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 opening leads then click “Score Me” to see how you did. If you finish plus IMPs after 13 boards, you can dismiss your fears of Friday the 13th! At the end you can view the actual deals and see how two experts led differently in each case.

1. None vul3 NTWestNorthEastSouth
S A Q 10 8TablePass2 NT
H K J 8 6Pass3 NTPassPass
D 8 7 3Pass
C 7 3
 
Your lead? H 6 D 8

2. Both vul3 NTWestNorthEastSouth
S A 10 9 6 4Table1 DPass1 H
H Q J 8 51 S2 DPass3 NT
D J 3PassPassPass
C A 5
 
Your lead? H Q C A

3. Both vul4 SWestNorthEastSouth
S 7 5TablePassPass
H 6 4 2Pass1 HPass1 S
D Q 8Pass3 DPass3 NT
C A 8 5 4 3 2Pass4 SPassPass
 Pass
Your lead? S 5 C 4

4. E-W vul2 HWestNorthEastSouth
S K 10 9 8TablePass1 S
H J 8Pass1 NTPass2 H
D A K 9 6PassPassPass
C Q 9 8
 
Your lead? H J D A

 Quit

Top Triskaidekaphobia

5. Both vul4 HWestNorthEastSouth
S A Q 7 5 4 2Table1 C
H 8 31 SDbl2 SPass
D K J 103 SDblPass4 H
C 5 4PassPassPass
 
Your lead? S A D J

6. N-S vul3 NTWestNorthEastSouth
S J 9 7TablePassPass1 NT
H J 7 6 3 2Pass3 C1Pass3 D
D 10Pass3 SPass3 NT
C Q J 7 4PassPassPass
 
Your lead? C Q C 4

7. Both vul2 SWestNorthEastSouth
S K 9 8 3TablePass1 S
H APass1 NTPass2 D
D 10 8 7 4Pass2 SPassPass
C 10 9 5 3Pass
 
Your lead? H A C 3

8. E-W vul3 NTWestNorthEastSouth
S J 8 7TablePass1 NT
H A 10 7 2Pass2 CPass2 D
D 9 8 6 2Pass3 NTPassPass
C 5 4Pass
 
Your lead? S J H 2

 Quit

Top Triskaidekaphobia

9. None vul2 HWestNorthEastSouth
S Q 8 7 6TablePassPass1 D2 H1
H K 10 5PassPassPass
D Q J
C J 7 4 21. both majors
 
Your lead? H 5 D Q

10. Both vul1 NTWestNorthEastSouth
S 9 8 6 3Table1 DPass1 H
H A Q 6 3Pass1 SPass1 NT
D Q 10 2PassPassPass
C 6 4
 
Your lead? S 3 C 6

11. N-S vul2 SWestNorthEastSouth
S 6 4Table1 NT
H K 9 8 7 4Pass2 H1Pass2 S
D 7 6 5PassPassPass
C 10 8 4
 1. Jacoby transfer
Your lead? D 5 C 4

12. Both vul3 NTWestNorthEastSouth
S J 5 2Table1 NT
H 5 4Pass2 CPass2 D
D K 10 3 2Pass3 NTPassPass
C K 9 5 4Pass
 
Your lead? H 5 D 2

13. None vul4 SWestNorthEastSouth
S ATablePass2 S
H 10 9 73 D4 SPassPass
D A Q 10 5 4 3 2Pass
C K J
 
Your lead? H 10 D A

 Quit

Actual Results

Top Triskaidekaphobia

1. Bermuda Bowl Qualifying 2013

East dealsS 5 3 2WestNorthEastSouth
None vulH 7 5Pass2 NT
D A J 2Pass3 NTPassPass
C Q 9 8 6 2Pass
S A Q 10 8TableS K 9 7 6
H K J 8 6H 10 4 3
D 8 7 3D 10 9 6 4
C 7 3C 10 4
S J 4
H A Q 9 2
D K Q 5
3 NT SouthC A K J 5

Marty Fleisher led the D 8 (made 3) -400, +2 IMPs.
Joao-Paulo Campos led the H 6 (made 5) -460, -2 IMPs.

2. Bermuda Bowl Qualifying 2013

North dealsS 8 3WestNorthEastSouth
Both vulH 21 DPass1 H
D A K Q 10 9 81 S2 DPass3 NT
C Q J 8 3PassPassPass
S A 10 9 6 4TableS 7 5 2
H Q J 8 5H A 10 7 4
D J 3D 7 5 4
C A 5C 7 6 4
S K Q J
H K 9 6 3
D 6 2
3 NT SouthC K 10 9 2

Taufik Asbi led the H Q (down 1) +100, +12 IMPs.
David Bakhshi led the C A (made 4) -630, -12 IMPs.

3. Bermuda Bowl Qualifying 2013

East dealsS A K 8WestNorthEastSouth
Both vulH A J 10 7 5PassPass
D A K 10 5 4Pass1 HPass1 S
C —Pass3 DPass3 NT
S 7 5TableS Q 9 3 2Pass4 SPassPass
H 6 4 2H K Q 3Pass
D Q 8D J 6 2
C A 8 5 4 3 2C J 10 9
S J 10 6 4
H 9 8
D 9 7 3
4 S SouthC K Q 7 6

Paulo Brum led the S 5 (down 3) +300, +14 IMPs.
David Gold led the C 3 (made 4) -620, -14 IMPs.

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.

4. Bermuda Bowl Qualifying 2013

East dealsS —WestNorthEastSouth
E-W vulH 10 5 3Pass1 S
D Q J 8 4 3 2Pass1 NTPass2 H
C A 10 7 3PassPassPass
S K 10 9 8TableS Q J 5 2
H J 8H A 9 4 2
D A K 9 6D 5
C Q 9 8C J 6 5 4
S A 7 6 4 3
H K Q 7 6
D 10 7
2 H SouthC K 2

Lorenzo Lauria led the H J (down 2) +100, +5 IMPs.
Neville Eber led the D A (made 2) -110, -5 IMPs.

Quiz 8L51 MainTop Triskaidekaphobia

5. Spingold Final 2013

South dealsS 6WestNorthEastSouth
Both vulH A 10 6 51 C
D A 9 7 6 21 SDbl2 SPass
C Q J 93 SDblPass4 H
S A Q 7 5 4 2TableS J 10 8PassPassPass
H 8 3H Q 4 2
D K J 10D 4 3
C 5 4C A 10 8 7 2
S K 9 3
H K J 9 7
D Q 8 5
4 H SouthC K 6 3

Michal Nowosadzki led the S A (down 1) +100, +12 IMPs.
Joe Grue led the D J (made 4) -620, -12 IMPs.

6. Spingold Quarterfinal 2013

North dealsS Q 6 4WestNorthEastSouth
N-S vulH 10 9 8 5PassPass1 NT
D A 9 8 6 4Pass3 C1Pass3 D
C KPass3 SPass3 NT
S J 9 7TableS 10 8 3 2PassPassPass
H J 7 6 3 2H Q
D 10D Q J 7 21. singleton club
C Q J 7 4C A 6 5 2
S A K 5
H A K 4
D K 5 3
3 NT SouthC 10 9 8 3

Rafal Jagniewski led the C 4 (down 1) +100, +12 IMPs.
Jeff Meckstroth led the C J (made 4) -630, -12 IMPs.

7. USBC Quarterfinal 2013

East dealsS 4 2WestNorthEastSouth
Both vulH K 9 5 4 2Pass1 S
D 9Pass1 NTPass2 D
C A Q 8 6 2Pass2 SPassPass
S K 9 8 3TableS J 7Pass
H AH Q J 10 8 7
D 10 8 7 4D Q J 6 5
C 10 9 5 3C K 7
S A Q 10 6 5
H 6 3
D A K 3 2
2 S SouthC J 4

Michael Rosenberg led the H A (down 1) +100, +5 IMPs.
John Schermer led the C 10 (made 2) -110, -5 IMPs.

8. USBC Quarterfinal 2013

East dealsS A 10WestNorthEastSouth
E-W vulH J 8 4 3Pass1 NT
D 10 7Pass2 CPass2 D
C A J 8 7 3Pass3 NTPassPass
S J 8 7TableS K Q 9 3Pass
H A 10 7 2H 9 6
D 9 8 6 2D A J 4 3
C 5 4C 10 9 6
S 6 5 4 2
H K Q 5
D K Q 5
3 NT SouthC K Q 2

Neil Chambers led the S J (down 1) +50, +10 IMPs.
Chris Willenken led the H 2 (made 3) -400, -10 IMPs.

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

Quiz 8L51 MainTop Triskaidekaphobia

9. USBC Quarterfinal 2013

West dealsS 10WestNorthEastSouth
None vulH 6 4PassPass1 D2 H1
D A 9 8 7 6 5PassPassPass
C A 10 9 3
S Q 8 7 6TableS K J 21. both majors
H K 10 5H A J 8
D Q JD K 4 3 2
C J 7 4 2C 8 6 5
S A 9 5 4 3
H Q 9 7 3 2
D 10
2 H SouthC K Q

Kevin Dwyer led the H 5 (down 1) +50, +5 IMPs.
Brian Platnick led the D Q (made 3) -140, -5 IMPs.

10. USBC Quarterfinal 2013

North dealsS K Q 4 2WestNorthEastSouth
Both vulH K 9 71 DPass1 H
D J 6 3Pass1 SPass1 NT
C K 8 2PassPassPass
S 9 8 6 3TableS A J 5
H A Q 6 3H 10 2
D Q 10 2D A 9 7 5 4
C 6 4C Q 10 9
S 10 7
H J 8 5 4
D K 8
1 NT SouthC A J 7 5 3

Bobby Levin led the S 6 (down 1) +100, +6 IMPs.
Jim Mahaffey led the C 6 (made 3) -150, -6 IMPs.

11. USBC Quarterfinal 2013

South dealsS K 7 5 3 2WestNorthEastSouth
N-S vulH 10 3 21 NT
D J 8Pass2 H1Pass2 S
C J 7 3PassPassPass
S 6 4TableS Q J 10 8
H K 9 8 7 4H A 6 51. Jacoby transfer
D 7 6 5D A 9 3
C 10 8 4C K Q 6
S A 9
H Q J
D K Q 10 4 2
2 S SouthC A 9 5 2

Bobby Levin led the C 4 (down 1) +100, +5 IMPs.
Sam Lev led the D 6 (made 2) -110, -5 IMPs.

12. USBC Quarterfinal 2013

South dealsS K 10 9 4WestNorthEastSouth
Both vulH K 101 NT
D 9 7Pass2 CPass2 D
C Q J 10 6 3Pass3 NTPassPass
S J 5 2TableS A 8 3Pass
H 5 4H J 9 8 6 3 2
D K 10 3 2D Q J 4
C K 9 5 4C 7
S Q 7 6
H A Q 7
D A 8 6 5
3 NT SouthC A 8 2

Nick Nickell led the D 2 (down 1) +100, +13 IMPs.
Michael Seamon led the H 5 (made 5) -660, -13 IMPs.

13. USBC Round-of-16 2013

East dealsS K 7 2WestNorthEastSouth
None vulH A K 8 3 2Pass2 S
D J 8 63 D4 SPassPass
C 9 3Pass
S ATableS J 9 5
H 10 9 7H Q J 6 5 4
D A Q 10 5 4 3 2D K
C K JC 8 7 6 4
S Q 10 8 6 4 3
H —
D 9 7
4 S SouthC A Q 10 5 2

Geoff Hampson led the D A (down 1) +50, +10 IMPs.
Chris Compton led the H 10 (made 4) -420, -10 IMPs.

Results are from actual play, so the winning leads are not necessarily correct in theory.

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 your game — with only 10 cards!

Quiz 8L51 MainTop Triskaidekaphobia

© 2013 Richard Pavlicek