Quiz 8D59 Main

Welcome to the Club

by Richard Pavlicek

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Never mind. While your PavCo Club contract may be automatic, the following club contracts are not. Test your declarer play on these six problems at IMP scoring. But I must warn you: Play carefully! If you score below 50 percent, a $15 “lame fee” will be added to your bill for the current month.

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

Are you ready? Then see if you can play your way from 2 all the way to 7 !

Problem 1

IMPs	K 3 2		West	`North`	East	`South`
E-W vul	8 6 2		1 NT	Pass	Pass	2
	8 6 5 3		Pass	Pass	Pass
	6 4 3

Lead: J		East plays 5


	8 6 5 4
	A K 5
	4
2 South	A K 8 7 2		If you lead a spade, West will play the queen

Your play? A. Win A, lead 4 to king
B. Win A, duck a spade
C. Win A, lead 4
D. Win A-K, lead 4 to king
E. Win A-K, duck a spade
F. Duck the first trick

Problem 2

IMPs	A 7 5		West	North	East	South
Both vul	K Q 4 2		1	Pass	1	2
	7 6 5		2	Pass	Pass	Dbl
	6 4 2		Pass	3	Pass	Pass
			Pass
Lead: 10		East plays 5
Lead: 10		East plays 5

	6 4 3
	3
	A 9 3 2
3 South	A K Q J 3		You draw trumps with A-K-Q (West pitches 7)

What next? A. Lead to K, ruff heart
B. Lead to K, duck diamond
C. Win J, lead to K, ruff heart
D. Win J, lead to K, duck diamond
E. Win J-3, lead to K
F. Win J-3, duck diamond

Quit
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Problem 3

IMPs	8 6 5 4		`West`	`North`	`East`	`South`
None vul	10 5 4				1	2
	8 2		2	Pass	3	4
	A 8 7 5		Dbl	Pass	Pass	Pass

Lead: Q		East plays 7
Lead: Q		East plays 7

	A 2
	K
	A Q 9 7 6 5
4 × South	Q J 10 2		Your overbid caught a welcome dummy… if you can overplay

Your play? A. Win A, lead A
B. Win A, lead Q
C. Win A, lead 2
D. Duck, win A, lead A
E. Duck, win A, lead Q
F. Duck, win A, lead 2

Problem 4

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

	A Q 7 5
	A 5 4 2
	4 2
5 South	K 5 4	East will pitch a diamond on your first trump lead

Your play? A. Win A, finesse Q
B. Win A, lead 5
C. Win A, lead Q to king
D. Duck, win A, finesse Q
E. Duck, win A, K-A, ruff heart high
F. Duck, win A, lead Q to king

Quit
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Problem 5

IMPs	A Q 7 5 3	`West`	`North`	`East`	`South`
None vul	K 8 5 2			4	5
	A 10 9	Pass	6	Pass	Pass
	Q	Pass

Lead: 9
Lead: 9

	2
	3
	K 4 2
6 South	A K J 10 8 7 6 5	When you ruff second heart high, West pitches 6

Your play? A. Play K, ruff next high, win A
B. Play K, ruff next high, finesse Q
C. Play K, ruff next high, win Q
D. Duck 9, ruff next high, win A
E. Duck 9, ruff next high, finesse Q
F. Duck 9, ruff next high, win Q

Problem 6

IMPs	Q 6 5 3		West	`North`	East	`South`
E-W vul	3					2
	A Q 6		Pass	2	Dbl¹	2
	J 9 4 3 2		Pass	2 NT	Pass	3
			Pass	4	Pass	4 NT
Lead: 10		East plays 8	Pass	5	Pass	7
Lead: 10		East plays 8	All Pass

	A 2		1. lead-directing
	A K Q 10 2
	4
7 South	A K Q 8 7		Of course you win the A

What next? A. Ruff diamond ( Q), win A-K
B. Ruff diamond ( Q), win K, lead 7
C. Ruff diamond ( 8), win A-K
D. Ruff diamond ( 8), win K, lead 7
E. Draw trumps, win A-K-Q
F. Draw trumps, finesse 10

Quit
Explanations
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Problem 1

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

To get a spade ruff in dummy, diamonds must be led first to break communication, then West’s Q must be ducked.

Problem 2

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

Only way to obtain an extra red-suit trick is to squeeze West before leading your heart. No defense can stop you.

Quiz 8D59 Main Top Welcome to the Club

Problem 3

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

Holdup is crucial, and only one trump can be led before diamonds. Even if West plays the 9, he cannot beat you.

Problem 4

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

Holdup is crucial, and overtaking the first club lead is the only way to force an early entry to finesse the J.

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Problem 5

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

Ducking 9 would allow a killing club shift. If West had the K, no finesse would be needed (double squeeze).

Problem 6

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

Ruffing diamonds early allows you to succeed when hearts lie foul, whenever the hand with 5+ hearts has the K.

Jonathan Mestel Wins!

These six problems were published in 2018 as a long-running contest, which is now closed. Congratulations to Jonathan Mestel (England) 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 47 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 Jonathan Mestel England 48
2 Perry Groot Netherlands 48
3 Sjaak Smetsers Netherlands 48
4 Ding-Hwa Hsieh Missouri 45
5 Charles Blair Illinois 45
6 Wojciech Papuga Poland 44
7 John Reardon England 44
8 Carsten Kofoed Sweden 35
9 John Lusky Oregon 33

Honor Roll
Rank	Name	Location	Score
1	Jonathan Mestel	England	48
2	Perry Groot	Netherlands	48
3	Sjaak Smetsers	Netherlands	48
4	Ding-Hwa Hsieh	Missouri	45
5	Charles Blair	Illinois	45
6	Wojciech Papuga	Poland	44
7	John Reardon	England	44
8	Carsten Kofoed	Sweden	35
9	John Lusky	Oregon	33

Quiz 8D59 Main Top Welcome to the Club

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