ch1,hd1Leading partner's suitA DU "f44   ,'(!555555555555555555555555 Unless you have a compelling reason to do otherwise, it is usually a good idea to lead partner's suit when they bid one. In this instance, partner has most of the partnership assets, so it is usually more beneficial to help partner develop their suit. Had you led 4th best from your longest suit, hearts, that gives declarer an extra heart trick as well as the timing needed to develop the club suit for the extra tricks needed to make the contract.ch1,hd2Leading from a sequence2!1j@  @H4 4#&! %$" 55555555555555555555555555555555555 The lead from the interior sequence sets the contract. It is also important after running the hearts to cash the ace of clubs. Take the setting trick when you have the chance to, or else, it could disappear.ch1,hd3Leading 4th highest$ @1A*B$4 4  #%&" $!(-5555555555555555555555555555 The lead of 4th best does two things here. First, it shows partner your best suit, and second, it preserves communication between the two hands in this instance. It is also important for North to immediately win the club right away and return the heart to let partner run their heart suit. Declarer needs only one club trick to make the contract, after 4 diamond tricks, 3 spade tricks, and the heart already won, and they needed to try and steal a trick!ch1,hd4Listening to the opponents%0 AhJ4 4  "  #&$!5555555555555555555555555555 When we have a choice of 4 card suits to lead from, listen to the bidding. The unbid suit usually works out better than leading the opponents suit. As it turns out here, leading one of the other suits gives declarer the time they need to develop the diamond suit for the extra tricks they need.ch2,hd1Leading partner suit, suit contractI(D$"L@ 1#C C#$& 555555555555555555555555555555555555 Similar to hand one from chapter one, it is important to lead partner's suit when they bid a suit, unless you have a compelling reason to do otherwise. Here again, partner has the bulk of the partnership assets, so it is a good idea to help partner to develop their suit. Had you led your club suit instead of leading partner's suit, hearts, declarer has the time to develop the diamond suit to pitch a heart or two after pulling trumps.ch2,hd2leading from sequence, suit cntrct0 HAJ 8  "BB "&!   05555555555555555555! Choosing a 4th best lead may not always be the best lead in a suit contract, as in this instance. When leading into strength, it is more important to make a safe lead, such as leading top of a sequence.ch2,hd3leading a trumpH %B $%""&"$('-/ # *0!)+1,% . 3 24 There are times where leading a trump is the best thing to do, as in this instance. East opened one spade, showing at least 5 pieces. The opponents settled in another suit. We potentially have up to 4 spade tricks if we can prevent declarer from ruffing our good spades, and the best way to cut down cross ruffing is to lead a trump. Partner has to cooperate by winning the ace of trumps and continuing a trump in order to set the contract.ch2,hd4leading a short suitU d& (Q3CC)$%0('3 ,55555555555555555555555555555555 Sometimes, leading a short suit in a suit contract can be a place to develop the tricks needed to set a contract. Leading 4th best from the longest suit here gives declarer the time needed to pull the trumps out. You may score one trump trick if partner can guess to cash the ace of diamonds and lead a second diamond to hold the contract to 10 tricks, but will likely continue clubs or even worse, break the heart suit, allowing declarer an 11th trick.ch3,hd13rd hand highB 1d@!   @C C  555555555555555555555555555555555555555 After partner's lead of the unbid suit, it is important to play 3rd hand high here, or else you give up a trick. Win the ace of diamonds and continue the jack, to maintain a hoped for finessing position. After 3 rounds of diamonds, partner cashes the ace of clubs to set the contract.ch3,hd2Trapping high cards(DBJ1!+(.1 *-/'3,20 ) &"%55555555555555555555555 In this instance, we do not use 3rd hand high. We want to keep dummy's high card trapped. When North gets in with the ace of clubs and returns the spade, we are now in position to run the suit and cash our winners to set the contract. Had we played 3rd hand high at trick 1, we give declarer the time they need to develop the club suit to make their contract.ch3,hd3third hand not so highA( !% $P@D44"& ,-/)(2% +$#!*'.35555555555555' If we play 3rd hand high here, playing the king, we give declarer a second heart trick, and the contract. By playing the 10 instead of the king, we trap the jack in the dummy.ch3,hd4unblockingDQD,#b44%&55555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 When partner leads an honor card, showing a sequence, it is important to unblock and get out of partner's way when you have a doubleton so they can run the suit. Failure to unblock will allow declarer to make at least 10 tricks on this deal.ch4,hd1Second hand low#A!R@@CC$%& #(+*2)'/-035555555555555555555555555555555 [Tags] PlayNote: S5=Key play, 2nd hand low. Going up with the ace or jack allows declarer to make contractch4,hd2Giving dclarer a guess11DTB "( "B B &%!"   +()01555555555555( The key here is when declarer plays the spade toward the KJ, play low, to make declarer guess whether to play the jack, finessing south for the queen, or play the king, finessing south for the ace. If declarer guesses wrong, they will go down. It is also important to play low in rhythm, or else you could give away the position. [Tags] PlayNote: DK=Key play, cover an honor with an honor. While it will lose the trick, it may set up a trick in partner's hand.ch4,hd3covering an honor@ "  I DB 44*,1)(+'3   " &./0555555555+ [Tags] PlayNote: DK=Key play, cover an honor with an honor. While it will lose the trick, it may set up a trick in partner's hand. Playing 2nd hand low on the diamonds instead of covering the honor will allow declarer to run the diamond suit and make the contract.ch4,hd4Waiting to coverH & PQC "$4 4)+2'0.(-*3,# &$!%  1/" 4 The key here is when declarer tries to set up the diamonds, south must not cover the honor. One covers an honor with an honor only when it is or may be beneficial for your side to do so. [Tags] PlayNote: D2=Key play. One should only cover an honor with an honor when it is or may be beneficial for your side to do so.ch5,hd1Giving attitude (modified from book)"bV!H#C C"%('03&  $# 5555555555555555555555555555555 [Tags] PlayNote: H7=This is the key play. Playing a high card encourages continuation of the suit if partner regains the lead. A low card would discourage continuation of this suit. This hand has been modified from the book, moving the AD from S to N hand and moving the 9D from N to S. As listed in the book, west can make the hand by forcing AD first before pulling trump, since south cannot continue a heart safelych5,hd2Getting a ruff$F X B ! 3C C *&555555555555555555555555555555555555555 [Tags] PlayNote: DT=key play, play high card to encourage partner to continue suit PlayNote: D9=Key play, in the event partner has the Ace of diamonds, partner will have a better idea when to win the diamond trick.ch5,hd3Gicing count0D !TED2$4 42*'(1/)+.3-, 0!"#%   &  $4 [Tags] PlayNote: D9=Key play, in the event partner has the Ace of diamonds, partner will have a better idea when to win the diamond trick. [Tags] PlayNote: HT=Key play, by playing high heart, you are giving suit preference. Excluding the trump suit and the suit led. This indicates that you want a diamond returned.ch5.hd4Giving suit preference  T!DJD(*##&!%"* #1$5555555555555555555555555555 [Tags] PlayNote: HT=Key play, by playing high heart, you are giving suit preference. Excluding the trump suit and the suit led, a higher card indicates interest in the higher of the two remaining suits, a lower card indicates interest in the lower of the two remaining suits. In this instance, this indicates that you want a diamond returned, as it is the higher ranked of the two suits.ch6,hd1Taking tricks@ * ( H2A@  44*3-)  ( 1+'./20,5555555555555555555555555555 [Tags] PlayNote: S8=Key play, play higher card to encourage partner to continue suit.ch6,hd2maintaining communications (Di " @44 *-'," 555555555555555555555555555 [Tags] PlayNote: D8=Encourage partner to continue suit and maintain communication between the two hands.ch6,hd3Partnership cooperationb  0A HBB3'(* )-0,2.+1555555555555555555555555555555555555 [Tags] PlayNote: S3=Play low spade to discourage continuation. PlayNote: S4=Partner initially led the ace, promising the king. Continue partner's suit PlayNote: D9=This would seem to be the likeliest place for partner to have an entry.ch6,hd4Putting signals to workJ !6%H""'03-/.* , "1!(&$%2) 555555555555( [Tags] PlayNote: DA=cash the ace 1st in the event partner has a singleton and may be looking to ruff here. Unlikely, but possible PlayNote: ST=partner likely led a singleton. Suit preference signal for diamond switch PlayNote: S7=Again, a suit preference signal for diamonds, in case declarer carelessly ruffs low.ch7,hd1Defensive hold up(BC$ BA(44)(1'.02-,3*+  5555555555555555555555555555 [Tags] PlayNote: D5=Key play- As declarer has no more entries to dummy, it is important to hold up on taking the king right away to sever communication between declarer and dummych7,hd2discarding carefully 0 %B BXdd"#&$%   3/*)2'+,1!-.  55550 The key here is for both North and South to pay attention to the carding by both partner and declarer to try and get a count on the hand to know what to save. After 3 rounds of hearts, South knows declarer has only 3 hearts, so the hearts can be discarded. Also, there are 4 diamonds in dummy, so they must be protected. North knows declarer has only 3 clubs after clubs are run. The spades must be held to protect against the posibility that declarer has 4 spades.ch7,hd3Making Declarer guessBH QM , cc 3().0/*    %'1" $&!#55555555, [Tags] PlayNote: H4=Key play. The only hope here is if partner has the jack of hearts. Maybe declarer will guess wrong and play up to the queen.ch7,hd4A trump in time (&@B&(@ ## (-3'+*)/,1.& 02" #% 55550 [Tags] PlayNote: D3=Partner evidently wants to pull out the trumps. We must let partner win the trick, as we are out of trump. From the lead, we know partner has the queen of diamonds.ch8,hd1making a plan$  J2Q@P3CC#$%!&3*(-20+  "555555555555555555555555555 [Tags] PlayNote: HJ=We have 2 aces. We need 4 trick to set the contract. Hearts appears to be the best chance to develop the two extra tricks we need to set the contract. Lead top of seqience.ch8,hd2Finding a shift#%@"A@C C& %#5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 From partner's play, it appears they have 3 hearts and declarer 2 hearts. We need to find 2 tricks in partner's hand to defeat the contract. Maybe partner has ace of clubs and king of diamonds, ace king of clubs, or ace queen in clubs. If partner has the ace of clubs and king of diamonds, it won't matter which suit we switch to, but if partner has AQ or AK of clubs, it is imperative we switch to clubs, as declarer would potentially have the diamonds to discard losers after pulling trump.ch8,hd3Making use of signals4%ABY@,$ 4402')$&5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 On the spade lead, partner contributed the 2, indicating he does not like the suit. Partner wants a switch to another suit. declarer is trying to set up hearts, the clubs in dummy look pretty solid, so it appears that partner would like a shift to diamonds.ch8,hd4The lesser of evils!H"! @H2BB $% '"+(1)*,23.-0!/ 55555555, When we have the bulk of the assets for our partnership, we must play passively to try and avoid giving up a trick. Hence the diamond lead. It looks like we have 3 tricks, and we need partner partner to have just a hint of help in the black suits. Remember, partner has only a scant few points. We must be careful during the play not to cash our tricks too early, but also not to cash them too late either.ch8,hd53rd hand not so high# P RD( @ " #C C/)(3 ' 1+*-5555555555555555555555555555 Based on the auction, it appears that partner may be looking for a diamond ruff. It is not a singleton, as west opened 1NT, and should not have 5D and 4S, as that would be an unbalanced hand. Hopefully, partner has a spade stop. We want to encourage continuation of suit without winning the trick, so we play the 8D. Declarer tries to pull trump, but North wants their ruff, so they win the ace and play a second D. We win the ace, and expecting partner to ruff, give suit preference for clubs by play 3D(low of remaining suits)ch8,hd6Working together   $PBY(44*/3).,'0(21555555555555555555555555555555555555 There is a key play in both hands. First, on the second round of spades, South must duck, hoping partner has the 3rd spade, to preserve communications in the spade suit. The other key is for North must not hold up on the ace of diamonds. Win right away and return the spade, so partner can take their tricks. Partner led the 5, and played the 2 on the 2nd round, showing a 5 card suit. Partner must have the king! Also, declarer could be trying to steal the 9th trick if you hold up!ch8,hd7Trump promotion (BH" CC#%&$ !1555555555555555555555555555555555555 With the heart lead, win the AQ of hearts, then cash the ace of clubs. We then play a 3rd heart, hoping the dummy will have to ruff, thereby setting up the jack in our hand for the setting trick. We cash the club first in the event declarer could get rid of the club loser before conceding the trump.ch8,hd82nd hand high !"B D44$%  & #'"!555555555555555555555555555 With the lead of the Q of hearts, partner shows a sequence. Partner likely has one entry outside of hearts. On the chance that the entry is the king of clubs, we need to preserve partner's entry by winning the ace of clubs and returning the second heart to hopefully set up partner's suit. On the lie of the cards, if you didn't win the ace right away, you still have a chance to set the contract if you hold up on the ace of clubs until the 3rd round, but partner could potentially discard incorrectly.