Against 3NT the race is simple: declarer tries to set up nine tricks before the defense sets up five. Your opening lead is the head start. The default plan is to attack with your longest and strongest suit, because length tricks are the main defensive weapon at notrump.
This article covers the standard priority list and, just as important, when to break the rules.
The Priority List
- Top of a strong sequence: from KQJ4 lead the king, from QJ104 the queen, from J1098 the jack. Sequence leads set up tricks without giving anything away.
- Partner's bid suit: if partner entered the auction, leading their suit is nearly automatic. Lead low from an honor, top from a doubleton.
- Fourth best from your longest and strongest: from Q10852 lead the 5. Partner applies the Rule of Eleven to read declarer's holding.
- Passive lead: when your hand is hopeless or every active lead risks a trick, lead from a safe holding like 9872.
East opens 1NT, West raises to 3NT. You are South, on lead. Reveal to see why the spade 5 beats the contract.
On the deal above, the auction was 1NT - 3NT with East declaring. South's longest suit is spades, so the classic lead is the ♠5, fourth best from Q10852.
Watch the race. Partner wins the ♠A and returns the ♠7 through declarer's KJ9; South's Q108 sits over it, so declarer's king wins the third round but the suit is established. Declarer must still knock out the ♦A to reach nine tricks, and that is the tempo the defense needs: partner takes the ♦A and plays his last spade, and South cashes two more. Five tricks (four spades and the ♦A) before declarer gets nine. On any other lead, declarer sets up the diamonds first and cruises home.
Rule of ThumbRule of Eleven: subtract the fourth-best card from 11. The result is how many higher cards the other three hands hold. Partner uses it to count declarer's stoppers.
Listen to the Auction
The auction changes the default:
- Opponents bid your suit's neighbors: if dummy showed a suit via Stayman or a transfer, avoid it and consider the unbid suits.
- Auction 1NT - 3NT with no Stayman: neither opponent has a four-card major worth showing. Major-suit leads are safer than usual.
- Long auction to 3NT after a 2NT rebid: declarer is strong and balanced. Passive leads gain when declarer needs everything to go right.
The auction goes 1NT - 3NT by your right-hand opponent. What do you lead?
Your hand:
Want the full framework, including leads against suit contracts? Read the complete opening leads guide. Then test yourself on real deals where every lead is scored across hundreds of layouts: that is exactly what BridgeDummy's lead puzzles do.