Take a Lead

The bidding has been 1NT-3NT and you have to make the opening lead from:

A82
82
AQT9852
4

Before reading on, make your decision.

From Thursday 6/02/20
Dealer S Nil Vul

J76
AJ9
J3
KQT87
A82
82
AQT9852
4
K54
T76543
J963
QT93
KQ
K764
A52

It all depends on how much you have learnt and how much your bridge has advanced from experience at the table and reading bridge articles and books. The first thing you learn about opening leads against 3NT is ‘fourth highest of longest and strongest’ . With WEST’s holding that does not make much sense, so the advanced recommendation is to lead a top card from your interior sequence. Some would lead the TEN and some would lead the QUEEN. But those who can also think for themselves, or have read my ‘green’ book will know the right answer: BECAUSE you can’t be sure which card to lead (if declarer has Kxx and dummy Jx it is right to lead the QUEEN and if declarer has Kx and dummy Jxx it it right to lead the TEN), you can get the best of both worlds, by leading the ACE. You will then have a clue as to which card you follow with to remove declarer’s second stopper and set up your diamond suit. That is ONLY because you have a certain entry outside your long suit. Of course there is no guarantee that declarer won’t make nine tricks without touching spades, but that also happens if you start by leading a LOW diamond. Check out the effect of this aggressive action by clicking here.

My green book, if you have read it, has this very situation somewhere in it in one of the stories, and no doubt I have written of similar examples elsewhere. If you don’t have a copy of either the green or red book, it’s not too late, I still have one or two; nor is it too late to start reading other good books on bridge if you can get a hold of any of Victor Mollo’s or Terence Reeses from years ago.