Visualizing the play

LOOK at today’s West hand and the auction. What would you lead against South’s slam?

Opening leads are more an art than a science. When a defender picks a lead, he reviews the bidding, visualizes dummy, anticipates how declarer will play, and forms a defensive plan that starts with the opening lead.

After South bid to six clubs, West led a passive spade. South won, took the top hearts and ruffed a heart. When East-West followed, dummy led a trump: ten, queen, king. South won the next spade, drew trumps and claimed with the good hearts.

FOUR TRUMPS

West had no obvious lead, but he might have noted his four trumps and imagined that South might have problems keeping control, especially if he had to ruff something. West’s best chance was to find East with one good card: the ace of diamonds.

If West leads a diamond, South ruffs East’s ace and sets up the hearts, but when West gets in with the king of trumps, he leads the king of diamonds. South must ruff again and go down. DAILY QUESTION: You hold: ♠ Q 10 8 2 ♥ J92 ♦ A 10 6 3 2 ♣ 10. The dealer, at your left, opens one diamond. Your partner doubles, and the next player passes. What do you say? ANSWER: You must not pass for penalty. Your diamond holding is ragged, and your values aren’t sufficient to try to beat a one-level contract. Go after your own contract: Bid one spade. If your queen of spades were the ace, you would have enough to jump to two spades, inviting game. South dealer N-S vulnerable