Lesson 18: Leads
Surendra Mehta
June 2007
Martina Navratilova
When Wimbledon was
rained out I spent my
time playing bridge to
keep me on my toes.
- Tennis champion
Martina Navratilova
Surendra Mehta, June 2007
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aa
Bridge is a sport that you can start as a child
and be playing with as much enthusiasm
and skill when you are ninety.
Surendra Mehta, June 2007
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Defence play
S – stop to review bidding
T – think about the best lead
O – organise your plan
P – put your plan into operation
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Review the bidding
• This is very important
• You can tell a lot about the opponents'
hands from their bidding
North
1D
2D
3NT
East
Pass
Pass
Pass
South
1H
2NT
Pass
West (you)
Pass
Pass
Pass
• What do you know about the North’s hand
from the above bidding?
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Guessing North’s hand (1)
• He must have 12 or more points
• He must have 4Ds and since he bid again without
support in D he must have at least 5 of them
• North did not support South’s heart suit and so he
must have 3 or fewer hearts
• North did not bid 1S or 2C after South’s 1H and so
he is unlikely to have four cards in either suit.
• North did not open 1NT and did not rebid 1NT
and so he does not have a balanced suit
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Guessing North’s hand (2)
• What about the strength of North
• He made a minimum rebid at his first
opportunity so we can expect 12-15 points
• He accepted his partner’s invitation bid of
2NT by raising to 3NT; so he is at the top
of the 12-15 range; most likely 15 points
• North’s hand likely to be S A 4 3; H Q 5; D
A K 10 9 4 2; C 9 7
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Guessing South’s hand (1)
• At least 4 hearts; but unlikely to be 6 as
he did not rebid H
• His NT bid suggests a balanced hand
• He is weak in D
• A 2NT response suggests 11-12 points
• A likely south hand is S K J 5; H K 9 8 3; D
7 5; C A 8 6 4
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Leads in NT contracts
• You would not lead H or D, since bid by
opponents
• Thus you have a choice between C and S
• Since the partner did not overcall in
Spade, C is probably the best lead
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Likely complete hand (3NT)
SA43
HQ5
D A K 10 9 4 2
C97
S 10 6 2
HAJ2
DQ83
C Q 10 5 2
SQ987
H 10 7 6 4
DJ6
CKJ3
SKJ5
HK983
D75
CA864
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.
• On a small Club lead the defenders will
promote 3 club tricks
• Declarer will need to give up a diamond
trick in order to develop his long diamonds
• Plus the Ace of heart will break the 3NT
contract
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Guidelines for leads in NT
• Lead the partner’s suit, unless you have a clear
alternative
– Top of a doubleton (9 2, Q 3)
– Top of touching high cards (Q J 10, J 10 9)
– Otherwise lead low (Q 7 2, K 8 4 3)
• Avoid leading a suit bid by the opponents
• Lead your longest suit, if there is nothing else to
go on
–
–
–
–
Top of 3-card or longer sequence (K Q J 7, Q J 10 8 2)
Top of an interior sequence (K J 10 9, A 10 9 8 5)
Top of a broken sequence (K Q 10 8, Q J 9 6 2)
Otherwise lead 4th best (K J 8 5, A 10 8 4 3) – rule of 11
• Lead the stronger suit if there is a choice of
equally long suits
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Guidelines for leads in Suit contracts
•
•
•
•
Lead your partner’s suit
Avoid leading a suit bid by the opponents
Lead from a strong sequence
Lead from a short suit if you think you can
get a ruff
• Lead a trump if everything else looks
dangerous
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Guidelines for leads in Suit contracts
• When leading partner’s suit
–
–
–
Top of a doubleton (9 2, Q 3)
Top of touching high cards (Q J 10, J 10 9)
Otherwise lead low* (Q 7 2, K 8 4 3)
• When leading your own suit
–
–
–
–
*
Top of 2-card or longer sequence (K Q 8 7, Q J 10 2)
Top of an interior sequence* (K J 10 9, Q 10 9 5)
Top of a broken sequence (K Q 10 8, Q J 9 6 2)
Otherwise, lead low* (4th best) (K J 8 5, Q 10 8 4 3)
Except when holding the ace, in which case you should lead it.
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