Dealer East Both Vul

                                    ♠          9 7 2

                                    ♥          K Q 9 5

                                    ♦          8 7 3

                                    ♣          K Q 6

            ♠          Q 10 3                          ♠          K J 6 5 4

            ♥          10 8 6                           ♥          J 3 2

            ♦          10 9 4                           ♦          Q J

            ♣          7 5 4 2                          ♣          A 9 8

                                    ♠          A 8

                                    ♥          A 7 4

                                    ♦          A K 6 5 2

                                    ♣          J 10 3

If you get the defence to this hand correctly, then your opposition could very well accuse of seeing your partner’s hand. However if you think it through, you can get the lead without seeing partner’s hand and strike gold.

Firstly, you should realize that you personally are not going to take much part in bringing declarer’s downfall and it all rests with partner’s hand. You have just two points with no prospects of establishing your long suit. The auction marks NS with about 26-28 points, and partner could have up to 10 so you need to FIND PARTNER.

Neither opponent has made any attempt to bid Spades so somebody around here must have Spades. Let’s hope its partner. Let’s make it easy for partner too and lead the Spade Queen. You hit gold. Declarer holds up the first trick and has no choice but to win trick two. He tries to establish the Diamonds and believe it or not you make the third Diamond with your Ten. You now play a third Spade over to partner who takes 3 more spade tricks and the Club Ace for good measure.

If you had led a club and partner plays back a club then declarer will have an easy run, and easily make 10 tricks. However with your wonderful thoughtful lead you managed to defeat the contract by two taking 4 Spades, 1 Diamond and 1 Club

Any other lead apart from a Spade and declarer gets home with 1 Spade, 4 Hearts 2 Diamonds and 2 clubs

You can also play out the following hand  to see how the hand pans out. (You need bridgvu.exe programme  and it is available free from   http://www.haroldschogger.videoes.html or BridgeBase programme on your machine already to view it )

alternatively watch the film of the hand being played out by going to www.haroldschogger.com/movies2.htm