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Smart Opening Lead

by Charles Goren and Omar Sharif

Bridge (syndicated column) — September, 1987

Books have been written on the subject of opening leads, but you cannot lay down rules to cover all situations. For instance, look only at the West hand and the bidding on today’s deal, then decide what you would lead against South’s five-heart contract.

With such a huge fit for opener’s suit, there is no way East’s preempt was going to keep South out of the auction. If opener did not have support for hearts, South could always retreat to clubs. Once the heart fit was located, North elected to compete rather than defend five diamonds.

At one table, West led a diamond. Declarer took the ace in dummy, came to hand with a diamond ruff and led a heart. When West ducked, declarer won and continued a second trump, and the defenders could come to no more than their pair of aces.

West deals	K 10 6		West	North	East	South
N-S vul	Q J 8 3		Pavlicek		Root
	A 5		Pass	1	3	3
	K J 8 4		5	5	Pass	Pass
J 9 8 4		Q 7 3 2	Pass
A 10		5 4
J 8 6 3		K Q 10 9 4 2
A 5 3		9
	A 5
	K 9 7 6 2
	7
5 South	Q 10 7 6 2

Sitting West at the other table was Richard Pavlicek of Fort Lauderdale FL. Looking at two aces, it was overly optimistic to expect his partner to have the ace of diamonds, and certainly either declarer or dummy was going to turn up with a singleton diamond. Therefore, Pavlicek decided to look elsewhere for the setting trick.

The most likely chance, it seemed, was to find his partner (Bill Root) with either a singleton club, or a doubleton club with at least two trumps. So Pavlicek led the ace of clubs and another, sealing declarer’s fate quickly when East ruffed.

Had East held a doubleton club, Pavlicek intended to win the first trump lead and continue with a third club. The whole defense, especially the choice of opening lead, was built around the fact that Pavlicek had control of the trump suit.

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© 1987 Charles Goren and Omar Sharif