Make the best of a bad lot

Ace from ace-king (best of all), singleton, king from king-queen; these are the good opening leads. What happens when you don’t have such a lead?

What happened
West led a heart. Admittedly this was (slightly) wiser than a minor-suit, the dreaded lead away from an ace. But declarer was nonetheless now able to make his game. Beating East’s ♥ 10 with ♥ Q, he drew trumps in three rounds, then led ♥ A and ♥ 9. West won perforce, but (fatally) had to lead a minor (he chose a club). Declarer ran his ♣ 2 to ♣ Q, and led towards ♣ K. He just lost ♣ A and ♦ A. 10 tricks and game made.

What should have happened
The only lead to defeat the game is a passive trump. By giving nothing away, declarer cannot wring a tenth trick. Say he wins the trump and leads ♦ K. West wins ♦ A and leads a second trump. Declarer wins, plays ♦ Q, and trumps ♦ 9, to eliminate the suit, then crosses to dummy with a third trump, in order to lead to ♥ 9. Declarer has played the deal well, and West is endplayed. But because West has avoided giving away a trick on opening lead, the endplay gives declarer a ninth trick not a tenth trick. Say West leads a club. Declarer wins ♣ Q
and leads towards ♣ K, but West grabs ♣ A, exits safely with a third club to ♣ K, and waits patiently to score ♥ K. Down one.

If you remember one thing...
Consider a passive lead such as a trump, when all other options are worse.