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Wishing and a’hoping!

Well, we all do that when we make an opening lead. For most of the time, we wish and hope that our lead is not the only one which allows the contract to make…or that we do not suffer the agony of leading away from our  K10xx and seeing AQ on the dummy as we “gift” declarer a third trick in the suit by declarer scoring their jack.

Maybe we can be a little more optimistic sometimes. Can you?

 

So, you open 3. You do only have 8 high card points but your hand almost looks too good to pre-empt. Compare that to some of the mouldy 6-card suits (since this is a family publication, I will not even mention the 5-card suits which have been known to be bid!) which are opened at this vulnerability at the 3-level around the traps.

Within not too many seconds, it is your lead. What is your choice?

Leading J has some merit. Were dummy to go down with singleton Q or your partner be dealt with that spade card and no others, leading K might have even more merit! You do not need your partner to have many spades for such a lead to work. You have a certain outside entry.

Yet, we all know that North is favourite, though not guaranteed, to hold both missing spade honours. If they do, we will be lucky to beat the contract. Beating the contract is our aim as we are playing Swiss Pairs.

Is there a realistic alternative? I would certainly rate a heart lead over a club lead. Were declarer or dummy to have lots of hearts between them, one of them might have tried making that suit trumps. The opposition would be less concerned with a club fit. So, the lack of heart bidding makes 5 lead more appealing than one’s singleton club…. and then there is the diamond suit.

Step up Johnny Davidson.

 
a great lead, Johnny

He tried the effect of 7… and his partner, Pam Livingston, remembered that third hand plays high!

 

Pam returned a low diamond and within a few seconds, the defence had taken the first 6 diamond tricks. Leading low is better than leading A in case declarer has Qxx. In that case, West would be unable to run diamond winners immediately though at least the declarer would not be scoring a diamond trick.

“Excellent lead” Pam was heard to say to Johnny, not just avoiding a bad start to the defence but finding the only lead to beat the contract. Now, if that does not give you a warm feeling inside, then nothing surely will. Let’s salute our great “leader”.

In the Open Swiss Pairs, J was led 13 times, K 4 times, a heart 3 times and a club 6 times. Many other defenders knew they could not find the right lead and played 4, a cheap sacrifice against the making 3NT.

In the Restricted Open section, J was led 5 times, K once, a heart twice and a club once. In the Intermediate/Junior event, J was led 4 times. K and a club were led once each. Many more East-Wests played spades in these two events.

Only one player over the three fields led a diamond….and Pam was mighty glad Johnny did.

Richard Solomon

 

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