[cherdano]

Scoring: IMP

1♦ 1♥
1♠ 2♣*
2♥ 4♥

---

You are West, so the opponents' standard auction starts on your left and ends in 4♥. Your lead?

[mike777]

Ace of spades
Next hand please.

[awm]

I'll go with a high spade. If opener is unbalanced then I'm concerned about diamonds running. The high spade will not blow a trick (very unlikely that QJx are on my right or anything like that) and I don't really expect that declarer will be trying to pitch a loser on the spades early (so the lost tempo is unlikely to cost). If a trump lead is necessary I will take my chances that a high spade followed by a trump switch is just as good.

It's quite possible that we have three top tricks in the black suits and partner can score a trump trick with Qx, whereas a trump lead could give away the heart position and declarer could even make with an overtrick (pitching some spade loser on the diams).

[han]

Partner cannot have a doubleton spade on this auction, so the only reason to lead a spade is to get a look at the dummy. It can cost if dummy has Q10xx and partner Jxx, not an unlikely holding.

I think I'd lead a heart.

[Apollo81]

I'm sure I'd lead the ♠A given the conditions. If I thought I had a high 50s-pct going into the last round or two of a MP game then I might try a low spade.

[ochinko]

I'd lead ♣4. RHO's clubs are 4th suit, so he seems to be strong enough for a game, willing to play 3NT if his partner stops them. Not that it would hurt to cash ♠A first, but still.

[kenrexford]

I'm a risk taker. Small spade. Our best hope seems to be finding partner with a trick and the spade Jack. Declarer seems to be very well placed otherwise. I gain nothing but am not hurt if partner has Qxx in spades. But, with Jxx, I doubt Declarer finds the Q hop from Q10xx or Qxxx and 10 in hand.

[mike777]

This is a very interesting post with interesting answers. I hope to see many more responses on this one. BTW forum readers, anyone is allowed to answer these questions, hope to see more responses.

[whereagles]

If diams run, you have to lead a spade.
If diams don't run, trump is best.

A bit of a guess, really. I'll leave the final choice to table feel, though I can't really see how a top spade might hurt unless it opens up a crossruff.

[Halo]

Top spade

Other ideas at trick one are too nebulous for me.

[Chamaco]

A trump.
With so many hcp, it is unlikely to find pard with substantial help, so active leads do not seem attractive.

If diamonds are unstopped by pard, I find hard to believe that contract can be doomed.

[Gpm_bg]

spade Ace which should be a question for continuing in other direction

[the hog]

Not going to lead a S and help set up that suit. It would help to know whether opener can be balanced or whether opener guarantees an unbalanced hand with this sequence.
If the former is the case, then I will lead a C, else a trump.

[jdonn]

I agree with those who lead a trump, and just hope partner has a little help in diamonds.

[mikeh]

I also lead a trump: our holding is not good in terms of expecting to beat this contract, but we can hope that partner's modest values are in the right places (say, J9xx(x) in ♦s) and a little elsewhere. Let opener play on his suits, and maybe we can win 4 tricks before he wins 10.

The seemingly obvious ♠ lead is far too likely to lose a tempo while making the hand very easy for declarer.. who may be looking at Q10xx opposite xx(x) or Q9xx opposite J8x etc... and even when (as will usually be the case) we don't blow a 3rd ♠ trick on the lead, we will frequently be a tempo behind for the rest of the hand.

At mps, I'd lead a ♠ since there is too much risk that declarer's ♠s will go away on dummy's ♦s. But at imps, overtricks hardly count, if there is even a remote possibility that the contract can be set.

[jdonn]

By the way, congratulations to Cherdano for what must have been a really good problem. Close vote!

[Trumpace]

If partner has a diamond stop, what about leading a diamond? What is wrong with that? Sorry for asking a beg/int question.

Also, a request, even though this is advanced/expert, for questions like these, can you guys please explain your responses a bit more?

Thanks.

[the hog]

Trumpace, on Apr 6 2007, 08:57 AM, said:

If partner has a diamond stop, what about leading a diamond? What is wrong with that? Sorry for asking a beg/int question.

Also, a request, even though this is advanced/expert, for questions like these, can you guys please explain your responses a bit more?

Thanks.

The opponents have opened 1D and bid H & S. Leading a D or a S is likely to help them set up their side suits. The rationale for the trump lead is that if you are playing against sound bidders, dummy will be short in C, (he bid D&S and then showed 3H), and a trump lead may well cut down on ruffs as well as avoiding helping them set up their suits.

Against unsound bidders you may well find dummy appearing with a 4342 shape, hence the question in my previous post. (Sound bidders generally would open 1D and would bid 1NT or 2H over 1H rather than bid 1S).

[cherdano]

The opponents at both tables where this identical auction happened were world-class, and for neither partnership 1♠ promised an unbalanced hand. So dummy could be 4=3=4=2.