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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

How Random are Opening Leads?

We all know that opening leads can backfire no matter how well intentioned and reasoned. We can only do our best with the sometime limited information available. So, what would be your choice with the hand below? You do know a little about declarer’s hand but not that much about dummy?

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South Deals
None Vul
   
9 4 2
Q 9 5 2
K Q 2
Q 10 5
 
N
W   E
S
   
West North East South
      2 
Pass 2 NT Pass 3 
Pass 4  All pass  

 

You know that South has 5 spades, 4+ clubs and is minimum for their initial 6-10 hcp range. “I don’t care” thought North as they powered directly to the spade game. It’s your lead?

It’s Jan’s Day

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Jan Cormack

 

And, like last week’s, this is a very recent deal.

“For all those unfortunate souls who didn't lead a trump, you can chalk up
minus 620 on your score sheet
..

South Deals
None Vul
K Q 3
A K 7 4
A 9 7 6 5 3
9 4 2
Q 9 5 2
K Q 2
Q 10 5
 
N
W   E
S
 
A 8
J 3
J 10 8 4
A 9 8 6 2
 
J 10 7 6 5
10 8 6
K J 7 4 3
West North East South
      2 
Pass 2 NT Pass 3 
Pass 4  All pass  

 

West led the Heart-small2.  I played Heart-smallA followed by Diamond-smallA discarding a heart and then took a diamond ruff.

Then came a club ruff, a second diamond ruff, another club ruff, Heart-smallK, and now a heart from dummy.  This was the position before declarer played that small heart from dummy and declarer at this point having scored the first seven tricks:

 
 
K
7 4
9 7 6
9 4 3
Q 9
Q
 
N
W   E
S
 
A 8
J
A 9 8
 
J 10 7
K J 7

 

If East ruffs with the Spade-smallA and plays another trump, I can discard a club but will make three top spade tricks separately. That also happens if East ruffs with Spade-small8.

  If East discards a club. I ruff with the Spade-small7 and can now ruff another club with the Spade-smallK and then score either Spade-smallJ or Spade-small10 and still make 10 tricks.

Contrast that with the initial lead of a trump to the ace and a trump continuation. South can ruff three diamonds in their own hand using Heart-smallAK as entries to dummy. At that point the Spade-smallK is still in dummy but the only way to dummy is via a club ruff (declarer has no trumps left) and will now lose another trump, two heart tricks and Club-smallA, as well as the already lost Spade-smallA.

A lucky few extra points for the Auckland Women’s Provincial team.”

spade again.png

lead…

Best!

The contract can just be made even on a trump lead by double finessing hearts after ruffing diamonds from the North hand. When in with the Heart-smallJ, East cannot attack clubs without giving a trick in the suit to South and a diamond continuation helps declarer.  This is extremely difficult and still backs up Jan’s theory that a trump lead is by far the hardest for South to negotiate.

Why a trump? West has honours in all side suits. There may be a day when any side-suit lead is the winner but in such a situation where dummy is known to have trump support and declarer is shapely, the trump lead is unlikely to give away much and could as here be a big winner.

The board occurred in the recent Inter-Provincial Championships. In the Open, Women’s and Senior events, each time a declarer received a trump lead to 4Spade-small, the contract was defeated. Each time, the lead was a side-suit, it made.

Want to make your doubled contract?

Then, plan the play. One little clue is that when you do lead a club towards the South hand and insert Club-small9, this loses to the ace in the West hand.

South Deals
None Vul
A Q 7 2
A J 8 7 5 3
3
5 2
   
N
W   E
S
   
 
J 8 3
K Q 8 6
Q 10 9 7 4 3
West North East South
      3 
Dbl All pass    

 

Oh, East holds Diamond-smallA. West leads Heart-smallK and East does follow to trick 1!

Richard Solomon

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