What is best opening lead against 3NT??? - with Curt Soloff

For a limited time, get 50% off your first 8 weeks of bridge lessons with Curt Soloff: https://learnbridgeonline.com/product... In this challenge hand, our key question is: when opponents arrive in 3NT after a jump overcall and a negative double, what opening lead gives the best chance to set the contract? The three primary choices were to lead our long heart suit, to try a surprise diamond lead into dummy, or to attack the spade suit (with an honor) to try to establish tricks there. Which choice is seems best to you? Let's weight the pros and cons for our different possible opening leads. Lead hearts (your longest suit) Pros: Natural and most common—you try to set up tricks in your longest suit. If partner holds help, you can cash hearts later. Cons: Declarer likely has at least one stopper in hearts (given the 3NT bid), so hearts may be difficult to establish. If you lose tempo to declarer or declarer can run clubs, you may never get the lead back to cash your newly established hearts. Lead diamonds (a surprise fourth-best) Pros: It attacks an often-neglected suit and looks for partner cooperators. If dummy or partner is short in diamonds, it can develop an entry or force declarer to unblock honors. A surprise lead can break declarer’s timing and create opportunities elsewhere. Cons: It may be a blind attack with no guarantee partner can cash tricks in that suit. If declarer has both high diamonds and can then run clubs, your diamond lead might look wrong. Lead spades (queen to unblock) Pros: The negative double promised spades, so attacking that suit could be justified. Leading an honor (Q or J) can unblock and allow partner to continue the suit if they have length. Cons: Leading away from an honor sequence can be risky if declarer holds the ace-king. Also, a spade lead from Qxx against a negative double is often suspicious; it tends to be better when you have a genuine holding to cash or unblock. Which would you choose? ♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣♠♥♦♣ #bridge #contractbridge #learnbridgeonline Learn how to play bridge online at https://learnbridgeonline.com/