[Hanoi5]

You hold:

♠Axxxx
♥Jxx
♦Kx
♣Axx

You open 3rd hand 1NT (12-14) and LHO bids 2♣ (Majors), Pass by partner, 2♥ by RHO, Pass, Pass, Pass.

What's your lead? (you entered the match losing by many imps and have gotten so far some regular-nice results but you know you need imp's. This is the last hand)

Did you decide? Well, let's say you lead the ♦K and dummy comes down:

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Partner plays a middle encouraging diamond as declarer wins the Ace. Now he leads a spade and you...

...take it with the Ace to play your other diamond, which your partner wins with the queen and plays the ♦2, ♦10 from declarer and you ruff. What do you lead now?

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Two things you don't know (check them after deciding what to play):

1.

Spoiler

You're winning by one imp!

2.

Spoiler

Declarer didn't play the 10 of diamonds

This was so exciting. Two of the matches in today's Youth Congress were won (or lost) by one imp. I'm talking about a quarter final and a semifinal. So interesting and exciting!

[rhm]

Under-leading the ♣ ace can cost an over-trick, unless declarer has bid 2♥ with a doubleton ♥, in which case he would have to be 1=2=4=6 and might have prefered to try his luck in 2 ♣ with the ♣ king.
Since you needs imps invest the over trick imp and under-lead your ace of ♣ and hope your partner has a 4th ♦ and Qxx in ♥ (Likely because declarer did not play any rounds of trumps at trick 2)

Rainer Herrmann