Quiz 8L41   Main


Witch Lead To Make!


  by Richard Pavlicek

Witchever way you’re viewing this witch’s evildoing,
The cauldron is brewing and you may be stewing!

As the Wicked Witch of the West, you are the opening leader and must decide witch card to lead against these 10 contracts from major events.

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. Finish plus after 10 boards, and it’s lucky you, as everyone who goes minus will be invited for the stew!

Problem 1

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass		North

Pass		EAST
Pass
Pass		South
1 NT

S A K 4 2
H J 8 3
D A 10 9 6
C Q 5		Table

Your lead? S K  D 10   

2006 USBC Semifinal

Ekeblad vs
Meltzer 		S Q J 3
H Q 9 4
D J 7 3 2
C J 8 6
S A K 4 2
H J 8 3
D A 10 9 6
C Q 5		Table S 10 8
H 7 5 2
D Q 8 5
C K 10 9 3 2
1 NT SouthS 9 7 6 5
H A K 10 6
D K 4
C A 7 4

Brad Moss led the D 9. Down 1 +100.
Bart Bramley led the S A. Made 1 -90.

Note: Choices for this quiz assume standard leads, so the D 10 and S K were substituted for the D 9 and S A above.

Problem 2

IMPsN-S VulWest

Pass		NORTH
Pass
Pass		East
Pass
Pass		South
2 NT

S K 6 4 3
H J 6 3
D Q 9 3 2
C J 7		Table

Your lead? S 3  D 2   

2006 USBC Quarterfinal

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

Michael Seamon led the D 2. Down 1 +100.
Zia Mahmood led the S 3. Made 2 -120.

Quiz 8L41   QuitTop   Witch Lead To Make!

Problem 3

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

S J 8 7 2
H K 10 9 3
D J 8 2
C Q J		Table

Your lead? H 10  H 3   

2006 Spingold Round of 64

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

Jim Krekorian led the H 9. Down 3 +300.
Thomas Smith led the H 3. Made 3 -620.

Problem 4

IMPsE-W VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass		North

2 D
3 NT		EAST
Pass
Pass
Pass		South
1 S
2 NT
Pass

S K Q J 6 4
H A 3
D 7 3 2
C 7 3 2		Table

Your lead? S 4  C 7   

2007 USBC Semifinal

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

Grant Baze led the C 7. Down 1 +50.
Paul Soloway led the S 4. Made 3 -400.

Quiz 8L41   QuitTop   Witch Lead To Make!

Problem 5

IMPsN-S VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass		North

1 H
3 NT		EAST
Pass
Pass
Pass		South
1 D
2 NT
Pass

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

Your lead? S 2  D J   

2007 USBC Quarterfinal

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

Roger Bates led the D 10. Down 2 +200.
Gary Cohler led the S 2. Made 3 -600.

Problem 6

IMPsE-W VulWest

Pass
Pass		North

1 S
Pass		East

Dbl
Pass		SOUTH
1 D
2 D

S J 7 2
H Q 4
D A 10 7 6 4
C 7 4 3		Table

Your lead? H Q  C 3   

2007 Spingold Semifinal

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

Jiang Gu led the C3. Down 1 +50.
Andrey Gromov led the H Q. Made 2 -90.

Quiz 8L41   QuitTop   Witch Lead To Make!

Problem 7

IMPsE-W VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass		North

1 H
4 S		East

Pass
Pass		SOUTH
1 C
1 S
Pass

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

Your lead? D 3  C 5   

2008 Vanderbilt Semifinal

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

Boguslaw Gierulski led the D 9. Down 1 +50.
Rose Meltzer led the C 5. Made 4 -420.

Problem 8

IMPsE-W VulWEST
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass		North
1 H
2 H
3 NT		East
Pass
Pass
Pass		South
2 C
2 NT
Pass

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

Your lead? S 7  D 7   

2009 USBC Semifinal

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

Jeff Meckstroth led the D 7. Down 1 +50.
Howard Weinstein led the S 7. Made 4 +430.

Quiz 8L41   QuitTop   Witch Lead To Make!

Problem 9

IMPsNone VulWest

Pass
Pass		North

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

S K 7 3
H Q 10 8 6 2
D A 6
C K 10 7		Table

Your lead? S 3  C 7   

2009 USBC Quarterfinal

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

Zia Mahmood led the S 3. Down 4 +200.
Steve Weinstein led the C 7. Down 3 +150.

Problem 10

IMPsNone VulWest

Pass		NORTH
Pass
Pass		East
Pass
Pass		South
1 NT

S Q 4
H K 7 2
D K Q 9 7 2
C Q 6 3		Table

Your lead? D K  D 7   

2009 USBC Round of 16-B

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

Bobby Levin led the D Q. Down 2 +100.
Jim Mahaffey led the D 7. Made 1 -90.

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.

Congratulations! You made it to the end. Only question is whether you’re through, or sticking around for a pot of stew. Hmm… Let me add those scores again.

Quiz 8L41   MainTop   Witch Lead To Make!

© 2012 Richard Pavlicek