 
Quiz
3 - June
2008
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|
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North |
|
|
♠
|
A 2
|
|
♥
|
10
3 2 |
|
♦
|
A
K Q 6 5 |
|
♣
|
9
5 4 |
|
|
West |
|
|
East |
|
|
|
|
South
|
|
♠
|
9
6 5 |
|
♥
|
K
6 |
|
♦
|
8
7 3 2 |
|
♣
|
A
K Q 3 |
|
|
|
Dealer South - Both Vulnerable
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1NT |
| Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
Pass |
| Pass |
|
|
|
|
Against a
contract of 3NT♠K.
Suppose you decide to win this trick with ♠A.
You then cash ♦A,
both opponents following, so you know the diamonds divide 3:1 or
2:2. Can you now see a way to guarantee 9 tricks, no matter how
the East-West cards are divided?
Warning: This is not a misprint! There is a real
problem here - and you will be defeated unless you see it!
Answer: The problem with this hand is that the problem
is not obvious! It looks like you have 9 tricks off the top: 1
spade, 5 diamonds and at least 3 clubs. However, if you just cash ♦AKQ
and then play ♦6,
you will win in in your hand with ♦8,
and be unable to get back to dummy to cash your 9th trick. The
problem is that the suit gets blocked.
The solution is obvious once you see the problem: when
you cash your high diamonds, make sure you play the ♦
87 from your own hand, so that ♦
65 will win the last 2 diamond
tricks.
|
Quiz
2 - December 2007
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|
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North |
|
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♠
|
A K |
|
♥
|
A
4 3 |
|
♦
|
A
6 |
|
♣ |
K
Q J 10 9 8 |
|
|
|
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West
|
|
|
East
|
|
♠
|
10
9 8 5 2 |
♠
|
7
6 4 3 |
|
♥
|
K
5 |
♥
|
Q
J 10 9 |
|
♦
|
9
7 4 3 |
♦
|
J
10 2 |
|
♣
|
6
4 |
♣ |
7
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
South |
|
♠
|
Q
J |
|
♥
|
8
7 6 2 |
|
♦
|
K
Q 8 5 |
| ♣ |
A
5 2 |
Dealer South - Both Vulnerable
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1NT |
| Pass |
6NT |
Pass |
Pass |
| Pass |
|
|
|
Against
a contract of 6NT, your partner leads ♠10.
Declarer wins ♠A
in dummy (playing ♠J
from his own hand) and then plays a low club to ♣A.
He then proceeds to run all his club tricks. What is
the first discard that East should make?
Answer: Declarer has 12 top tricks: 2
spades, 1 heart, 3 diamonds and 6 clubs. He hopes to
get a top score by making a 13th trick in diamonds, if the
opponent with 4 diamonds discards one. East has no
particular problem discarding, but West does. East
should make his first discard the ♥Q
- a signal to show that he not only has strength in hearts,
but has control of that suit from the ♥Q
down. Now West can safely discard his 2 hearts,
holding onto 4 diamonds to hold declarer to 12 tricks, |
Quiz
1 - December 2007
|
|
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North |
|
|
♠
|
A K 2 |
|
♥
|
8 |
|
♦
|
A
K 9 8 7 |
|
♣ |
Q
10 9 5 |
|
|
|
|
West
|
|
|
East
|
|
♠
|
9
6 5 |
♠
|
10
8 |
|
♥
|
K
6 4 |
♥
|
Q
J 10 5 3 2 |
|
♦
|
J
5 4 2 |
♦
|
10
6 |
|
♣
|
K
8 3 |
♣ |
7
6 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
South |
|
♠
|
Q
J 7 4 3 |
|
♥
|
A
9 7 |
|
♦
|
Q
3 |
| ♣ |
A
J 2 |
Dealer
North - Both Vulnerable
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
1♦ |
Pass |
1♠ |
| Pass |
2 ♣ |
Pass |
3NT |
| Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
|
Against
a contract of 3NT, you lead ♥4,
the only unbid suit. Your partner plays ♥10,
as declarer wins ♥A.
Declarer now wins ♠AK, leads a low spade and cashes 3 more
spades. What 2 discards should West make?
Answer: The 4th diamond and ♣ K are likely
to be useful cards, so discard a club and ♥K!
The play to the first trick has placed your partner with ♥
Q J, so if you do get in again, you must lead a low heart to get
partner in. Note that if you discard a diamond, declarer can
make 12 tricks without finessing in clubs. |
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