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Best opening lead: 4

Fourth from your longest and strongest means:
First consider your longest suit (and then
consider your strongest if you have two or
more suits of equal length). This hand, from
the recent Junior World Championships, is
a perfect example of why leading from length
is a good rule of thumb. After a diamond lead,
declarer has only seven tricks. West, however,
made the inspired newspaper lead of a spade,
hoping to hit partner's suit. Now declarer
played on clubs and scored 9 tricks. At the
other table, East opened the bidding one
spade, so West led a spade, and once again
declarer made his contract.