 by David Bird

A: ♣J. Checkelasvili led the ♣J and this was the deal:

                    ♠ 9 7 5 3 2
                    ♥ A Q 10
                    ♦ A J 3
                    ♣ 6 4

♠ J 8 6 4                         ♠ A K Q 10
♥ J 6 4 2                         ♥ K 9 7 3
♦ 6                                ♦ Q 5
♣ K Q 9 7                        ♣ A 5 3

                    ♠
                    ♥ 8 5
                    ♦ K 10 9 8 7 4 2
                    ♣ J 10 5 2

Declarer won the club lead in dummy andcalled for a trump. Solman (North) rose with the ♥A. He then cashed the ♦A, getting a suit-preference ♦10 from partner. He duly switched to spades, delivering a ruff, and scored the setting trick with his ♥Q10.

Your result so far:

A: ♠A. Marc Smith reasoned that his partner had not raised to 2♠ over the double and was therefore unlikely to hold three spades. He therefore led the ♠A. This was the deal:

                    ♠ 9 4
                    ♥ 8 7 6
                    ♦ K 8 7
                    ♣ 9 6 5 3 2

♠ Q J 7                         ♠ K 8 3
♥ K 10 5 2                     ♥ Q J 9 4 3
♦ A J 3                         ♦ 5 2
♣ A K J                       ♣ 10 7 4

                    ♠ A 10 6 5 2
                    ♥ A
                    ♦ Q 10 9 6 4
                    ♣ Q 8

North duly played the ♠9 from his doubleton and Smith continued with a second spade. When he won the lead with the ♥A a spade ruff gave the defenders their third trick. There was still a trick to come in diamonds, so the game went one down.

Your result so far:

A: West decided to lead the ♥7 and this was the deal:

                    ♠ A 10 9 8 4 3
                    ♥ J 10
                    ♦ 9 6 3
                    ♣ J 10

♠ Q 7 5                         ♠ K 2
♥ 3                               ♥ A 9 5 4
♦ K Q 7 5 2                   ♦ 10 8
♣ Q 5 4 2                       ♣ A K 7 6 2

                    ♠ J 6
                    ♥ K Q 8 7 6 2
                    ♦ A J 4
                    ♣ 9 8

If North had played the ♥10 on the first trick, it would have been clear that he also held the ♥J (since South would have led the king from KQJ). Realizing this, North tried the effect of playing the ♥J. This caused declarer to think. Eventually he decided that South would also have led the king from KQ10, so he won the first trick with the ♥A. This left the defenders' hearts blocked. Declarer was able to set up the diamond suit to make 3NT.



Your result so far:

A: ♠8. Dennis Dawson opted to lead a safe spade, and this was the lay-out:

                    ♠ K Q 7 3
                    ♥ J 10 5 2
                    ♦ J 7 6
                    ♣ 10 5

♠ A 5                              ♠ J 10 6
♥ Q 9 8 6 4                    ♥ A K
♦ 4 3 2                         ♦ K Q 10 5
♣ A 7 3                         ♣ Q J 8 4

                    ♠ 9 8 4 2
                    ♥ 7 3
                    ♦ A 9 8
                    ♣ K 9 6 2

North won with the ♠Q and cleared the spade suit. Declarer played a diamond to the king and ace. Dawson cleverly play the ♠9 to North's king, which allowed North to cash the ♠7 and lead a club. This went to the Queen, King and Ace, removing the entry that could have been used to unblock the heart suit. Declarer then had to go one down.

At the other table South led a club from the King and the game was easily made.

Your result so far:

A: ♠8. Joe Grue found the best lead of the ♠8, but the defense later went astray, allowing Fred Stewart to make the doubled contract.

                    ♠ A Q J 4
                    ♥ Q 3 2
                    ♦ K Q 5 4 2
                    ♣ 5

♠ 10 9 6 5 2                  ♠ K 7
♥ A J 10 9                     ♥ K 7
♦ 8                                ♦ 10 9 6 3
♣ 9 6 4                          ♣ A J 10 8 3

                    ♠ 8 3
                    ♥ 8 6 5 4
                    ♦ A J 7
                    ♣ K Q 7 2

Brad Moss (North) won with the ♠A and correctly switched to a trump. South won with the queen and needed to return a second trump. No, he played a spade, declarer winning with the ♠K and conceding a diamond. North won and played a high spade, ruffed with the ♣J as South discarded a heart.

Fred Stewart ruffed a diamond and continued with the ace and king of hearts. Another diamond ruff was followed by a heart ruff in his hand. When declarer led a losing diamond, South had to ruff his partner's trick and lead away from the ♣K7 into declarer's tenace! That was nine tricks.



Your result so far: