Leads and Signals 

		Defence, in general, is more difficult than card play as it calls for imaginative
		reconstruction of partner`s hand. However, this can be actioned by means of
		various signals. This process begins with the opening lead.

		The opening lead can often make or break a contract. Any player is on lead 
		on average one in four times, 25%, so the importance of the opening lead is
		not to be underestimated.

		The opening lead on some hands are straight forward: top of a sequence, 
		singleton, doubleton etc. However, many are not and to resolve this problem
		we have to listen to the bidding to guide us.

		Some general guidelines

		1. Lead your partner`s suit unless you have a very attractive alternative.

		2. Lead an honour card from a strong combination of honours.
		    a) Top of a sequence: KQJT, QJT9, KQT, QJ9, T97.
		    b) Top of an internal sequence: KJT9, QT97, AQJT (NT`s only)

		3. Consider playing for a ruff in your own hand or partner`s. (Suit contract).
		    a) Leading a singleton.
		    b) Top of a doubleton: KT, 97, J9, 84 etc.

		4. With Ace and King in a side suit, lead them. (Suit contract).

		5. Never underlead an Ace in a suit contract, nor an unsupported one, 
		    unless you are looking for a ruff or it is the trump suit and you attempting 
		    to stop declarer ruffing in dummy. In principle, Aces are for capturing 
		    Kings and Queens, not two`s and three`s.
	
		6. When the bidding suggests that declarer will be relying on ruffs, consider
		    leadin a trump.

		The lead at no trumps 

		The best strategy for the defence is to set up the longest suit held by the 
		partnership. No trump contracts tend to be a race between the defenders 
		and the declarer in setting up their longest suits. As opening leader we have 
		a head start.

		1.	KJ742				The universal lead from a long suit headed 
			Q63				by an honour (Ace, King, Queen, Jack) is 
			T9				the fourth highest. Here the opening lead 
			J73				the four of spades.

		2. 	84				Best to lead the top of a sequence in the 
			QJT6				heart. The diamond suit is very weak and 
			K9642				requires too much help from partner in that
			93				suit.

		3.	97543				Here our hand and our longest suit are so 
			653				weak that it is best to play for partner`s 
			J74				hoped for suit. Lead a heart. We also have
			Q5				no entries to develop our longest suit.

		The lead in a suit contract

		After reviewing the bidding, we normally decide whether to lead a trump to 
		stop dummy ruffing, make an attacking lead, or a safe lead (passive). If we
		don`t have an easy hand to lead from ie. top of sequence, singleton etc, then
		we really do have to think about what the bidding has revealed to us.

		Bidding examples	S	W	N	E

				1.	1S	P	2H	P
					2N	P	3S	P
					4S

				2.	1NT	P	2C	P
					2S	P	3S	P
					4S	P	P	P

		Sitting west you hold: 74
					 Q85
					 KT64
					 A843

		In the first example we have an aggressive auction: so therefore we must 
		lead aggressively. Lead the four of diamonds. (Note that our holding in the 
		heart suit could not be much worse).

		In the second example the auction is more passive (in this case, around the 		houses) so the lead requires that we don`t give a trick away on the opening 		lead. Lead safely: a trump. In passive auctions do not lead away from an 
		honour - let the declarer do all the work by opening up the side suits.

		Lead styles

		- As already indicated, the universal lead from an honour holding is fourth
		  highest. Some partnerships agree that the ten is also an honour, especially
		  in no trump contracts. With a three card suit holding an honour card, lead 
		  your lowest - third highest.

		- Always the top card from a doubleton.

		- With three plus cards in a suit without an honour card, either lead the
		  highest (top of nothing) or the second highest - by partnership agreement.

		- Top of a sequence - any card led below the ten is not the top of a 
		  sequence.
		
		- Top of an internal sequence.

		Just to reiterate: never underlead an Ace in a suit contract.