Best Lead Optimum Play

Dealer: East
Vuln: Love All
Scoring: IMPs

  1. spadeK J 6
  2. heartA 2
  3. diamondK 10 8 7
  4. clubJ 10 9 7
  1. spade8 4 3
  2. heartQ 9 3
  3. diamondA 6
  4. clubQ 8 6 3 2
club diamond heart spade NT
N 2 3 - 4 2
S 2 3 - 4 2
E - - - - -
W - - - - -
Green square in centre
  1. spade9 2
  2. heartK J 10 7 5
  3. diamondJ 9 4 2
  4. clubK 4

Contract: 4spade
Declarer: South
Lead: spade3

  1. spadeA Q 10 7 5
  2. heart8 6 4
  3. diamondQ 5 3
  4. clubA 5
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
Pass 1spade
Pass 2club Pass 2spade
Pass 4spade End
Nick came off the dummy with clubJ. The defence was finished. If East covered, as happened at the table, declarer wins, draws the last trump and exits with a club. From this position South cannot go wrong, but it's almost the same if East does not cover clubJ. West wins with clubQ and exits with a club but declarer can tell that East would have opened the bidding with diamondA extra to the presumed five hearts and clubK, so if West plays low on the small diamond lead declarer climbs with diamondK and makes an overtrick!

Had the East-West hand been swapped, then declarer would have had to ruff the heart exit and play the diamonds for one loser. Not complicated or spectacular, but a pleasing 420 nonetheless.
Previous page

This section is a placeholder for the forum. For the time being it will be a noshow class.