Quiz 8D53 Main |
| by Richard Pavlicek |
PavCo Diamonds (PAVD) shares are up 80 percent, and operations are in full swing at our Jwaneng mine. In fact, our diamond supply is so abundant that our research department has developed a technology to transform these cubic crystals of carbon into graphite.
Problem 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Honor Roll |
Our reverse-alchemy process could be worth billions, not only in preserving the market price of diamonds, but in meeting the high demand for quality pencils. Anyone wishing to experience this transformation is invited to send their diamond jewelry to our Florida plant. In return, well send you an equivalent amount of pencils free of charge.
Or better yet Save on postage and visit one of our kiosks at most major shopping malls. PavCo Diamonds now has contracts with 12 mall chains to provide on-the-spot transformations. Just bring in your diamonds, and we guarantee youll be delighted with the finest pencils in exchange. How can you lose?
While were on the subject of diamond contracts, test your declarer play on the following six problems at IMP scoring. And dont fret! If you turn them into graphite, well understand that too.
Decide how you would play each contract without peeking at the solution, which follows.
Are you ready? Then get the lead out of your behind, and try to sparkle!
IMPs E-W Vul | 7 5 4 3 J 7 6 2 A Q 2 A J | WEST 1 NT Pass All Pass | North Pass Dbl | East 3 1 Pass | South Pass 3 | |
Lead: Q | East plays 10 | |||||
3 South | J 2 A 10 4 9 8 6 5 4 3 K 7 | 1. weak sign-off |
Which club will you win first? And how will you proceed?
3 South | 7 5 4 3 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
J 7 6 2 | 1 W | Q | A! | 10 | K! | ||
A Q 2 | 2 N | 3! | 9 | J | Q | ||
A J | 3 W | 2 | J | 3 | 7 | ||
A Q 8 6 | K 10 9 | 4 N | 4 | 10 | 2 | 6 | |
K Q 8 3 | 9 5 | 5 E | 9 | 4 | Q | 2 | |
K J 10 | 7 | 6 W | J | Q | 7 | 3 | |
Q 2 | 10 9 8 6 5 4 3 | 7 N | 5 | K | 4 | 8 | |
J 2 | 8 S | 9 | 10 | A | 4 | ||
A 10 4 | 9 N | 7 | 5 | 5 | A | ||
9 8 6 5 4 3 | 10 S | 8 | K | 2 | 6 | ||
Lead: Q | K 7 | West is endplayed |
Leading spades at every chance (toward J to limit East to one entry) eventually allows West to be endplayed.
IMPs None Vul | 5 4 3 5 4 A Q J Q J 10 7 6 | West 1 3 All Pass | North 2 Pass | East 2 Pass | SOUTH 1 3 4 | |
Lead: A | East plays 10 | |||||
4 South | 2 A J 10 6 10 9 8 7 5 A K 4 |
West continues with the K (East plays 8) which you ruff. If you take the diamond finesse, it wins.
4 South | 5 4 3 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
5 4 | 1 W | A | 3 | 10 | 2 | ||
A Q J | 2 W | K | 4 | 8 | 5 | ||
Q J 10 7 6 | 3 S | 7 | 4 | J | 2 | ||
A K J 7 6 | Q 10 9 8 | 4 N | Q! | K | 8 | 2 | |
K 9 2 | Q 8 7 3 | 5 E | Q | 6! | 6 | 5 | |
4 | K 6 3 2 | 6 E | 3 | A | 5 | 6 | |
9 8 5 2 | 3 | 7 S | 9 | 8 | A | 3 | |
2 | 8 N | 4 | 3 | A | 2 | ||
A J 10 6 | Draw trump, claim | ||||||
10 9 8 7 5 | |||||||
Lead: A | A K 4 |
Contract is assured if you keep trump control and dont lose a club ruff. Pitch a heart if a third spade is led.
IMPs Both Vul | A K 8 7 6 2 9 5 A K 8 6 3 | West 2 Pass | NORTH 1 3 5 | East Pass 3 All Pass | South 1 NT 4 | |
Lead: J | East plays 8 | |||||
5 South | 6 4 2 4 3 A K Q J 10 7 4 2 |
If you lose the lead to an opponent, a trump will be returned.
5 South | A | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
K 8 7 6 2 | 1 W | J | A | 8 | 2 | ||
9 5 | 2 N | 3! | 5 | 2 | 10 | ||
A K 8 6 3 | 3 W | 2 | 5 | 4 | 10 | ||
K J 10 9 5 | Q 8 7 3 | 4 S | 3! | A | 2 | 5 | |
A Q J 10 | 9 5 | 5 W | K | 9 | 3 | 4 | |
3 2 | 8 7 6 4 | 6 N | K | 9 | 4 | 10 | |
Q 10 | J 9 5 | 7 N | 6 | 7 | J | J | |
6 4 2 | Win the rest | ||||||
4 3 | |||||||
A K Q J 10 | |||||||
Lead: J | 7 4 2 |
Immediate club duck and subsequent heart lead-up provide the only hope to succeed in this precarious contract.
IMPs N-S Vul | A 3 J 5 3 9 8 7 A Q J 5 2 | West 3 All Pass | NORTH 1 4 | East 2 Pass | South 3 5 | |
Lead: 3 | East plays 2 | |||||
5 South | 7 5 4 2 A K 2 K Q J 10 5 4 |
In which hand will you win the first trick, and how will you proceed?
5 South | A 3 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
J 5 3 | 1 W | 3 | 7 | 2 | Q | ||
9 8 7 | 2 S | 4 | 8 | J | 3 | ||
A Q J 5 2 | 3 N | 2! | 6 | 10 | 9 | ||
K 8 | Q J 10 9 6 | 4 S | 2 | 8 | 3! | 9 | |
10 9 7 4 | Q 8 6 | 5 E | 4 | J | A | 8 | |
A 6 3 | 4 2 | 6 W | 10 | 3 | 6 | A | |
K 10 9 8 | 7 6 3 | 7 S | 4 | K | A | 6 | |
7 5 4 2 | 8 N | A | 7 | 5 | 10 | ||
A K 2 | 9 N | 5 | 10 | K! | K | ||
K Q J 10 5 | 10 S | 5 | 6 | 9 | J | ||
Lead: 3 | 4 | 11 N | Q | ? | |||
East is squeezed |
After the brutal trump lead you need a favorable layout, and only exact technique allows East to be squeezed.
IMPs None Vul | J 10 2 Q 4 3 A K 10 8 4 9 7 | West Pass Pass All Pass | North 3 4 | East Pass Pass | SOUTH 2 NT1 3 6 | |
Lead: 7 | East plays 3 or 9 if you play 8 | |||||
6 South | A 9 8 A 10 9 Q J 2 A Q J 3 | 1. 20-21 or 18 for clowns |
You obviously cant bid, so maybe play is your thing.
6 South | J 10 2 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
Q 4 3 | 1 W | 7 | K! | 3 | J! | ||
A K 10 8 4 | 2 N | 2! | 5 | 9 | Q | ||
9 7 | 3 W | 6 | A | 9 | Q | ||
Q 4 3 | K 7 6 5 | 4 N | J | 6 | 8 | 3 | |
K 6 5 | J 8 7 2 | 5 N | 7 | 5 | Q | 2 | |
7 6 5 | 9 3 | 6 S | A | 4 | 10 | 7 | |
10 8 4 2 | K 6 5 | 7 S | A | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
A 9 8 | 8 S | 2 | 5 | 10 | 7 | ||
A 10 9 | 9 N | 8 | K | 9 | 6 | ||
Q J 2 | 10 N | 4 | 8 | 10 | ? | ||
Lead: 7 | A Q J 3 | West is squeezed |
Entries must be used keenly for this overbid, eventually squeezing West in clubs and hearts (with Vienna coup).
IMPs N-S Vul | A K 8 K 8 7 6 5 4 9 8 4 3 | West 6 7 All Pass | North 6 Dbl | EAST 1 Pass Pass | South 5 Pass 7 | |
Lead: K | East plays 5 | |||||
7 South | J 2 A 3 2 A Q J 10 7 6 3 2 |
Hey, Lucy in the sky! Would you bid eight diamonds if they bid again?
7 South | A K 8 | Trick | Lead | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
K 8 7 6 5 4 | 1 W | K | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
9 8 | 2 S | J! | 3 | A | 4 | ||
4 3 | 3 N | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
10 7 6 3 | Q 9 5 4 | 4 N | K! | 9 | 2 | 10 | |
10 | Q J 9 | 5 N | 8 | 5 | 10 | 6 | |
| K 5 4 | 6 S | A | 7 | 4 | K | |
K Q 10 9 8 7 6 2 | A J 5 | 7 S | Q | 8 | 5 | J | |
J 2 | 8 S | J | 9 | 6 | 5 | ||
A 3 2 | 9 S | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | ||
A Q J 10 7 6 3 2 | 10 S | 6 | 10 | 8 | ? | ||
Lead: K | | East is squeezed |
If East has 3+ hearts, you must squeeze him. Exact play (double guard squeeze) needs only two of Q-10-9 in East.
These six problems were published in 2018 as a long-running contest, which is now closed. Congratulations to Wojciech Papuga (Poland) who achieved the best score in this difficult contest. 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 38 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 | Wojciech Papuga | Poland | 46 |
2 | Ding-Hwa Hsieh | Missouri | 40 |
3 | Perry Groot | Netherlands | 40 |
4 | Sjaak Smetsers | Netherlands | 40 |
5 | Jonathan Mestel | England | 38 |
6 | Gareth Birdsall | England | 32 |
7 | John Lusky | Oregon | 32 |
Quiz 8D53 Main | Top Diamonds to Graphite |
© 2018 PavCo Diamonds Craporation
sacrificing brilliance to get the lead out