Quiz 8L51   Main


Triskaidekaphobia


  by Richard Pavlicek

Formidable foe or kissing cousin,
All beware the baker’s dozen!

As West you are the opening leader on these 13 deals from major events in the year 2013.

In case you’re not worried about the number 13 already, remember that bridge is a timed event. You have 13 minutes to choose 13 opening leads. After that I will have to pull the plug on your computer! I’ll start you out with an easy one (only 2 IMPs at stake on Problem 1), and your clock won’t start until you select your first answer.

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. Your goal is to be plus IMPs at the end. Good luck!

Problem 1

IMPsNone VulWest

Pass
Pass		North

3 NT		EAST
Pass
Pass		South
2 NT
Pass

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

Your lead? H 6  D 8   

2013 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying

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

Marty Fleisher led the D 8. Made 3 -400.
Joao-Paulo Campos led the H 6. Made 5 -460.

Problem 2

IMPsBoth VulWest

1 S
Pass		NORTH
1 D
2 D
Pass		East
Pass
Pass
Pass		South
1 H
3 NT

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

Your lead? H Q  C A   

2013 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying

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

Taufik Asbi led the H Q. Down 1 +100.
David Bakhshi led the C A. Made 4 -630.

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Problem 3

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass		North

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

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

Your lead? S 5  C 4   

2013 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying

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

Paulo Brum led the S 5. Down 3 +300.
David Gold led the C 3. Made 4 -620.

Note: Choices for this quiz assume standard leads, so the C 4 (fourth best) was substituted for Gold’s C 3, albeit very strange to underlead the C A on the auction.

Problem 4

IMPsE-W VulWest

Pass
Pass		North

1 NT
Pass		EAST
Pass
Pass
Pass		South
1 S
2 H

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

Your lead? H J  D A   

2013 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying

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

Lorenzo Lauria led the H J. Down 2 +100.
Neville Eber led the D A. Made 2 -110.

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Problem 5

IMPsBoth VulWest

1 S
3 S
Pass		North

Dbl
Dbl
Pass		East

2 S
Pass
Pass		SOUTH
1 C
Pass
4 H

S A Q 7 5 4 2
H 8 3
D K J 10
C 5 4		Table

Your lead? S A  D J   

2013 Spingold Final

Bridge24 vs
Grue 		S 6
H A 10 6 5
D A 9 7 6 2
C Q J 9
S A Q 7 5 4 2
H 8 3
D K J 10
C 5 4		Table S J 10 8
H Q 4 2
D 4 3
C A 10 8 7 2
4 H SouthS K 9 3
H K J 9 7
D Q 8 5
C K 6 3

Michal Nowosadzki led the S A. Down 1 +100.
Joe Grue led the D J. Made 4 -620.

Problem 6

IMPsN-S VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass		NORTH
Pass
3 C1
3 S
Pass		East
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass		South
1 NT
3 D
3 NT

1. singleton club
S J 9 7
H J 7 6 3 2
D 10
C Q J 7 4		Table

Your lead? C Q  C 4   

2013 Spingold Quarterfinal

Bridge24 vs
Nickell 		S Q 6 4
H 10 9 8 5
D A 9 8 6 4
C K
S J 9 7
H J 7 6 3 2
D 10
C Q J 7 4		Table S 10 8 3 2
H Q
D Q J 7 2
C A 6 5 2
3 NT SouthS A K 5
H A K 4
D K 5 3
C 10 9 8 3

Rafal Jagniewski led the C 4. Down 1 +100.
Jeff Meckstroth led the C J. Made 4 -630.

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Problem 7

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass		North

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

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

Your lead? H A  C 3   

2013 USBC Quarterfinal

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

Michael Rosenberg led the H A. Down 1 +100.
John Schermer led the C 10. Made 2 -110.

Problem 8

IMPsE-W VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass		North

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

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

Your lead? S J  H 2   

2013 USBC Quarterfinal

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

Neil Chambers led the S J. Down 1 +50.
Chris Willenken led the H 2. Made 3 -400.

Note: The standard lead from J-x-x in notrump is low, but the jack is reasonable when declarer denied four cards.

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Problem 9

IMPsNone VulWEST
Pass
Pass		North
Pass
Pass		East
1 D
Pass		South
2 H1

1. both majors
S Q 8 7 6
H K 10 5
D Q J
C J 7 4 2		Table

Your lead? H 5  D Q   

2013 USBC Quarterfinal

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

Kevin Dwyer led the H 5. Down 1 +50.
Brian Platnick led the D Q. Made 3 -140.

Problem 10

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass
Pass		NORTH
1 D
1 S
Pass		East
Pass
Pass
Pass		South
1 H
1 NT

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

Your lead? S 3  C 6   

2013 USBC Quarterfinal

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

Bobby Levin led the S 6. Down 1 +100.
Jim Mahaffey led the C 6. Made 3 -150.

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Problem 11

IMPsN-S VulWest

Pass
Pass		North

2 H1
Pass		East

Pass
Pass		SOUTH
1 NT
2 S

1. Jacoby transfer
S 6 4
H K 9 8 7 4
D 7 6 5
C 10 8 4		Table

Your lead? D 5  C 4   

2013 USBC Quarterfinal

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

Bobby Levin led the C 4. Down 1 +100.
Sam Lev led the D 6. Made 2 -110.

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Problem 12

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass		North

2 C
3 NT		East

Pass
Pass		SOUTH
1 NT
2 D
Pass

S J 5 2
H 5 4
D K 10 3 2
C K 9 5 4		Table

Your lead? H 5  D 2   

2013 USBC Quarterfinal

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

Nick Nickell led the D 2. Down 1 +100.
Michael Seamon led the H 5. Made 5 -660.

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Problem 13

IMPsNone VulWest

3 D
Pass		North

4 S		EAST
Pass
Pass		South
2 S
Pass

S A
H 10 9 7
D A Q 10 5 4 3 2
C K J		Table

Your lead? H 10  D A   

2013 USBC Round of 16

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

Geoff Hampson led the D A. Down 1 +50.
Chris Compton led the H 10. Made 4 -420.

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.

Was 13 a good number for you? If you finished on the plus side, you can scratch triskaidekaphobia off your list! If not, gin rummy may be the game for you, with only 10 cards!

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© 2013 Richard Pavlicek