Quiz 8D41 Main |
| by Richard Pavlicek |
Do you have the insight to be a winning declarer at notrump? Or would you just rather have no Trump in sight? The choice is yours, and you dont have to wait until Election Day!
Problem 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Honor Roll |
Test yourself on these six problems. Assume the scoring is IMPs, and your opponents are world-class, not to be confused with BBO world class which can mean a notch above hopeless.
Decide how you would play each contract without peeking at the solution, which follows.
Are you ready? Then make the winning plays, or make America great again, but go to it like a bat out of Hell.
IMPs None Vul | K 6 2 A J 5 A 3 2 J 10 3 2 | West Pass All Pass | NORTH 1 Pass | East 1 2 | South 1 NT 2 NT | |
Lead: 7 | East plays 10 | |||||
2 NT South | Q 9 4 K 8 7 Q 10 6 5 4 K 4 |
After winning the Q, how will you go about establishing diamonds?
2 NT South | K 6 2 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
A J 5 | 1 W | 7 | 2 | 10 | Q | ||
A 3 2 | 2 S | 7! | 2 | A | 6 | ||
J 10 3 2 | 3 N | 2 | 7 | Q! | 8 | ||
7 5 | A J 10 8 3 | 4 S | 4 | 9 | 3! | K | |
4 3 2 | Q 10 9 6 | 5 E | A | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
J 9 8 | K 7 | 6 E | 8 | K | 6 | 3 | |
Q 9 7 6 5 | A 8 | 7 S | 5 | J | A | 3 | |
Q 9 4 | 8 N | 5 | 9 | K | 3 | ||
K 8 7 | Cash 2 more winners | ||||||
Q 10 6 5 4 | |||||||
Lead: 7 | K 4 |
Cross to dummy in hearts, not diamonds (East would unblock the K) and lead a low diamond. Whether East wins or ducks, you can establish diamonds without West gaining the lead.
IMPs N-S Vul | 6 5 A Q 10 J 10 4 Q 10 6 3 2 | West Pass | North 3 NT | EAST Pass All Pass | South 1 NT | |
Lead: 4 | East plays 10 | |||||
3 NT South | A Q 7 K J 7 6 A 5 3 K 5 4 |
After winning the first trick, how will you tackle clubs?
3 NT South | 6 5 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
A Q 10 | 1 W | 4 | 5 | 10 | Q | ||
J 10 4 | 2 S | 6! | 2 | Q | 3 | ||
Q 10 6 3 2 | 3 N | 2 | 8 | K | 7 | ||
K 9 8 4 3 | J 10 2 | 4 S | 4 | 9 | Q! | J | |
8 2 | 9 5 4 3 | 5 N | 3 | 4 | 5 | A | |
Q 8 7 | K 9 6 2 | Win 7 more tricks | |||||
A 9 7 | J 8 | ||||||
A Q 7 | |||||||
K J 7 6 | |||||||
A 5 3 | |||||||
Lead: 4 | K 5 4 |
You should plan to lead the first club from dummy, and if the K wins, continue with a club to the queen. Logic is that an expert East would hop with ace-doubleton to return a spade, and West would routinely duck twice with A-x-x as the only hope.
IMPs E-W Vul | K 2 8 4 3 9 7 6 3 2 7 4 3 | West Pass Pass | North 2 3 NT | East Pass All Pass | SOUTH 2 2 NT | |
Lead: Q | East plays K | |||||
3 NT South | A Q 7 6 A Q 10 2 A K A 6 2 |
After overtaking to unblock, East returns the 8.
3 NT South | K 2 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
8 4 3 | 1 W | Q | 3 | K | 2 | ||
9 7 6 3 2 | 2 E | 8 | A! | 5 | 4 | ||
7 4 3 | 3 S | A! | 5 | 3 | 6 | ||
J 3 | 10 9 8 5 4 | 4 S | 6 | 3 | K | 4 | |
J 9 5 | K 7 6 | 5 N | 4 | 7 | Q | 9 | |
J 10 4 | Q 8 5 | 6 S | 2 | J | 8 | K | |
Q J 10 9 5 | K 8 | Win 5 more tricks | |||||
A Q 7 6 | |||||||
A Q 10 2 | |||||||
A K | |||||||
Lead: Q | A 6 2 |
Goal is to prevent East from unblocking successfully in hearts. If he does so immediately, you can switch horses and squeeze-endplay West.
IMPs Both Vul | Q 10 4 2 10 9 Q 6 4 2 7 6 4 | WEST 1 Pass | North Pass Pass | East Pass Pass | South 2 NT | |
Lead: 7 | East plays Q | |||||
2 NT South | A K J K 5 4 3 A 9 5 K Q 3 |
If you duck the first trick, East returns the 6 to Wests jack, then West exits with a spade.
2 NT South | Q 10 4 2 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
10 9 | 1 W | 7 | 9 | Q | K | ||
Q 6 4 2 | 2 S | A | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
7 6 4 | 3 S | K | 6 | 4 | 7 | ||
6 3 | 9 8 7 5 | 4 S | 3! | J | 10 | 6 | |
A J 8 7 2 | Q 6 | 5 W | A | 2 | 8 | 4 | |
K 10 | J 8 7 3 | 6 W | 8 | 4 | 9 | 5 | |
A J 10 2 | 9 8 5 | 7 W | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | |
A K J | 8 W | J | 6 | 8 | K | ||
K 5 4 3 | 9 S | J | 2 | Q | 3 | ||
A 9 5 | 10 N | 10 | 7 | 3 | A | ||
Lead: 7 | K Q 3 | Win 2 more tricks |
Only realistic hope is a doubleton spade West, so hell be endplayed after running hearts. If he exits with a low club, hell be strip-squeezed in the end.
IMPs None Vul | A 4 3 Q 10 4 9 7 2 6 5 4 3 | WEST 1 Pass | North Pass 3 NT | East Pass All Pass | South 2 NT | |
Lead: K | East plays 9 | |||||
3 NT South | 8 7 A 6 2 A K J 10 5 A K 8 |
West continues with the Q. If you duck again, West shifts to the Q.
3 NT South | A 4 3 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
Q 10 4 | 1 W | K | 3 | 9 | 7 | ||
9 7 2 | 2 W | Q | 4 | 2 | 8 | ||
6 5 4 3 | 3 W | Q | 3 | 2 | A | ||
K Q 10 | J 9 6 5 2 | 4 S | J! | Q | 2 | 4 | |
K J 3 | 9 8 7 5 | 5 W | J | 4 | 10 | K | |
Q 8 3 | 6 4 | 6 S | 5! | 3 | 9 | 6 | |
Q J 9 7 | 10 2 | 7 N | A | 5 | 2 | 10 | |
8 7 | 8 N | 7 | 6 | A | 8 | ||
A 6 2 | 9 S | K | 3 | 5 | 5 | ||
A K J 10 5 | 10 S | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 | ||
Lead: K | A K 8 | 11 S | 8! | 9 | 4 | 8 | |
West is endplayed |
To squeeze-endplay West you must reach dummy to cash the spade ace and return to hand in diamonds. Only the immediate J allows this.
IMPs E-W Vul | A 7 6 4 J A K 7 5 4 A 4 3 | West Pass Pass Pass | North 2 3 6 NT | East Pass Pass All Pass | SOUTH 1 NT 2 3 | |
Lead: K | ||||||
6 NT South | K Q A K Q 10 9 10 6 3 10 8 6 |
Will you win the first trick? And how will you justify your dubious 1 NT opening?
6 NT South | A 7 6 4 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
J | 1 W | K | A! | 2 | 6 | ||
A K 7 5 4 | 2 N | 4 | 5 | K | 2 | ||
A 4 3 | 3 S | Q | 3 | 6 | 8 | ||
J 3 2 | 10 9 8 5 | 4 S | 3 | 8 | K | 2 | |
5 4 3 | 8 7 6 2 | 5 N | A | 9 | 6 | J | |
Q 9 8 | J 2 | 6 N | J | 2 | A | 3 | |
K Q J 5 | 9 7 2 | 7 S | K | 4 | 4 | 6 | |
K Q | 8 S | Q | 5 | 5 | 7 | ||
A K Q 10 9 | 9 S | 10 | 5 | 7 | 8 | ||
10 6 3 | 10 S | 9 | ? | ||||
Lead: K | 10 8 6 | W squeezed, lose 1 |
If you duck the K to rectify the count for a squeeze, a heart shift will ruin your communication. Therefore, you should win the first trick, unblock spades, cross to the A and cash the A. Running hearts then effects a delayed-duck squeeze.
These six problems were published in 2018 as a long-running contest, which is now closed. Congratulations to Perry Groot (Netherlands) who topped all participants with the only perfect score. Scoring was based on how many of the first eight plays on each problem matched my recommended plays, so the best possible score was 48 (8×6). Equivalent plays or transpositions were accepted as correct.
There were 37 participants, and only one attempt was allowed for each. Only those scoring 32 or higher are listed below. Ties are broken by the date and time of entry (earliest wins).
Rank | Name | Location | Score |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Perry Groot | Netherlands | 48 |
2 | Wojciech Papuga | Poland | 46 |
3 | Ding-Hwa Hsieh | Missouri | 44 |
4 | Sjaak Smetsers | Netherlands | 44 |
5 | Ben Norton | England | 43 |
6 | Jonathan Mestel | England | 42 |
7 | John Reardon | England | 36 |
8 | Jean-Christophe Clement | France | 35 |
9 | Charles Blair | Illinois | 35 |
Quiz 8D41 Main | Top Notrump Insight |
© 2018 Richard Pavlicek