[Walddk]

From the Danish Team Championships, semifinals, over the weekend:

Scoring: IMP

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You open a weak 2♠, LHO bids 4♦, leaping Michaels (diamonds and hearts). Partner passes and after a tank for about 5 minutes your RHO comes out with 6♥, all pass.

Your lead?

Roland

[the hog]

8 of C, or whatever C is predicated by your leading methods.

[whereagles]

12 cards only? fixxorz plz

[mikeh]

I lead a club with the 12 cards I hold.

If my extra card is a spot card or a black suit honour, then unless it is the ♠K or Q, I lead a ♣.

I think it is close between the black suits (at the risk of offending someone, only an idiot would lead a red card), but declarer may be more willing to gamble with a ♣ problem than when off the AK of ♠s.

But it is very, very close.

[Walddk]

whereagles, on Mar 13 2007, 01:38 AM, said:

12 cards only? fixxorz plz

Sorry, ♣2 has been added.

Roland

[Free]

♥

[FrancesHinden]

mikeh, on Mar 12 2007, 11:49 PM, said:

I lead a club with the 12 cards I hold.

If my extra card is a spot card or a black suit honour, then unless it is the ♠K or Q, I lead a ♣.

I think it is close between the black suits (at the risk of offending someone, only an idiot would lead a red card), but declarer may be more willing to gamble with a ♣ problem than when off the AK of ♠s.

But it is very, very close.

I don't think a heart lead is idiotic. It may be the first step to preventing a cross-ruff (partner gets in on a diamond and continues trumps). It may also avoid a fatal lead through dummy's black suit void into declarer's tenace.

[whereagles]

We're a bit in the dark, so any lead can work out right or wrong, but I'm going with the systemic club.

[Codo]

A diamond is out -cannot work against a slam- only winnig idea: Opps think that I have a singelton Diamond and play me for the queen of Heart in a 9 card fit.
A Spade is far too risky and we surely don´t have two cashing spade tricks.
A Heart could be the only way to beat it and if they need to guess this suit they are heavy favourites to guess it right anyway.
A Club is passive, but my choice.

[Walddk]

I don't blame any of you for not getting it right. The full hand:

Scoring: IMP

---

Our South also led a passive club and that was all declarer needed. 1430 vs. 650 in the other room where East chose 5♥ after an identical start to the auction. West passed.

Some may argue that North should have bid 4♠ over 4♦, but no-one did, probably because they didn't want to reveal overcaller's singleton in case East had some length.

East has a tough call in my opinion. West was perhaps a bit light for his leaping Michaels vulnerable, but I guess most of us would bid 4♦ anyway. Anything could be right with East's hand, and I don't think a leap to 6♥ is unreasonable.

No matter what, it paid off.

Roland

[pclayton]

Maybe others can tell me what pard's tank means. I would imagine its spade tolerance and 6 good clubs.

Even then I lead a spade since nothing else appeals. (no I didn't peek )

[Walddk]

pclayton, on Mar 13 2007, 05:48 PM, said:

Maybe others can tell me what pard's tank means. I would imagine its spade tolerance and 6 good clubs.

Even then I lead a spade since nothing else appeals.

You got it wrong, Phil. Partner did not tank; East did before his 6♥ bid.

Roland

[mikeh]

FrancesHinden, on Mar 13 2007, 04:05 AM, said:

mikeh, on Mar 12 2007, 11:49 PM, said:

I lead a club with the 12 cards I hold.

If my extra card is a spot card or a black suit honour, then unless it is the ♠K or Q, I lead a ♣.

I think it is close between the black suits (at the risk of offending someone, only an idiot would lead a red card), but declarer may be more willing to gamble with a ♣ problem than when off the AK of ♠s.

But it is very, very close.

I don't think a heart lead is idiotic. It may be the first step to preventing a cross-ruff (partner gets in on a diamond and continues trumps). It may also avoid a fatal lead through dummy's black suit void into declarer's tenace.

okay, 'idiotic' is an overbid re the trump lead.

However, I seriously doubt that the ♦ suit needs two ruffs to be established.. look at the cards we hold in the suit. Unless LHO has real garbage in the suit, the fall of the J10 has to be good news for declarer.

Had I held xx in ♦s, I'd have been far less dismissive of the trump lead. As it is, a holding of AQ9xxx opposite x will establish, after a losing finesse, with one ruff, and there rates to be zero likelihood that declarer is 2=1 in the reds. A holding of AQ98x opposite xx has one loser, and no need to ruff. AK98x has no losers opposite xx on an easy ruffing hook versus the Q and so on.

Yes, either black suit may be fatal, but I see either as more attractive, by a considerable margin, than the trump lead, because of my ♦ holding.

[whereagles]

It is normal not to bid 4♠ on the N hand.

It is quite risky to bid 6♥ on the E hand in the absence of a spade raise.

So who's fault is it? S, for not opening 3♠ (jk)

[Fluffy]

obvious spade lead of course hehe
Always lead your longest suit, that's teh rule