BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

THE obvious and correct lead is ♣ Q. Yet very little is obvious to players who have just learnt the game and are struggling to recognise and understand the myriad situations that arise.

When i put this question recently to a group of six relative beginners, only two got it right. The other options were two for a fourth best ♣ 10 and one for the ♣ a and another for an imaginative ♦J — which of course might turn out to be the killing defence, especially when declarer holds the ♣ K.

However, the rationale of leading ♣ Q is that you are prepared to concede a trick in the suit in order to make four, if partner has another and can gain the lead.

Whenever you are leading from a suit which has an interior sequence such as this, or even aJ108x, it is generally correct to lead the top of that sequence rather than the fourth best, and certainly not the ace.