Quiz Expert by Vu-Bridge

Question 1

Your Hand
♠
♥ J 10 7 5 4
♦ 9 8 5 2
♣ 7 5 4 2

Q: 1 - What will you lead against 6♠?

South	West	North	East
-	-	-	1♠
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♦
Pass	4♥	Pass	4NT
Pass	5♣	Pass	6♠
All Pass

A: ♥J. Declarer bid Blackwood only when he heard of a heart control in dummy, so it is reasonable to attack in that suit.

♠ Q 8 4 2

♥ A Q

♦ K J 6

♣ J 10 8 3

♠ K J 5

♥ 9 6 3 2

♦ 7 4 3

♣ K 9 6

♠

♥ J 10 7 5 4

♦ 9 8 5 2

♣ 7 5 4 2

♠ A 10 9 7 6 3

♥ K 8

♦ A Q 10

♣ A Q

Right, take the East cards now and see how you would have played the slam.

Before playing trumps, you should see if the club finesse is winning. When the ♣Q wins, you can safety-play the trumps against a 3-0 break. You overtake the ♥K with the ace and lead a low trump to North's 5 and your 10. If South wins, the trumps will be 2-1. This play is good against 3-0 trumps on either side.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ 10 7 4 3
♥ Q 9 3
♦ J 9 5
♣ J 10 4

Q: 2 - What will you lead against 6♥?

South	West	North	East
-	1♣	Pass	1♥
Pass	1NT	Pass	2♦
Pass	2♥	Pass	4NT
Pass	5♥	Pass	6♥
All Pass

A: ♣J. A spade lead would have been OK, but South led the ♣J. This was the deal:

♠ K Q 2

♥ K 4 2

♦ 10 4 2

♣ A 8 6 5

♠ J 5

♥ 10 7

♦ K Q 8 7 3

♣ 9 7 3 2

♠ 10 7 4 3

♥ Q 9 3

♦ J 9 5

♣ J 10 4

♠ A 9 8 6

♥ A J 8 6 5

♦ A 6

♣ K Q

Take the East cards and see if you can make the slam.

You win in your hand, cross to the ♥K and should return to the ♥A. All follow but the ♥Q does not drop. That's OK. You cash your other club winner, cross to a spade and discard your diamond loser on the ♣A. You can then play two more spade honors and ruff the fourth round in dummy.

If instead you mistakenly finessed in trumps, South would win and return a trump, leaving you with a spade loser.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ A K 9 5
♥ 2
♦ 9 8 6 2
♣ Q J 10 8

Q: 3 - What will you lead against 3NT here?

South	West	North	East
-	1♥	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♦	Pass	2NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

A: ♣Q. Even if spades had not been bid, it would be clear to lead the ♣Q. This was the deal:

♠ 2

♥ A K J 6 4

♦ A J 10 7 3

♣ 7 4

♠ Q 7 4 3

♥ Q 10 8 7 5

♦ Q 4

♣ 9 2

♠ A K 9 5

♥ 2

♦ 9 8 6 2

♣ Q J 10 8

♠ J 10 8 6

♥ 9 3

♦ K 5

♣ A K 6 5 3

Right, take the East cards now. How would you play 3NT when the ♣Q is led?

You have six tricks on top and would like to combine your chances in the red suits. To drop the ♦Q doubleton will give you three extra tricks; to drop the ♥Q doubleton will not. So, you begin with the ace and king of diamonds. When the queen falls, you have your contract. If it did not, you would rely on a finesse in the heart suit giving you the extra trick that you need. In that way, you would combine your chances in two suits.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ 9 6 3
♥ A 7 4
♦ K J 10 8 3 2
♣ 2

Q: 4 - What will you lead against 4♥ here?

South	West	North	East
-	1♦	Pass	1♥
Pass	4♥	All Pass

A: ♣2. As it happens, a spade (or an unlikely diamond) would have worked better, but nearly everyone would lead the singleton club. This was the deal:

♠ A Q 4 2

♥ K Q J 5

♦ Q 6 4

♣ K J

♠ K J 7

♥ 6 3

♦ A 9 7 5

♣ Q 9 7 5

♠ 9 6 3

♥ A 7 4

♦ K J 10 8 3 2

♣ 2

♠ 10 8 5

♥ 10 9 8 2

♦

♣ A 10 8 6 4 3

Declarer managed to make it on a club lead. See if you can. Take the East cards. The first trick goes to the jack, queen and ace. A trump to the king is allowed to win. What would you do next?

You must play the ♣K. South ruffs and returns a diamond, which you ruff. You then ruff a club high, setting up the suit, and play another trump to South's ace. The contract is yours.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ Q 5 3
♥ 6 2
♦ 10 9 3
♣ K J 9 8 4

Q: 5 - What will you lead against 4♠ doubled?

South	West	North	East
-	-	1♥	4♠
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

A: ♥6. In fact, a trump lead works best, but it is natural to lead partner's suit. This was the deal:

♠ A

♥ 7 5 3

♦ K 8 7 6 4 2

♣ Q 10 3

♠ 9

♥ A Q 10 8 4

♦ A J

♣ A 7 6 5 2

♠ Q 5 3

♥ 6 2

♦ 10 9 3

♣ K J 9 8 4

♠ K J 10 8 7 6 4 2

♥ K J 9

♦ Q 5

♣

At one table, North won with the ♥A and returned a heart. Declarer finessed the ♥J successfully, crossed to the ♠A, ruffed a club to hand and played the ♠K. He lost a trump, a heart and a diamond, making the game.

At the other table, North defended strongly by playing the ♥Q at trick one. Declarer won with the king, crossed to the ♠A, returned to hand with a club ruff and played the ♠K. He had no entry to dummy (North would duck the ♦Q), so he had to lose two heart tricks, going one down.

Your result so far:

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Leads Quiz 248 by David Bird

Question 1

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