Module 1 Reference — Opening Leads

Which Card to Lead

Holding	Lead
Three+ touching honours	Top of the sequence — K from K-Q-J — the same at no-trumps and suit contracts
Long suit, no sequence (NT)	Fourth-highest from your longest & strongest — you're building length they can't ruff
A-K together (suit contract)	The ace (house default — some pairs lead the king; recognise it if you meet it)
An unsupported ace	Never lead it — from A-x-x-x you set up their K-Q; keep it back to capture their king
A suit an opponent bid strongly	Think twice — the bidding is part of your read, not just your own hand

Sequence → top of it. No sequence → longest & strongest, fourth-highest.

The King Command — Unblocking (NT)

Situation	Do
Partner leads the K from a sequence	It's a command: holding the Q or J, play it under the king
Why	Beneath his higher honours your Q/J can never score — held, it jams the suit shut (the traffic jam)
Nothing to unblock?	With only small cards, your card reverts to a normal attitude signal (high = encourage)
Entries still matter	Unblocking clears the jam, but you still need an entry to reach the run

If it can't win, let it go. A Q or J that can never score isn't an asset to protect — it's a blockage waiting to happen. Play it under partner's honour at the first chance.

Aggressive Leads — Singletons, Doubletons, Trumps

Lead	The point
Singleton	Only as good as your route back — an entry, or trump control that survives declarer drawing trumps. No route, and you just help him read the hand
Doubleton (top of two)	The same ruff idea at lower risk — you keep a card to follow with
Trump lead	A legitimate first choice, best against a suspected cross-ruff (both hands short, no suit being set up) — it removes a ruff before he starts
Four trumps yourself	Prefer a forcing defence — lead your long suit again and again, making declarer ruff until your trumps outlast his

A singleton needs a way back. Trump lead: shortage in both hands and nothing better of your own → lead it. No shortage, or a strong suit sitting unused → look elsewhere.

Leading Against Slams

Principle	The point
Attack, don't wait	Games can be defended patiently; a slam must be beaten with the opening card — later is too late, he'll discard his losers once dummy's down
Manufacture a losing option	A slam declarer won't risk the certain line if a safer-looking one appears — a lead that looks generous can tempt him wrong
Underlead to keep a force	Dummy marked void/short (he leapt to slam, no ace-ask)? Underlead your ace to keep it as a force rather than cash it for one trick

Against a slam, attack now — later is too late. These leads offer declarer a losing option, not a guaranteed trick — the most any slam lead can do.

When to Break the Rules — Three Exceptions

Exception	Named trigger
Lead the honour, not low (K-x-x-x)	Weak hand with few chances to get in again; OR declarer marked short (pin a card); OR strong, guarding against your own end-play
Doubleton honour — lead LOW	Strength to your left, no re-entry of your own, partner holds the length & entries, small cards in dummy under your honour — needs a partnership agreement
Underlead an ace	Narrow: a marked void opposite, usually vs a slam — keep the ace as a force

The flat rule is the default; these three are named exceptions. No trigger, no exception. Each offers declarer a losing option — never a certainty.