Problems

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PROBLEMS Problem 1

	KQx
	A97x
	QJxx
	Ax
x		xxx
KQ8x		10x
AKxxx		xxx
Qxx		KJxxx
	AJxxxx
	Jxx
	x
	xxx

Contract 4S by South would you rather play or defend? Solution 1

Problem 2

	AT9xx
	Axx
	Ax
	Jxx



	KJ
	Kxxx
	xx
	AKQxx

Dealer South how do you bid these 2 hands to 6C?

Solution 2

Problem 3

			KQx
			Axxx
			10x
			AJ98
	J10xx
	KJ10x
	J
	Q10xx

North South
1H 3NT

3NT is described as a balanced raise to 4H. You lead a low Spade, declarer wins with the King, partner showing an odd number, and plays Ace and another Heart, partner following once and then discarding a Diamond. Plan the defence.

Solution 3

Problem 4

	Txx
	Tx
	QJ9xx
	QJx


	Kx
	AKQx
	Axx
	Axxx

You play 3NT from the South hand on a small heart lead. The Ten holds the trick in dummy and when you play the Queen of Diamonds it is covered by the King, you win with the Ace. What now?

Solution 4

Problem 5

	xx
	xx
	Axxx
	AKxxx


	KJT9xxx
	x
	Kxx
	xx

East opens 4 and you bravely bid 4 ending the auction. West leads a heart and East plays a second heart, you ruff while West completes a peter. Which minor should you cross to dummy with to lead a Spade? Thanks to Jill Roe of Bramhall Bridge club for this hand.

Solution 5

Problem 6

	8xxx
	Kx
	Kxxx
	Axx
			KJxx
			J9
			xx
			Jxxxx

West    North    East    South
2H        Pass      Pass    3D
Pass      3H        Pass    3NT
All pass

Partner leads the 7 of Hearts, declarer plays the King from dummy.

a) What do you play to this trick?
b) When declarer plays a small Spade from dummy at trick 2 what do you play and why?

(From a Pachabo qualifying match - thanks to Gary Hyett)

Solution 6

Problem 7

	AKQ4
	64
	K986
	KJ2
			6
			8
			AQJ10752
			A1064

West    North    East    South
         1S         2D       2H
Dble(1) 2N        Dble    3H
Dble(2) All pass

(1) Penalty (this was in 1959)
(2) More penalty

Partner leads the diamond 3 declarer plays low from dummy and you win the trick, declarer following.

What do you switch to? (from the 1959 European, Great Britain v Lebanon) . See also History section.

Solution 7

Problem 8

	83
	AK64
	J108653
	4

Non-vul against vul. - Partner deals and opens 1NT. What do you bid, needing a game swing on this hand to win the competition? (The re-dealt final hand of Crockford's 1965, see History section).

Solution 8

Problem 9

	7654
	54
	K43
	K654



	AK32
	AK32
	A2
	A32

South plays 6S on the 9 of Hearts lead, East following suit. What are the East West hands for this contract to make and how does the play go?
Thanks to Paul Lamford for sending me this problem.

Solution 9

Problem 10

	AQ
	J954
	106
	98652


	K10653
	AKQ
	AK8
	A7

You play 6S from the South hand on the Queen of Clubs lead, East playing the King. What are the East West hands for this contract to succeed?
Thanks to Boris Ewart for this problem, a minor adaptation of a deal that occurred at Besses' Bridge Club.

Solution 10

Problem 11

	QJ873
	AQJ107
	106
	4


	AK9
	K6
	AQ83
	AQ106

You play 7S from the South hand (after a transfer sequence) on the Spade 2 lead. What is the best line for the contract?

Solution 11

Problem 12

	Qx
	AKQ10xxxx
	Ax
	A



	Axx
	Jx
	K10x
	Qxxxx

From a Manchester Bridge Club duplicate Oct 2005. Craig Fisher reached 6NT from the South hand on a Heart lead. This is a fine contract with 12 top tricks, but this is duplicate, so the overtrick is worth a matchpoint or two. How do you play it?

Solution 12

Problem 13

	K9x
	KQxxxx

	Kxxx
Jxx		AQx
10xxx		AJx
10xxxx		xx
x		Q109xx
	10xxx

	AKQJ9x
	AJx

Contract 3NT by South would you rather play or defend?
Warning - this problem is very difficult.

Solution 13

Problem 14

A Christmas Story
By Paul Lamford
Dealer South, Game All

	J32
	K983
	A865
	AK



	A1087
	A2
	K102
	9432

a) At the Woodenhead Christmas Social I reached 6NT by South. At the social an extra rule comes into play after the auction. It might be “the opening lead will be made at random”, or “dummy plays its own cards without prompting”. A slip indicates the rule. This time it was that “the partner of a person who wins a trick will lead to the next one”. West led the queen of clubs and East played the seven. How did I make my contract?

b) Lo and behold, a few weeks later, at the New Year Social (another special slip event) my partner and I picked up these identical hands, and again we reached 6NT by South! This time I was disappointed to find that the “special slip” indicated that aces had become low and twos had become high, so that all cards were in reverse rank, but I still managed to make my contract. Again West led the queen of clubs and East played the seven. How should I play?

Curious hand, observed the Owl. 6NT cannot be made without the special rules. Is that true?