All News

Finding the Killing Leads.

We focused yesterday on opening leads. We have more of the same in today’s “Jan’s Day” feature, except there is no question of leading or not leading partner’s suit, because they have not bid one!

 

2 is a strong Two, natural, 8-playing trick style but not game- forcing. What’s your choice?

Jan Cormack

"Jan's Day"

“There has been screeds and screeds written about opening leads. If we could make the correct lead 75% of the time, we would be doing very well indeed.

Sometimes we are given a little help from the bidding and sometimes we have a safe and obvious lead to make that, even though it may prove fatal, we can relax in the happy knowledge that we will win all the post-mortems!

The following two deals provide two challenging leads. Can you find the killing lead?

There is some logic to finding the correct solution to the problem above. South is long and strong in spades. It may not be clear whether the 4 bid is indeed stronger than say had South bid 3. Really, with 3 being a positive response, the jump to game should be on the weaker side of a 2 opening. Maybe South did not like the club bid?

A diamond lead seems very dangerous with the strong hand on your right. A heart lead, perhaps speculative, is the most normal, unlikely to lose the post-mortem. A case could be made for a club lead, even if South had a singleton club. However, the winning lead was the one we do not normally try with just a singleton…yes, a trump!

 

Even A followed by a spade switch is not good enough. The trump lead traps declarer in their own hand. East inserts 9 and declarer wins to play three rounds of trumps. Either red suit continuation is good enough for East… and when South neither claims nor plays a club, both defenders will know South’s club holding..or lack of!

Any other lead allows declarer to ruff a heart in dummy (not so after A and trump switch but then South has only three losers) and enjoy a couple of discards on high clubs. A heart or even a club are more normal though the effect this time of the trump lead would be devastating.

Are you on a roll? Then try this one:

 

Again, lots of clubs in dummy, probably very good ones in view of our holding. Have you got your periscope working well? Maybe K? We could find our partner with Axxxx. Again, a post-mortem winner. You could try for no great reason Q or what about a good old-fashioned 4^th highest of your longest and strongest?

Well, all will be rewarded with either -600 or -630? Light up your name in lights if the K hit the deck at trick1!

 

Some leads like in our first deal are difficult. Others like this one are just impossible. Lead K and because of the 4-1 club break, declarer can only score 3 club tricks by overtaking Q since the A will not be left in dummy after trick 1 or maybe after trick 2 if South ducks the opening lead. 3 clubs, 2 spades, 1 diamond and 2 hearts at absolute best spells one or two down.

So, you got both leads right? Join the ranks then of the world’s greatest masters.”

 

What to do with the spades?  for less experienced players and others.

The auction was fraught enough. Now, you need to find 11 tricks, 11 out of the next 12 as you have already lost one. What to do?

 

West leads K with East overtaking to play 2. 2 was a weak jump. Over to you.

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items