Main   Quiz 8L01 by Richard Pavlicek  

Leading from a Dog

Outside of a dog, bridge is a man’s best friend.
Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to play bridge.

As West on these 10 deals, you are on lead against 3 NT. Your hand may be a dog, but only a doggone fool would come unleashed. Choosing the best lead could win some tasty biscuits, I mean IMPs. Decide the card you would lead and enter its suit and rank. For example, if you would lead the A, type CA.

Compare your choice with the two experts who faced the exact same situation in real life and led differently. Click “Score Me” at any time to see your running score. If you finish plus after 10 boards, you will win a treat! Bone appetit!

Problem 1

IMPs	Both Vul		West Pass Pass Pass	North Pass 3 NT	East Pass Pass	South 2 NT Pass
8 6 J 9 3 2 Q 5 4 3 A 10 2

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

1999 Spingold Final, Beatty vs Nickell

3 NT South	7 5 4 10 8 6 10 8 K J 8 5 4
8 6 J 9 3 2 Q 5 4 3 A 10 2		K 10 9 3 A Q 4 7 6 2 9 6 3
West leads	A Q J 2 K 7 5 A K J 9 Q 7

Billy Eisenberg led the 2. Down 2, +200.
Richard Freeman led the 3. Made 3, -600.

Top     Quit

Problem 2

IMPs	Both Vul		West Pass Pass	North 3 NT	East Pass Pass	South 1 NT Pass
8 7 6 3 J 5 4 J 4 3 Q 6 3

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

2003 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying, Brazil vs Bulgaria

3 NT South	Q 5 4 Q 8 K Q 8 6 K J 7 2
8 7 6 3 J 5 4 J 4 3 Q 6 3		K 9 2 K 9 6 2 9 7 2 10 8 4
West leads	A J 10 A 10 7 3 A 10 5 A 9 5

Marcelo Branco led the 8. Made 4, -630.
Rossen Gunev led the 5. Made 6, -690.

Top     Quit

Problem 3

IMPs	E-W Vul		West Pass Pass	North 3 Pass	East Pass Pass	South 3 NT
9 5 3 K 10 7 6 5 3 A 10 6 5

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

2005 USBC Semifinal, Welland vs Robinson

3 NT South	A 8 2 J 10 9 8 7 5 3 J J 2
9 5 3 K 10 7 6 5 3 A 10 6 5		K Q 4 6 2 A Q 9 8 4 9 8 3
West leads	J 10 7 6 A Q 4 K 2 K Q 7 4

Zia Mahmood led the 7. Down 4, +200.
Peter Boyd led the 5. Made 3, -400.

Top     Quit

Problem 4

IMPs	Both Vul		West Pass Pass Pass	North 1 3 NT	East Pass Pass Pass	South 1 2 NT Pass
9 5 4 K 4 2 K 10 9 5 J 9 6

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

2005 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying, England vs Japan

3 NT South	J 10 6 Q 7 6 5 7 4 2 A 10 8
9 5 4 K 4 2 K 10 9 5 J 9 6		Q 8 2 J 9 3 Q J 8 3 Q 5 2
West leads	A K 7 3 A 10 8 A 6 K 7 4 3

Justin Hackett led the 10. Down 1, +100.
Kenji Miyakuni led the 4. Made 4, -630.

Top     Quit

Problem 5

IMPs	N-S Vul		West 3 Pass	North Pass Pass	East Pass Pass	South 3 NT
K 9 8 5 2 9 5 K J 10 6 5 4

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

2006 USBC Round of 32, Fout vs Onstott

3 NT South	J 7 5 4 J 8 7 Q 8 6 2 A 7
K 9 8 5 2 9 5 K J 10 6 5 4		A 6 2 Q 10 6 4 3 10 4 3 9 2
West leads	Q 10 3 A K 9 A K J 7 Q 8 3

Will Ehlers led the 10. Down 1, +100.
Samuel Cohen led the 5. Made 4, -630.

Top     Quit

Problem 6

IMPs	None Vul		West Pass Pass	North 3 NT	East Pass	South 1 NT Pass
10 8 4 2 J 7 6 9 8 5 3 6 3

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

2007 Bermuda Bowl Semifinal, Netherlands vs Norway

3 NT South	9 7 5 8 4 A J 2 Q J 9 8 4
10 8 4 2 J 7 6 9 8 5 3 6 3		A Q 6 3 A 9 5 2 10 A 10 7 5
West leads	K J K Q 10 3 K Q 7 6 4 K 2

Ton Bakkeren led the 4. Down 1, +50.
Boye Brogeland led the 6. Made 4, -430.

Top     Quit

Problem 7

IMPs	N-S Vul		West Pass Pass Pass Pass	North Pass 2 3 NT	East 1 Pass Pass	South 1 NT 3 Pass
10 8 7 5 J 10 9 5 8 7 A 7 3

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

2007 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying, Argentina vs USA1

3 NT South	K J 9 4 2 Q 4 9 4 K 10 5 2
10 8 7 5 J 10 9 5 8 7 A 7 3		6 3 K 8 6 A Q 6 5 2 9 6 4
West leads	A Q A 7 3 2 K J 10 3 Q J 8

Carlos Pellegrini led the J. Down 1, +100.
Zia Mahmood led the 8. Made 5, -660.

Top     Quit

Problem 8

IMPs	Both Vul		West Pass Pass	North 3 NT	East Pass Pass	South 1 NT Pass
8 5 4 3 J 10 2 Q 10 9 3 K 10

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

2008 Spingold Round of 32, Gromov vs Ivatury

3 NT South	10 7 2 K 8 A 5 4 2 A J 8 7
8 5 4 3 J 10 2 Q 10 9 3 K 10		A 9 6 Q 7 6 5 3 — 9 6 5 4 3
West leads	K Q J A 9 4 K J 8 7 6 Q 2

Andrey Gromov led the J. Down 1, +100.
Bas Drijver led the 10. Made 5, -660.

Top     Quit

Problem 9

IMPs	None Vul		West Pass Pass Pass	North 1 3 NT	East Pass Pass Pass	South 1 1 NT Pass
J 10 Q 8 2 J 9 8 7 J 9 8 4

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

2009 Vanderbilt Quarterfinal, Katz vs Pszczola vs

3 NT South	K 7 6 A 10 9 5 A 4 2 Q 10 5
J 10 Q 8 2 J 9 8 7 J 9 8 4		8 5 4 3 2 K 7 4 K 5 3 A 6
West leads	A Q 9 J 6 3 Q 10 6 K 7 3 2

Bobby Levin led the J. Down 2, +100.
Gary Cohler led the 9. Made 3, -400.

Top     Quit

Problem 10

IMPs	None Vul		West Pass Pass Pass	North 1 2 NT Pass	East 1 Pass Pass	South Pass 1 NT 3 NT
10 7 Q J 8 7 9 5 2 8 7 5 2

Your lead against 3 NT        

In real life…

2009 USBC Playoff, Nickell vs Fleisher

3 NT South	6 3 K 2 A J 10 7 4 3 K Q J
10 7 Q J 8 7 9 5 2 8 7 5 2		A J 8 5 4 A 9 6 5 8 A 9 6
West leads	K Q 9 2 10 4 3 K Q 6 10 4 3

Jeff Meckstroth led the J. Down 2, +100.
Marty Fleisher led the 10. Made 4, -430.

Results and IMP scores are determined from actual play, so the winning lead is not necessarily correct in theory nor proves anything. This is the way it happened! Scoring gives full credit (plus IMPs) to any lead that would have worked as well as the winning lead.

If you finished with plus IMPs and are wondering where your “treat” is, I’m sorry — I lied. Next time you walk into your local pet store on a leash, try to look emaciated, and the owner may throw you a biscuit.

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© 2009 Richard Pavlicek
“Outside of a dog…” paraphrases a quote by Groucho Marx