Page 6 - Leads Against Notrump

6
The Impact of Opening Leads Against Notrump Contracts
NORTH
WEST EAST
SOUTH
PASS
1NT PASS
3NT
PASS PASS
D
This is the concept of promotion. Usually, the high cards
will not all be in one hand; they will be divided between the
partnership hands. Consider this deal where South has opened
1NT, North has raised to 3NT, and West is on lead:
Dealer: SOUTH ♠6 5 2 Contract: 3NT
♥A K Declarer : SOUTH
♦J 10 9 7
♣ K 10 5 4
♠ Q 10 8 7 3 ♠J 9 4
♥ J 9 4 ♥Q 10 8 7 3
♦6 2 ♦A 8 3
♣A 8 3 ♣9 6
♠A K
♥6 5 2
♦K Q 5 4
♣Q J 7 2
This deal turns out to be a race to see which side can promote
the required number of tricks frst. The defenders have the
advantage. West has the opening lead and follows the maxim by
leading the ♠7, fourth highest from West’s longest suit.
East and West have only two sure tricks, the ♦A and ♣A.
They need to promote three additional spade tricks to defeat
3NT. West doesn’t know the partnership is using promotion to
develop winners, but the partnership actually holds the same
combined cards as in the earlier example. The ♠Q, ♠J, ♠10, ♠9,
and ♠8 are divided between the East-West hands.