Thoughtful Lead Pays Off

Vida, sitting East, realized that the� K was probably sitting over him based on the bidding. But he saw a ploy that would make it as difficult as possible for North, the declarer. This was the deal and bidding:

North

Q 9 2

A Q 10 7

10 7

Q J 5 2

West

J 10 7

6 5

6 5 4

A K 8 6 3

East

8 6 4

J 9 8

A Q J 9 8

9 7

South

A K 5 3

K 4 3 2

K 3 2

10 4

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	1	Pass	2
Pass	2NT	Pass	4
All pass

Vida led the� Q! Would you cover? Declarer didn’t – he decided to play West to have the doubleton� A. Vida continued with the� A, and there was no way for declarer to avoid two club losers for down one. Congratulations, Vida, for an imaginative and effective lead.

(Editor’s note: Would it hurt for declarer to play the� K at trick one? If West holds the ace, declarer will be down one, just as he was by not putting up the king. Sure, the chances that East has the� A are minimal, but apparently there is nothing to lose and much to gain by playing the king. None of this takes anything from Vida’s great lead. It’s always good to force declarer to make a decision before he has the information he needs.)