Page vii - Leads Against Notrump

vii
Introduction
It’s generally accepted that defense is the most challenging,
most overlooked, and yet the most important part of the game.
The focus of this book is to simplify defending against notrump
contracts.
The frst step is to become familiar with guidelines for
making the opening lead that have been passed down from one
generation to another. It’s a good investment of time to become
familiar with these guidelines since they provide sound advice
from the experts. The frst chapter looks more closely at the
best known and oldest maxim: Lead fourth highest from the
longest and strongest suit. It shows why this advice, introduced
by Edmund Hoyle in 1742, has stood the test of time.
There are fve exceptions—fve exceptions we might ask!
Once you appreciate the reason behind the popularity of leading
fourth best, the exceptions that sometimes take precedence now
become more understandable. Five exceptions! That seems
daunting, but they are very much part of common sense. They
feed into your intuition.