Rules for Leads After Play Begins
Declarer's the Boss, but . . . Once play has begun, declarer will in most cases set the pattern of play.However, you and your partner will win some tricks, and so will face some lead situations after the opening lead. Some of the rules are the same as for the opening lead and some are different. All are general guides to use only if there is no specific defense plan that can be advanced. Your defense plan must always be foremost, as it's the only way you'll do well at defense, and defense is 2/3 of the game of Duplicate.
Some are defensive 'rules' -- so as not to give away anything. Some are offensive -- to tap out a declarer or establish your tricks. All require you to think ahead in the play to anticipate the implication of each lead.
They rules are not in any sequence -- each applies sometimes, and you can't possibly obey all these 'rules' even if you remember all of them. Generally, lead neutral cards if you can wait for the tricks 'due' your side but lead attacking cards if you have to set them up.
- Return your partner's suit. If partner has bid, lead that suit unless you can name a specific good reason not to -- and your percentage of being right is above 80%. If he hasn't bid, watch for his discards -- his signals -- to tell you something -- then lead that suit.
- Lead Unbid Major Suits -- especially if they've ended up in a Minor suit contract.
- Lead Suits That Force Declarer to Ruff. Tap out declarer so he runs out of trump -- then you can take tricks in your suits. This is usually the opening lead suit.
- Lead the top of Honor Sequences. With three or more to an honor (A,K,Q,J), lead the top one. This is the first lead taught in beginning bridge, and it's almost always a safe, aggressive lead.
- Don't Lead 'Highest of Partners Suit' automatically -- you'll give away a trick to declarer on your right quite often. Don't lead the ©K with ©Kxx in partner's suit, for example -- you'll lose to ©Qxx in declarer's hand. This one trick can be the difference between a top and a bottom score for that board.
- Lead the Right Card. Low from three to an honor (A, K, Q or J); high from any doubleton, including an honor doubleton, in partner's suit; middle or low from three small (in order to play higher the next time, giving count as having three).
- Lead Through Strength and Toward Weakness. Lead suits that the person bidding after you has bid -- those where he has strength. If his suit is solid, you've probably lost nothing. If it's got holes, maybe your partner can get his trick right off the bat, or maybe you'll put declared to the test before he's ready. See Lead Analysis.
- Lead Trump. If you suspect a ruffing plan by declarer, lead trump every chance you get. If you have the last trump outstanding, lead it -- it takes two of declarer's for one of yours. Lead the last trump off the board to stop declarer ruffs and cut his transportation.
Don't Lead Away from an Ace, King or Queen. Sometimes you can't help it, but try not to. Lead trump holding honors everywhere else.
Don't Break New Suits. Don't be the first one to start leading an unlead suit -- it often costs the defense a trick. Let declarer do it -- he's the one that has to take most of the tricks.
Lead to Remove Entries From Dummy. Lead dummy's bid suits to get them off the board before the trump's out -- maybe you'll stop a running side suit. Maybe you'll disrupt declarer's transportation -- you know what a problem that is when declaring the hand.
Lead to Keep Declarer in Dummy. Often Declarer's hand is the weaker and he can't easily get to his hand to take his tricks. Lead so as to stop him from getting there, or to make him lead away from high cards on the board.
(c) Robert D. McConnell, 1998 All Rights Reserved