Visualize the play

Look at today’s West cards and the auction. Pick an opening lead against South’s slam.

When the defenders see dummy, they assess how declarer will use its strengths. Suppose the contract is four hearts; dummy has x-x,-A-x-x,x-x,-K-Q-J-10-x-x. The danger is that declarer will use the clubs to discard losers, so the defenders will lead diamonds and spades, trying for tricks before declarer gets his discards.

If dummy is x-x-x-x, K-x-x, x, J-x-x-x-x, its trick source is ruffs; the defenders will lead trumps. A dummy such as J-xx, K-x-x-x, x-x-x,-A-x-x will provide little help for declarer and calls for a passive defense; the defenders will avoid leading from honors and breaking new suits.

The opening leader must anticipate the play. For instance, an auction such as one heart-two hearts suggests a weak dummy; a safe lead from a sequential holding or a trump lead may be best. But every case is different, and not even a world-class expert finds

a killing lead every time or even most of the time.

In today’s deal, West might beat six spades if his powers of visualization are acute. Say he leads a pedestrian queen of hearts. Declarer wins and cashes the ace of trumps. When East discards, South leads a club to dummy’s jack. The finesse wins, so declarer loses only a trump to West’s jack, making six.

If West anticipates this, his opening lead will be the six of clubs! South will surely take dummy’s ace, fearing the lead is a singleton. He will expect to draw trumps and lose only one club. But West will get his king of clubs as well as a trump.