Puzzle 7F10 (1993) by Richard Pavlicek

Fourth Best

Against an enemy notrump contract, the basic rule is to lead the fourth best card from your longest suit. Or, as it often paraphrased, “Fourth from your longest and strongest.” While generally sound, this has many exceptions or extenuating circumstances, such that choosing the lead is not so clear-cut. On almost any given hand, even experts will disagree as to the best choice.

But what if we took away the mystery of the unseen hands? Anyone should be able to choose the best opening lead looking at all four hands. Right? Well, maybe. Test yourself on this deal, where the object is to defeat 6 NT played by South.

6 NT by South

A 9 8 7
K Q 8
K 2
6 5 4 3
Q J 10
J 10 9
Q 10 8 6
10 9 8 [W - E] 4 3 2
A 7 6 5 4
9 7 5 4
2
K 6 5
3 2
A J 3
A K Q J 7

Which suit must West lead? And how should East plan the defense to defeat 6 NT?

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Solution

Before solving the defensive problem, let’s see how declarer is able to gain two tricks and make the contract if West makes a neutral lead, say, the

Q. Declarer wins in hand and leads a heart which East ducks (best), then five rounds of clubs lead to this ending:

A 9
K 8
K 2
—
J 10
J 10
Q 10
— [W - E] —
A 7
9 7 5 4
—
6 5
3
A J 3
—

Note that West was forced to abandon his protection in something, and he chose to give up diamonds (best). Declarer next leads a spade to the ace, and East must give up his long diamond (else declarer can just duck a heart). Next comes three rounds of diamonds, and West is caught in a vice squeeze. He must keep his high spade, so when he throws a heart, declarer exits with a heart to the king-ace, then dummy’s 8 wins the last trick.

So, how can the defense stop this? What should West lead? Well, I told you! Fourth best. The only lead to defeat 6 NT is a diamond (any diamond). This immediate sacrifice of a trick curiously prevents declarer from gaining any more with accurate defense. If declarer accepts the diamond finesse, he loses communication ability in that suit, and East only needs to hold his long diamond to defeat the contract.

Let’s say declarer refuses the finesse and wins the K to keep his communication open. East ducks the first heart as before, then five rounds of clubs leave this ending:

A 9 8
Q 8
2
—
Q J 10
J 10
Q
— [W - E] 4
A 7
9 7 5
—
K 6 5
3
A J
—

The difference is that East cannot be forced to let go his long diamond (cashing the K-A is useless). All declarer can do now is cash his two diamonds (West lets go a heart), then East has a good diamond to cash when he wins the A.

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	A 9 8 7 K Q 8 K 2 6 5 4 3
Q J 10 J 10 9 Q 10 8 6 10 9 8		4 3 2 A 7 6 5 4 9 7 5 4 2
	K 6 5 3 2 A J 3 A K Q J 7

	A 9 K 8 K 2 —
J 10 J 10 Q 10 —		— A 7 9 7 5 4 —
	6 5 3 A J 3 —

	A 9 8 Q 8 2 —
Q J 10 J 10 Q —		4 A 7 9 7 5 —
	K 6 5 3 A J —