Quiz 8D41   Main


Notrump Insight


  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 don’t have to wait until Election Day!

Problem 123456Honor 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.

Problem 1

IMPs
None Vul
S K 6 2
H A J 5
D A 3 2
C J 10 3 2
West

Pass
All Pass
NORTH
1 C
Pass
East
1 S
2 H
South
1 NT
2 NT
Lead: S 7TableEast plays S 10



2 NT South
S Q 9 4
H K 8 7
D Q 10 6 5 4
C K 4

After winning the S Q, how will you go about establishing diamonds?

Solution below





2 NT SouthS K 6 2TrickLead2nd3rd4th
H A J 51 WS 7210Q
D A 3 22 SH 7!2A6
C J 10 3 23 ND 27Q!8
S 7 5TableS A J 10 8 34 SD 493!K
H 4 3 2H Q 10 9 65 EC A452
D J 9 8D K 76 EC 8K63
C Q 9 7 6 5C A 87 SD 5JAS 3
S Q 9 48 NH 59K3
H K 8 7Cash 2 more winners
D Q 10 6 5 4
Lead: S 7C K 4

Cross to dummy in hearts, not diamonds (East would unblock the D K) and lead a low diamond. Whether East wins or ducks, you can establish diamonds without West gaining the lead.

Problem 2

IMPs
N-S Vul
S 6 5
H A Q 10
D J 10 4
C Q 10 6 3 2
West

Pass
North

3 NT
EAST
Pass
All Pass
South
1 NT
Lead: S 4TableEast plays S 10



3 NT South
S A Q 7
H K J 7 6
D A 5 3
C K 5 4

After winning the first trick, how will you tackle clubs?

Solution below





3 NT SouthS 6 5TrickLead2nd3rd4th
H A Q 101 WS 4510Q
D J 10 42 SH 6!2Q3
C Q 10 6 3 23 NC 28K7
S K 9 8 4 3TableS J 10 24 SC 49Q!J
H 8 2H 9 5 4 35 NC 3H 45A
D Q 8 7D K 9 6 2Win 7 more tricks
C A 9 7C J 8
S A Q 7
H K J 7 6
D A 5 3
Lead: S 4C K 5 4

You should plan to lead the first club from dummy, and if the C 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 C A-x-x as the only hope.

Problem 3

IMPs
E-W Vul
S K 2
H 8 4 3
D 9 7 6 3 2
C 7 4 3
West

Pass
Pass
North

2 D
3 NT
East

Pass
All Pass
SOUTH
2 C
2 NT
Lead: C QTableEast plays C K



3 NT South
S A Q 7 6
H A Q 10 2
D A K
C A 6 2

After overtaking to unblock, East returns the C 8.

Solution below





3 NT SouthS K 2TrickLead2nd3rd4th
H 8 4 31 WC Q3K2
D 9 7 6 3 22 EC 8A!54
C 7 4 33 SH A!536
S J 3TableS 10 9 8 5 44 SS 63K4
H J 9 5H K 7 65 NH 47Q9
D J 10 4D Q 8 56 SH 2J8K
C Q J 10 9 5C K 8Win 5 more tricks
S A Q 7 6
H A Q 10 2
D A K
Lead: C QC 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.

Problem 4

IMPs
Both Vul
S Q 10 4 2
H 10 9
D Q 6 4 2
C 7 6 4
WEST
1 H
Pass
North
Pass
Pass
East
Pass
Pass
South
2 NT
Lead: H 7TableEast plays H Q



2 NT South
S A K J
H K 5 4 3
D A 9 5
C K Q 3

If you duck the first trick, East returns the H 6 to West’s jack, then West exits with a spade.

Solution below





2 NT SouthS Q 10 4 2TrickLead2nd3rd4th
H 10 91 WH 79QK
D Q 6 4 22 SS A325
C 7 6 43 SS K647
S 6 3TableS 9 8 7 54 SH 3!J106
H A J 8 7 2H Q 65 WH AD 2S 84
D K 10D J 8 7 36 WH 8C 4S 95
C A J 10 2C 9 8 57 WH 2D 4C 5D 5
S A K J8 WC J68K
H K 5 4 39 SS JC 2QD 3
D A 9 510 NS 10D 7C 3C A
Lead: H 7C K Q 3Win 2 more tricks

Only realistic hope is a doubleton spade West, so he’ll be endplayed after running hearts. If he exits with a low club, he’ll be strip-squeezed in the end.

Problem 5

IMPs
None Vul
S A 4 3
H Q 10 4
D 9 7 2
C 6 5 4 3
WEST
1 C
Pass
North
Pass
3 NT
East
Pass
All Pass
South
2 NT
Lead: S KTableEast plays S 9



3 NT South
S 8 7
H A 6 2
D A K J 10 5
C A K 8

West continues with the S Q. If you duck again, West shifts to the C Q.

Solution below





3 NT SouthS A 4 3TrickLead2nd3rd4th
H Q 10 41 WS K397
D 9 7 22 WS Q428
C 6 5 4 33 WC Q32A
S K Q 10TableS J 9 6 5 24 SD J!Q24
H K J 3H 9 8 7 55 WC J410K
D Q 8 3D 6 46 SD 5!396
C Q J 9 7C 10 27 NS A5H 210
S 8 78 ND 7S 6A8
H A 6 29 SD KH 3C 5H 5
D A K J 10 510 SD 10C 7C 6H 7
Lead: S KC A K 811 SC 8!9H 4H 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 D J allows this.

Problem 6

IMPs
E-W Vul
S A 7 6 4
H J
D A K 7 5 4
C A 4 3
West

Pass
Pass
Pass
North

2 C
3 D
6 NT
East

Pass
Pass
All Pass
SOUTH
1 NT
2 H
3 H
Lead: C KTable



6 NT South
S K Q
H A K Q 10 9
D 10 6 3
C 10 8 6

Will you win the first trick? And how will you justify your dubious 1 NT opening?

Solution below





6 NT SouthS A 7 6 4TrickLead2nd3rd4th
H J1 WC KA!26
D A K 7 5 42 NS 45K2
C A 4 33 SS Q368
S J 3 2TableS 10 9 8 54 SD 38K2
H 5 4 3H 8 7 6 25 NS A9D 6J
D Q 9 8D J 26 NH J2A3
C K Q J 5C 9 7 27 SH K4D 46
S K Q8 SH Q5D 57
H A K Q 10 99 SH 10C 5S 78
D 10 6 310 SH 9?
Lead: C KC 10 8 6W squeezed, lose 1

If you duck the C 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 D A and cash the S A. Running hearts then effects a delayed-duck squeeze.

Perry Groot Wins!

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).

Honor Roll
RankNameLocationScore
1Perry GrootNetherlands48
2Wojciech PapugaPoland46
3Ding-Hwa HsiehMissouri44
4Sjaak SmetsersNetherlands44
5Ben NortonEngland43
6Jonathan MestelEngland42
7John ReardonEngland36
8Jean-Christophe ClementFrance35
9Charles BlairIllinois35

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© 2018 Richard Pavlicek