Quiz 8D47 Main

Spade Detective Agency

by Richard Pavlicek

Sam Spade once said, “When a man’s partner is killed, he’s supposed to do something about it. It doesn’t make any difference what you thought of him; he was your partner and you’re supposed to do something about it.” Good point, so the first thing Sam Spade did about it was to remove Miles Archer’s name from his window sign.

And so it goes in bridge: When your partner dies halfway through a session, don’t bereave! Just remove his name from your convention card and outbid the opponents on every hand to make him dummy. And relax! When you go down you’ll have a good excuse… “I couldn’t reach the good club because dummy was dead.”

Fortunately or unfortunately, your partner is still alive. Only question is whether you will be too after playing these six contracts in spades. I don’t want to make you nervous, but I hope you have your estate plans in order. This quiz is not for the faint of heart but for the feint of spade. “When you’re slapped, you’ll take it and like it!”

Choose your play on each problem then click “Score Me” to see how you did. Explanations follow the quiz.

“The best goodbyes are short… Adieu!” What? You’re still here? Oh dear!

Problem 1

IMPs	A 6 3 2		West	North	East	South
Both vul	A 5		1	Dbl	Pass	2
	A K 3 2		Pass	4	Pass	Pass
	J 5 3		Pass

Lead: Q		East plays 9
Lead: Q		East plays 9

	K Q J 4
	K 6 3 2
	8 6 5 4
4 South	10

Your play? A. Win A, K-Q
B. Win A, A-K, lead 2
C. Win A, duck a diamond
D. Win A, lead 3
E. Win K, K-Q
F. Win K, lead 10

Problem 2

IMPs	J 4		`West`	`North`	`East`	`South`
None vul	Q 6 4 2					3
	A 5 3 2		Dbl¹	Pass	Pass	Pass
	A 7 6
			1. takeout
Lead: K		East plays 3


	A Q 7 6 5 3 2
	8 5 3
	Q 9
3 × South	5		You win the A (goal is to go down only one).

What next? A. Lead 4 to queen
B. Lead 2 to queen
C. Ruff club, lead 5 to jack
D. Ruff club, lead 8
E. Ruff club, run Q
F. Ruff club, lead 9 to ace

Quit
Top Spade Detective Agency

Problem 3

IMPs	K Q 9 7 3 2		`West`	North	`East`	South
N-S vul	K 7 3					1 NT
	2		Pass	2	3	3
	A 6 3		Pass	4 NT	Pass	5
			Pass	6	All Pass
Lead: 9		East plays 10
Lead: 9		East plays 10

	A 10 8
	A 10 2
	A 7 4 3
6 South	K J 4

Your play? A. Win A, K, run all trumps
B. Win A, lead 3 and pitch club
C. Win A, lead 3 and pitch heart
D. Win A, ruff , K, run all trumps
E. Duck, win A next
F. Duck, ruff next diamond

Problem 4

IMPs	A 6 5 4		West	`North`	East	`South`
E-W vul	2			1	1	1
	A K 8 5 4		1 NT	2	3	3
	8 7 5		Pass	4	Pass	Pass
			Pass
Lead: Q		East plays 6
Lead: Q		East plays 6

	10 9 8 7 2
	A 10 8 5 3
	3 2
4 South	Q		You win the A.

What next? A. Win A, ruff heart, lead 5
B. Win A, ruff heart, win K, lead 4
C. Win A, lead Q
D. Win K, lead 5
E. Win K, lead 4
F. Lead the 5

Quit
Top Spade Detective Agency

Problem 5

IMPs	K J 10 9 2		`West`	`North`	`East`	`South`
None vul	K 4 2					1
	Q 10 4 3		Dbl	4	5	Pass
	A		Pass	5	Pass	Pass
			Pass
Lead: K		East plays 3
Lead: K		East plays 3

	A 8 7 6 5 3
	A 10 8 3
	J 2
5 South	5		You win the A, K, then J to A (West pitches two clubs).

What next? A. Win 10, lead 10
B. Win 10, lead 3 to jack
C. Lead the J
D. Lead 2 to queen
E. Lead 2 to 10
F. Lead 2 and duck it

Problem 6

IMPs	K 10 8 7		`West`	North	`East`	South
N-S vul	5				Pass	1
	A 9 7 5		4	4 NT	Pass	5
	A K Q 2		Pass	6	Pass	Pass
			Pass
Lead: K		East plays 3
Lead: K		East plays 3

	A 9 6 5 4 3
	A 2
	Q 6 3
6 South	7 4		You win the A and lead 3… bad news as West pitches a heart.

Your play? A. Win K, A, ruff heart
B. Win K, A, A-K-Q, lead 2
C. Win K, duck a spade
D. Win K, A-K-Q, lead 2
E. Play 10 (lose to East)
F. Play 8 (lose to East)

Quit
Explanations
Top Spade Detective Agency

Problem 1

IMPs A 6 3 2 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
N-S vul A 5 1. W Q 5! 9 K
A K 3 2 2. S 10! Q 3 4
J 5 3 3. W 7 A 4 2
8 Table 10 9 7 5 4. N 2! 7 4 9
Q J 10 8 7 9 4 5. W J 6 7 3
Q J 9 10 7 6. E 6 4 2 5
A Q 9 2 K 8 7 6 4 7. S K 8 2 5
K Q J 4 8. S 6 8 A 10
K 6 3 2 9. N 3 9 J 10
8 6 5 4 10. S Q 9 J 10
4 South 10 Win the rest

Play sequence is crucial if East has four spades. Even if East had a singleton heart, chances are good (and no other play does better).

Problem 2

IMPs J 4 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
N-S vul Q 6 4 2 1. W K A 3 5
A 5 3 2 2. N 6! 4 2 2
A 7 6 3. S 9! 10 A 6
— Table K 10 9 8 4. N 7 9 3 8
K J 9 7 A 10 5. S Q K 2 7
K 10 8 4 J 7 6 6. W J 2 10 3
K Q J 8 2 10 9 4 3 7. W 9 4 A 5
A Q 7 6 5 3 2 8. E J 5 4 3
8 5 3 9. S 8 K 6 10
Q 9 10. W Q 5 10 6!
3 × South 5 East is endplayed

With opponents unable to cash three hearts fluidly, trump reduction allows East to be endplayed (underruff at Trick 10).

Quiz 8D47 Main Top Spade Detective Agency

Problem 3

IMPs K Q 9 7 3 2 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
N-S vul K 7 3 1. W 9 2 10 3!
2 2. E K 4 5 2
A 6 3 3. N K 6 10 4
J 6 5 4 Table — 4. N 3 8 A 5
Q 9 6 J 8 5 4 5. S 8 6 9 4
9 5 K Q J 10 8 6 6. N Q 7 4 J
Q 8 5 2 10 9 7 7. N 7 9 J 2
A 10 8 8. N 3 10 K 5
A 10 2 9. S A 6 3 J
A 7 4 3 10. S 2 9 K 5
6 South K J 4 11. N A ?
East is squeezed

With diamond length East, a pure squeeze is a virtual cinch if you rectify the count without disturbing North’s threats.

Problem 4

IMPs A 6 5 4 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
N-S vul 2 1. W Q A 6 2
A K 8 5 4 2. N 5! A Q 3
8 7 5 3. E Q 2 3 A
K 3 Table Q J 4. N 7! 2 7 6
J 4 K Q 9 7 6 5. S 3 9 K J
Q J 10 9 7 6 6. E K A 4 2
K 9 6 3 A J 10 4 2 7. S 3 J 4 6
10 9 8 7 2 8. N 4 4 8 7
A 10 8 5 3 9. S 5 9 5 7
3 2 10. N 5 10 9 10
4 South Q 11. S 8
Crossruff, lose 1

Key is to balance your trump length, then a successful elopement is assured if East ruffs your diamond winner.

Quiz 8D47 Main Top Spade Detective Agency

Problem 5

IMPs K J 10 9 2 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
N-S vul K 4 2 1. W K A 3 5
Q 10 4 3 2. N K 4 3 2
A 3. N J Q A 4
— Table Q 4 4. S 2! 8 10 A
Q J 9 5 7 6 5. E 7 A! 5 2
K 8 7 6 A 9 5 6. S 5 6 10 7
K Q 6 4 2 J 10 9 8 7 3 7. N 9 8 6 Q
A 8 7 6 5 3 8. N 2 9 8 9
A 10 8 3 9. S 7! ?
J 2 West is squeezed, lose 1
5 South 5

Only a low diamond to the 10 allows West to be squeezed in the red suits after East returns a heart (win A).

Problem 6

IMPs K 10 8 7 Trick Lead 2nd 3rd 4th
N-S vul 5 1. W K 5 3 A
A 9 7 5 2. S 3 4 10! J
A K Q 2 3. E 10 4 3 A
— Table Q J 2 4. N A 2 3 4
K Q J 9 8 7 4 10 6 3 5. N 8 2 9! 7
10 8 4 K J 2 6. S 2 8 K 6
8 6 3 J 10 9 5 7. N 7 Q A 9
A 9 6 5 4 3 8. S 6 6 5 10
A 2 9. S 5 J 7 J
Q 6 3 10. S 4 8 9 ?
6 South 7 4 East is squeezed

Playing the 10 is crucial to retain communication to ruff a heart and cash the A (Vienna coup) before running trumps to squeeze East. Note that playing the 8 is not the same and fails.

Ding-Hwa Hsieh Wins!

These six problems were published in 2018 as a long-running contest, which is now closed. Congratulations to Ding-Hwa Hsieh (Missouri) who was the first of three to submit perfect scores. 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 41 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
Rank Name Location Score
1 Ding-Hwa Hsieh Missouri 48
2 Wojciech Papuga Poland 48
3 Jonathan Mestel England 48
4 Perry Groot Netherlands 40
5 Gareth Birdsall England 38
6 John Reardon England 37
7 Jean-Luc Mothes France 34

Honor Roll
Rank	Name	Location	Score
1	Ding-Hwa Hsieh	Missouri	48
2	Wojciech Papuga	Poland	48
3	Jonathan Mestel	England	48
4	Perry Groot	Netherlands	40
5	Gareth Birdsall	England	38
6	John Reardon	England	37
7	Jean-Luc Mothes	France	34

Quiz 8D47 Main Top Spade Detective Agency

Acknowledgments to Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) and The Maltese Falcon.
Photo is Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in the 1941 movie classic.
© 2018 Richard Pavlicek

IMPs	A 6 3 2		Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
N-S vul	A 5		1. W	Q	5!	9	K
	A K 3 2		2. S	10!	Q	3	4
	J 5 3		3. W	7	A	4	2
8		10 9 7 5	4. N	2!	7	4	9
Q J 10 8 7		9 4	5. W	J	6	7	3
Q J 9		10 7	6. E	6	4	2	5
A Q 9 2		K 8 7 6 4	7. S	K	8	2	5
	K Q J 4		8. S	6	8	A	10
	K 6 3 2		9. N	3	9	J	10
	8 6 5 4		10. S	Q	9	J	10
4 South	10			Win the rest