Blum on Bridge Opening Leads Part 3
	For the past two weeks we covered standard opening leads, situations where the opening leader does not have to rely on his thought processes other than to remember the technical aspect of which card to play. Unfortunately for the non-thinking defender, more often than not he must use his imagination as he is disadvantaged by not viewing the dummy, only seeing his 13 cards. He is alone at the table, his partner and two adversaries awaiting his lead as it, more than any other play, will chart the course of the hand. The opening leader has one other plus, that of listening to the bidding or lack thereof. We will begin with three card holdings of Kxx and Qxx after partner has bid the suit. The books will tell you to lead low indicating three cards to an honor. This premise is correct when declarer indicates a stopper. However, if dummy seems to have strength it is best to lead the honor first, foregoing naming the number of cards you hold in the suit. For example, you hold K42 of spades and partner has AJ1098. Partner opens 1-spade and rho overcalls 1NT. Lho bids 2NT, by-passing Stayman (asking for opener's major suit). It is more likely that Rho has better spades than his partner does because he has more points and partner showed no desire to play in a major suit contract. I would lead the 2 and hope declarer held Qxx or Qx. Pard plays the ace, returning the jack. However, should dummy have indicated the stopper, I would play the king then the 4, hoping to trap dummy's honor. Pard, not seeing the deuce, may have reason to think I hold it. An opening lead of the ace just to see dummy is generally not a good reason to do so. Aces are meant to take kings and queens and this lead could open "Pandora's box". When partner has bid a suit and you fail to lead it, he should not think you are hard of hearing. He must imagine if he does not see the ace that you hold it and want the suit led through declarer. There is one exception. Against suit slam contracts playing matchpoints I will almost always lead an ace lest I lose it when declarer sluffs it on his long suit. Assume rho opens 1-spade-lho 2-spades-rho 4-spades. You are on lead holding doubleton QJ. You know rho has at least five spades and lho may well hold four. Usually with nine spades between them declarer will play AK hoping for a 2-2 split. A deceptive opening lead of the jack may cause declarer to go wrong and finesse against partner's mythical queen. When do you lead trump? I've seen Life Masters "cop out" and lead them because they don't know what else to lead. Easley Blackwood gives five reasons that are good enough for me. (1) To keep declarer from crossruffing. (2) To stop declarer from making extra trump tricks by ruffing in dummy. (3) To make a safe passive lead to avoid giving an extra trick to declarer he would not otherwise take. (4) To get two trumps for one. (5) Your partner has passed your takeout double. If declarer bids two suits and you have strength in one of them and dummy supports the other a crossruff is likely. When partner converts your takeout double to a penalty, he must hold four or five of the enemies suit and is screaming for you to lead a trump to prevent declarer from ruffing tricks in dummy. When partner doubles a no-trump contract the following rules should be followed. If the defenders have bid only one suit, lead the suit whether doubler or his partner has bid it. If both defenders have bid a suit, the strong suggestion is to lead your suit. This comes about because without the double you would normally lead partner's suit. When neither defender has bid, lead the first suit bid by dummy. If no one has bid a suit, the doubler has a suit of his own and it is up to you to determine which suit it is. Finally we arrive at a double that requires an opening lead that would otherwise not be made. It is called the "Lightner Double". Penalty doubles against freely bid slams are not worth the small gain from a one trick set against the loss if declarer fulfills his contract. As a result when the opening leader's partner doubles a slam he demands leads such as dummy's bid suit in a no-trump contract or if in a suit contract one he can trump. Lead a suit the opponents have bid. If declarer has bid two suits, lead the second one. If you feel partner has no void, lead dummy's first bid suit.