Most experts agree that opening leads are the most difficult part of the game. Guesswork is involved as well as imagination and visualization, and no player can find the killing lead, if one exists, in every deal.
The Bridge World magazine (bridgeworld.com) poses an opening lead problem in its “Master Solvers Club” feature. Only rarely is there a logically and demonstrably correct answer. More often, any lead might be best, and the magazine’s panel of experts is split six different ways.
Look only at today’s West cards and the bidding. North’s bid of five spades told South to go on to slam if he had a control in clubs. What opening lead would you choose against six spades?
The actual West led the 10 of clubs. South took the ace and drew trumps, but if he set up the diamonds next, the defense would cash a club. So South instead tried for an end play: He took the A-K of hearts and the A-K of diamonds and led dummy’s nine of clubs. East had to win and return a heart or a club, and declarer discarded his last diamond, ruffed in dummy and claimed the rest.
West’s club lead was necessary for the defense to have a chance. If West led a major suit, declarer could win, draw trumps, take the A-K of diamonds, concede a diamond and discard his losing club on a good diamond. But to beat the slam, West had to lead the THREE of clubs, preserving his 10 as an entry and stopping South’s end play.
I think the winning lead was logical, and many experts would find it. Did you?