Main

Detail specifications 71AA - Level 1 ★

Choosing the lead (trumps)

Back to the summary
The lead suit:
Sometimes you will have a good suit to lead, and sometimes it will be...the least bad. The aim could be either:
  • to make your honors,
  • to set up a suit
  • a ruff for yourself or your partner.

SWNE
1 Coeur Pass 2 Trefle Pass
2 Coeur Pass 4 Coeur Pass
Pass Pass
Queen Spades
4 Spades
9 Hearts
4 Hearts
3 Hearts
2 Hearts
Ace Clubs
King Clubs
2 Clubs
10 Diamonds
9 Diamonds
8 Diamonds
6 Diamonds
    
    
    
QCM 2004
The choice of suit: Don't lead clubs, you will set up the opponents' suit, not spades, as you only have Queen and a low card. That leaves diamonds!
 
 
The choice of lead card:
   With a sequence including at least one honor, lead top of sequence:/font>
  • the ace with AKxx
  • the king with KQx
  • the queen with QJx
  • the jack with KJ10(x) or J10x

   Without a sequence, give the count and lead odd-even:
  • with an uneven number of cards, the lowest
  • with a doubleton, the highest
  • with 4 cards, the second highest.
SWNE
1 Coeur Pass 2 Trefle Pass
2 Coeur Pass 4 Coeur Pass
Pass Pass
5 Spades
Queen Hearts
Jack Hearts
10 Hearts
9 Hearts
Jack Clubs
4 Clubs
3 Clubs
2 Clubs
Queen Diamonds
Jack Diamonds
9 Diamonds
8 Diamonds
    
    
    
Exercicse 2002 The lead card to choose is the queen of ♦ . This is the top of a sequence in a non bid suit: a really good choice. Above all, don't shorten the trumps in your hand by leading singleton spade.
 
 
The good leads:

  •    a suit headed by Ace King

  •    a singleton...except in the trump suit!

  •    your partner's suit...except if you hold the King.

  •    a sequence of honors

SWNE
1 Pique Pass 3 Pique Pass
4 Pique Pass Pass Pass
9 Spades
3 Spades
Ace Hearts
King Hearts
6 Hearts
Ace Clubs
10 Clubs
9 Clubs
Queen Diamonds
Jack Diamonds
10 Diamonds
8 Diamonds
2 Diamonds
    
    
    
Exercise 2061The lead with a sequence AKx: Lead with the strongest sequence to stay in hand and find the best way to continue.
 
 
The leads to avoid:

  •   a suit announced by the opponents

  •    a trump singleton

  •    an ace if you don't also hold the king

  •    under an ace, even if your partner has bid that suit
    •
SWNE
1 Pique Pass 2 Pique Pass
Pass Pass
Jack Spades
10 Spades
4 Spades
2 Spades
2 Hearts
Ace Clubs
9 Clubs
3 Clubs
2 Clubs
Queen Diamonds
Jack Diamonds
8 Diamonds
4 Diamonds
    
    
    
Exercise 2137 By the process of elimination, the best lead suit is diamonds (the queen). With strong trumps, don't lead a singletonor you will have to ruff with high trumps that you would have made anyway. Don't lead under your ace either.
 
 
Back to the summary