Quiz 8L11   Main


Calling a Spade a Spade


  by Richard Pavlicek

When you’re slapped, you’ll take it and like it!

Playing against Sam Spade, you find yourself on lead against 10 straight spade contracts. Choose the winning lead and you will win a priceless black bird, or at least a few falcon IMPs.

Choose your lead from the two options offered, then compare your choice with the two experts who faced the 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’re a falcon hero!

Problem 1

IMPsBoth VulWEST
Pass
Rdbl
Dbl
North
Pass
Pass
Pass
East
1 H
Pass
Pass
South
Dbl
1 S
Pass


S K J 8 2
H A 9
D K 6 5 2
C 10 9 6
Table

Your lead? HC 10   

1997 USBC Playoff

Nickell vs
Katz
S Q 10 5
H 8 6 2
D J 9 7 4
C J 8 5
S K J 8 2
H A 9
D K 6 5 2
C 10 9 6
Table S 7 6
H Q J 10 5 4 3
D A 8
C A Q 7
1 S× SouthS A 9 4 3
H K 7
D Q 10 3
C K 4 3 2

Nick Nickell led the C 10. Down 2 +500.
Ralph Katz led the H A. Down 1 +200.

Problem 2

IMPsE-W VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass
North

1 NT
2 S
East

Pass
Pass
SOUTH
1 S
2 H
Pass


S K 10 6 5
H K J 9 4
D 7 6 5
C K 4
Table

Your lead? DC K   

2000 USBC Semifinal

Jacobs vs
Nickell
S 8 3
H 5 3
D A 10 4 2
C Q 10 6 5 2
S K 10 6 5
H K J 9 4
D 7 6 5
C K 4
Table S J 9
H A 7 2
D J 9 8
C A J 8 7 3
2 S SouthS A Q 7 4 2
H Q 10 8 6
D K Q 3
C 9

Howard Weinstein led the D 5. Down 2 +100.
Bob Hamman led the C K. Down 1 +50.

Quiz 8L11   QuitTop   Calling a Spade a Spade

Problem 3

IMPsN-S VulWest

Pass
Pass
North

2 H
Pass
East

Pass
Pass
SOUTH
1 NT
2 S


S 9 4
H K 8 3 2
D K Q 10
C 9 8 4 2
Table

Your lead? DC 2   

2001 Bermuda Bowl Final

Norway vs
USA
S J 10 6 5 2
H 9 7 4
D 9 8 5 3
C A
S 9 4
H K 8 3 2
D K Q 10
C 9 8 4 2
Table S A K 8 7
H A J 10
D J 6 4
C 10 7 3
2 S SouthS Q 3
H Q 6 5
D A 7 2
C K Q J 6 5

Geir Helgemo led the D K. Down 2 +200.
Alan Sontag led the C 9. Made 2 -110.

Note: Choices offered by this quiz assume standard leads, so the C 2 was substituted for Sontag’s C 9.

Problem 4

IMPsN-S VulWest

2 H
Pass
North

Dbl
Pass
East

3 H
Pass
SOUTH
Pass
3 S


S J 2
H A 9 7 6 5 2
D 10 6 3
C K 3
Table

Your lead? HD 3   

2002 USBC Semifinal

Schwartz vs
Welland
S K 8 6
H K 8 4
D A 5 2
C A J 9 8
S J 2
H A 9 7 6 5 2
D 10 6 3
C K 3
Table S A Q 7 5
H J 10 3
D 9 7
C Q 7 6 4
3 S SouthS 10 9 4 3
H Q
D K Q J 8 4
C 10 5 2

David Berkowitz led the D 3. Down 1 +100.
Fred Gitelman led the H 7. Made 3 -140.

Quiz 8L11   QuitTop   Calling a Spade a Spade

Problem 5

IMPsNone VulWest

Pass
North

Pass
EAST
1 C
Pass
South
2 S


S J 9
H K Q 4
D K 10 8 5 4 3
C 10 6
Table

Your lead? HC 10   

2004 Vanderbilt Final

Jacobs vs
Schwartz
S A 8
H J 9 5 3
D 9
C K Q J 8 4 3
S J 9
H K Q 4
D K 10 8 5 4 3
C 10 6
Table S K 7 3
H A 8 6 2
D J 7
C A 9 7 2
2 S SouthS Q 10 6 5 4 2
H 10 7
D A Q 6 2
C 5

Alfredo Versace led the H K. Down 2 +100.
Steve Robinson led the C 10. Made 2 -110.

Problem 6

IMPsN-S VulWEST
1 D
2 C
Pass
North
Pass
2 S
East
1 H
Pass
South
1 S
Pass


S 2
H Q 4
D A Q 9 6 2
C A 9 8 4 2
Table

Your lead? HC 4   

2004 USBC Quarterfinal

Cayne vs
Nickell
S J 6 5
H K 10 9 7
D 10 8
C K J 6 3
S 2
H Q 4
D A Q 9 6 2
C A 9 8 4 2
Table S Q 10 7 4
H A J 8 3 2
D 7
C 10 7 5
2 S SouthS A K 9 8 3
H 6 5
D K J 5 4 3
C Q

Sidney Lazard led the H Q. Down 3 +300.
Bob Hamman led the C 2. Down 1 +100.

Quiz 8L11   QuitTop   Calling a Spade a Spade

Problem 7

IMPsNone VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass
NORTH
Pass
1 NT
4 S
East
Pass
Pass
Pass
South
1 S
3 S
Pass


S 8 6 5
H A Q 10 5
D K 9
C 9 8 7 5
Table

Your lead? SD K   

2004 Olympiad Quarterfinal

Ireland vs
Netherlands
S 10 3
H K J 8 7 6
D Q 6 3 2
C K 2
S 8 6 5
H A Q 10 5
D K 9
C 9 8 7 5
Table S J 4
H 9 4 2
D A 10 7 4
C Q J 10 4
4 S SouthS A K Q 9 7 2
H 3
D J 8 5
C A 6 3

Hugh McGann led the D K. Down 1 +50.
Sjoert Brink led the S 6. Made 4 -420.

Problem 8

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass
Pass
NORTH
1 D
2 S
Pass
East
Pass
Pass
Pass
South
1 S
4 S


S 5 3
H 9 8 6 4
D 4 2
C A 10 9 7 4
Table

Your lead? HD 4   

2009 USBC Round of 16

Robinson vs
Strul
S A K 8
H 10 7 5 2
D A 10 9 7 5
C K
S 5 3
H 9 8 6 4
D 4 2
C A 10 9 7 4
Table S J 7 6
H A Q 3
D Q 8 6
C 6 5 3 2
4 S SouthS Q 10 9 4 2
H K J
D K J 3
C Q J 8

Peter Boyd led the H 6. Made 4 -620.
Lew Stansby led the D 4. Made 6 -680.

Quiz 8L11   QuitTop   Calling a Spade a Spade

Problem 9

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass
North

3 H
4 D
Pass
EAST
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
South
2 NT
3 S
4 S


S 8 7 2
H A 9 7 6 3
D 8 7
C J 9 4
Table

Your lead? SC 4   

2009 Bermuda Bowl Final

USA2 vs
Italy
S Q J 6 4 3
H 8
D Q J 6 4
C A 6 5
S 8 7 2
H A 9 7 6 3
D 8 7
C J 9 4
Table S 9 5
H 10 5 4
D 9 5 3 2
C K Q 3 2
4 S SouthS A K 10
H K Q J 2
D A K 10
C 10 8 7

Jeff Meckstroth led the C 4. Made 4 -620.
Giorgio Duboin led the S 2. Made 6 -680.

Problem 10

IMPsN-S VulWest

Dbl
Pass
North

Pass
Pass
EAST
1 C
2 H
Pass
South
1 S
2 S


S J 7 3
H Q 7 6 4
D 6 5
C K J 10 7
Table

Your lead? SC J   

2009 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying

Argentina vs
Brazil
S 5
H J 9 8 5
D Q J 8 7 4
C A 6 2
S J 7 3
H Q 7 6 4
D 6 5
C K J 10 7
Table S 10 9 8
H A K 3 2
D A 9 2
C Q 8 4
2 S SouthS A K Q 6 4 2
H 10
D K 10 3
C 9 5 3

Carlos Pelligrini led the C 10. Made 3 -140.
Gabriel Chagas led the S 3. Made 5 -200.

Results and IMP scores are determined from actual play, so the winning lead is not necessarily correct in theory nor proves anything. This is how it happened in a major event! Therefore, luck is a big factor in your score.

If you finished with plus IMPs, I’m sorry to inform you: I just ran out of priceless black birds, so you’ll have to settle for a rubber ducky. No, wait! I’m out of them too, so take your falcon IMPs and get out of here!

Quiz 8L11   MainTop   Calling a Spade a Spade

Credits to Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) and The Maltese Falcon
Photo is Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade in the 1941 film
© 2009 Richard Pavlicek