Advanced Quiz 4N41 by Richard Pavlicek

Who’s On First?

I’m ready, let’s go!
Not now, thank you

1. 4 by South

	A J 8 K Q 5 4 8 6 3 10 8 3
Lead: 2
	K Q 10 7 6 5 — A 7 5 2 Q J 7

Which heart do you play from dummy?

A. Q

B. 4

Wrong!

Let me try again

Quit this quiz

Sorry!

Give me another chance

Let me outta here!

2. 4 by South

	J 10 9 7 A 10 4 3 A 8 J 5 2
Lead: 8
	A K Q 8 4 K J 7 4 3 9 7 6

Which heart do you play from dummy?

A. A

B. 10

C. 3

No way!

I want to try again

Spare me this agony!

Not right!

I’d like another chance

See you later, pal!

3. 4 by South

	J 5 4 K J 7 2 A 6 2 A J 4
Lead: 5
	A K Q 10 7 9 3 K 7 5 8 6 2

Which heart do you play from dummy?

A. K

B. J

C. 2

Ouch!

Another try please

Guess what? I’m history!

Not best!

I’ll try again

Color me gone!

4. 3 NT by South

	K 10 3 Q J 10 4 A 9 3 K 9 2
Lead: 9
	Q 6 2 A 7 3 Q J 10 8 A J 8

Which spade do you play from dummy?

A. K

B. 10

C. 3

Wrong!

Let me try again

Quit this quiz

Sorry!

Give me another chance

Let me outta here!

5. 3 NT by South

	A Q 10 2 8 6 4 J 10 5 Q J 6
Lead: 8
	9 6 A 9 7 K Q 8 6 3 A K 5

Which spade do you play from dummy?

A. A

B. Q

C. 2

No way!

I want to try again

Spare me this agony!

Not right!

I’d like another chance

See you later, pal!

6. 3 NT by South

	Q J 7 K J 10 8 3 4 3 J 7 3
Lead: 10
	A 4 3 Q 5 A K J 2 K Q 8 4

Which spade do you play from dummy?

A. J

B. 7

Ouch!

Another try please

Guess what? I’m history!

Not best!

I’ll try again

Color me gone!

7. 4 by South

	A K 2 Q J 10 3 5 3 K 9 4 3
Lead: 10
	9 7 6 A K 9 7 2 K 2 A 8 2

Do you win the  A,  K or duck the first trick?

A. A

B. K

C. Duck

Wrong!

Let me try again

Quit this quiz

Sorry!

Give me another chance

Let me outta here!

8. 6 by South

	9 7 — A Q J 10 8 6 4 7 6 5 4
Lead: 4
	A K J 10 8 5 A J 6 2 K A 8

Which card do you discard or do you ruff in dummy?

A. 4

B. 4

C. Ruff

No way!

I want to try again

Spare me this agony!

Not right!

I’d like another chance

See you later, pal!

9. 6 by South

	Q J 2 Q J 10 K 7 2 K Q J 10
Lead: J
	A A 9 8 7 6 5 A 4 3 9 8 4

Do you win the  A,  K or duck the first trick?

A. A

B. K

C. Duck

Ouch!

Another try please

Guess what? I’m history!

Not best!

I’ll try again

Color me gone!

1. 4 by South

	A J 8 K Q 5 4 8 6 3 10 8 3
4 3 2 J 9 7 2 K 9 4 A 5 4		9 A 10 8 6 3 Q J 10 K 9 6 2
Lead: 2	K Q 10 7 6 5 — A 7 5 2 Q J 7

Right! One discard on dummy’s hearts will not help. Your only realistic chance to succeed is to play low on the heart lead and hope East puts up the ace. Consider East’s problem: His partner might be leading a singleton, so it is not so obvious to finesse the 10.

Next deal

Quit

2. 4 by South

	J 10 9 7 A 10 4 3 A 8 J 5 2
6 3 2 8 J 10 9 7 2 Q 10 4 3		5 Q 9 6 5 2 K Q 6 5 A K 8
Lead: 8	A K Q 8 4 K J 7 4 3 9 7 6

Excellent! West’s lead marks East with the Q-9, and you can make four heart tricks only by covering with the dummy’s 10; queen, king. Next you will draw three rounds of trumps ending in dummy and lead a low heart and finesse the seven.

Next deal

Quit

3. 4 by South

	J 5 4 K J 7 2 A 6 2 A J 4
6 2 Q 10 8 5 Q 10 8 4 K 9 5		9 8 3 A 6 4 J 9 3 Q 10 7 3
Lead: 5	A K Q 10 7 9 3 K 7 5 8 6 2

Correct! To make this contract you almost surely need two heart tricks. West would not lead low from the A-Q, so playing the jack or king could never help. Just play low. Even if East could win the 10, you would still have a chance by running the nine later.

Next deal

Quit

4. 3 NT by South

	K 10 3 Q J 10 4 A 9 3 K 9 2
9 8 4 K 9 8 2 7 5 4 Q 6 5		A J 7 5 6 5 K 6 2 10 7 4 3
Lead: 9	Q 6 2 A 7 3 Q J 10 8 A J 8

Super! West’s lead marks East with the A-J. Playing the king forces East to win the ace and abandon spades, giving you time to set up hearts and diamonds. Note that if East switches to a heart, you must grab the ace and finesse diamonds into the safe hand.

Next deal

Quit

5. 3 NT by South

	A Q 10 2 8 6 4 J 10 5 Q J 6
8 3 K J 10 3 A 9 2 10 4 3 2		K J 7 5 4 Q 5 2 7 4 9 8 7
Lead: 8	9 6 A 9 7 K Q 8 6 3 A K 5

Very good! Careful! If you played low on the spade or finessed the queen, East would win and shift to a heart. Then you would be defeated. Just win the  A (they can’t run the spade suit) and knock out the  A to ensure your contract.

Next deal

Quit

6. 3 NT by South

	Q J 7 K J 10 8 3 4 3 J 7 3
10 9 8 2 6 4 2 Q 8 6 5 6 2		K 6 5 A 9 7 10 9 7 A 10 9 5
Lead: 10	A 4 3 Q 5 A K J 2 K Q 8 4

Brilliant! The instinctive play is to cover with the jack or queen, but a clever East player would not play his king and you would lose your entry to dummy. Play low and win the ace, then knock out the  A. The  Q-J ensures an entry to the hearts.

Next deal

Quit

7. 4 by South

	A K 2 Q J 10 3 5 3 K 9 4 3
Q J 8 3 8 5 4 A 10 8 7 4 10		10 5 4 6 Q J 9 6 Q J 7 6 5
Lead: 10	9 7 6 A K 9 7 2 K 2 A 8 2

Well done! West’s lead of the 10 must be a doubleton or singleton with the nine in dummy, so East is marked with the Q-J. To establish an extra club trick you must first win the king. Draw trumps then lead the  3 to your eight (unless East plays an honor).

Next deal

Quit

8. 6 by South

	9 7 — A Q J 10 8 6 4 7 6 5 4
Q 6 2 Q 9 7 4 3 9 3 Q 10 2		4 3 K 10 8 5 7 5 2 K J 9 3
Lead: 4	A K J 10 8 5 A J 6 2 K A 8

Right! If you discard from dummy, your  A will be knocked out and you will fail. The solution is easy once you think of it: Ruff the heart and clear trumps immediately (do not finesse). Then you can overtake the  K with the ace for all the discards you need.

Next deal

Quit

9. 6 by South

	Q J 2 Q J 10 K 7 2 K Q J 10
K 7 5 3 4 J 10 9 8 6 6 5 2		10 9 8 6 4 K 3 2 Q 5 A 7 3
Lead: J	A A 9 8 7 6 5 A 4 3 9 8 4

Excellent! The impulsive play is to win the  K so you can take the heart finesse, which must work. Oops! East would not cover the  Q, and he would hold up his  A until the third round. To succeed you must win the  A first and lead a club immediately.