BRIDGE

NO PEEKING! Looking only at the West cards, you can match wits with two of Canada's high-level players by choosing your opening lead.

Same auction at both tables during an online playoff match of the Canadian Bridge Federation's Fall League: South's response was forcing for one round (the alternative of two clubs would have been a gameforce) and North's rebid showed a very good six-card spade suit as a Source of Tricks with scattered honours on the side.

At one table of the match, West opted for a lead of the diamond six (second highest from weak length).

To result in declarer rattling off nine of the easiest tricks any of us will ever take: six spades, two diamonds and the club ace. Note that the diamond lead had actually hit supporting length and some modest strength with East but still failed.

Over at the other table, Montreal's Jeff Blond rejected the diamond lead: the suit had promising length but would need a lot of bolstering from partner to be useful.

He also considered a club lead: better strength than his diamond suit but likely not long enough to do any good.

And then he selected the ten of hearts for his opening salvo while hoping that his partner's holding in that suit would be both long enough and strong enough to suit the defense's purposes. He had the added inference that if the declaring side had great length and strength in hearts, that suit would most likely have been bid.

East was very pleased with the lead of course as the defenders grabbed the first five tricks before conceding the balance.

How did you do?