Another Lead

[lamford]

[hv=pc=n&w=s9643hk64dq2ct983&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1dp1sp4c(SPL)p4n(RKCB)p5d(1%2F4)p5h(QS%3F)p6d(yes%20and%20KD)p7sppp]133|200[/hv]

Teams. 8 board match converted to VPs

 

Against a pair of notorious overbidders you have to find the winning lead. I didn't

[LBengtsson]

Small ♠. Opps could X-ruff to 13 tricks? Lead takes two tricks from them. A guess.

[nige1]

[hv=pc=n&w=s9643hk64dq2ct983&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1dp1sp4c(SPL)p4n(RKCB)p5d(1%2F4)p5h(QS%3F)p6d(yes%20and%20KD)p7sppp]133|200|Lamford ' Teams. 8 board match converted to VPs. Against a pair of notorious overbidders, you have to find the winning lead. I didn't.

++++++++++++++++++

Agree with LBengtsson. I rank

1. ♠3 Stand-out lead, especially if opponents overbid.

2. ♣T Perhaps declarer hopes dummy is void.

3. ♥4 Perhaps opps are missing 2 aces

4. ♦Q Giving up [/hv]

 

[mikeh]

I lead the heart 9. I’m hoping for a layout such as [hv=pc=n&s=sqj875hq5d52cakq2&w=shdc&n=sakt2ha73dak876c4&e=shdc]399|300[/hv]

 

He rises with the Ace and the hand looks simple with reasonable pointed suit breaks. AK of diamonds, ruff diamond high. Spade to the 10, ruff diamond high. Lead the spade 8, I cover and he’s toast. If he comes back to the 7, he can’t get back to dummy to pull my last trump. This line makes 7S on all 4-2/3-3 diamonds so long as trump are not 4-0. Surely far better than ducking the heart 9 at trick 1.

 

If I lead a spade instead, he wins cheaply in hand and eventually has a dummy entry in hearts.

 

The usual lead against these contracts is the passive trump, but here we have a surprise for declarer. A heart lead forces him to commit at trick one and may also, as here, attack communication.

[gszes]

low heart

If rho has the 4 controls there is just no way we are ever going to set this BUT if lho has the 4 controls they are heavy favorites to hold the heart ace and a low heart lead (in conjunction with our nasty surprise 4 spades) might be just enough to set them. I am picturing something like AKQ8 AJx AKxxx x opposite JTxxx Q xx AQxxx. Would you take the finesse at trick 1? I am having trouble picturing hands where declarer can go wrong knowing about the poor trump split at trick 1 where they would have succeeded w/o the trump lead.

[lamford]

I also had some trouble finding a layout where declarer could go off. Eventually I decided that the Merrimac of the K♥ was the right lead, but I could not lead it, as I would be accused of self-kibitzing if it was right, and ridiculed if it was wrong. I just took my -2210 with a low spade lead. The full layout:

[hv=pc=n&s=sj8752hqj53d5ca72&w=s9643hk64dq2ct983&n=sakqha7dak87643c4&e=stht982djt9ckqj65&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1dp1sp4cp4np5d(4)p5h(QS)p6dp7sppp]399|300[/hv]

Perhaps I should have stuck to my instincts, led the K♥, and pleaded guilty to reduce the ban to 2 years.

[mikeh]

I also had some trouble finding a layout where declarer could go off. Eventually I decided that the Merrimac of the K♥ was the right lead, but I could not lead it, as I would be accused of self-kibitzing if it was right, and ridiculed if it was wrong. I just took my -2210 with a low spade lead. The full layout:

[hv=pc=n&s=sj8752hqj53d5ca72&w=s9643hk64dq2ct983&n=sakqha7dak87643c4&e=stht982djt9ckqj65&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1dp1sp4cp4np5d(4)p5h(QS)p6dp7sppp]399|300[/hv]

Perhaps I should have stuck to my instincts, led the K♥, and pleaded guilty to reduce the ban to 2 years.

You said the opps were aggressive. You didn’t say they didn’t have any clue about bidding.

 

4C with only 3 trump, and all top honours, is silly. One could be cold for 6D and have trouble making 4S, if partner has a hand such as xxxx KQx Qxx xxx.

[Cyberyeti]

I also had some trouble finding a layout where declarer could go off. Eventually I decided that the Merrimac of the K♥ was the right lead, but I could not lead it, as I would be accused of self-kibitzing if it was right, and ridiculed if it was wrong. I just took my -2210 with a low spade lead. The full layout:

[hv=pc=n&s=sj8752hqj53d5ca72&w=s9643hk64dq2ct983&n=sakqha7dak87643c4&e=stht982djt9ckqj65&d=n&v=b&b=13&a=1dp1sp4cp4np5d(4)p5h(QS)p6dp7sppp]399|300[/hv]

Perhaps I should have stuck to my instincts, led the K♥, and pleaded guilty to reduce the ban to 2 years.

 

Maybe you should lead a small heart and call for a ban if opps get this right :)

[lamford]

You said the opps were aggressive. You didn’t say they didn’t have any clue about bidding.

 

4C with only 3 trump, and all top honours, is silly. One could be cold for 6D and have trouble making 4S, if partner has a hand such as xxxx KQx Qxx xxx.

A lot of people that don't play "SAD" (a Scoltock Adjunct, where 2H is artificial, either a reverse or hands such as 6+ diamonds and 3 spades, FG) have difficulty with the North hand. If 4C meant the opponents needed to find a Merrimac to beat grand, then it is not that clueless.