Quiz 8L01   Main


Leading from a Dog


  by Richard Pavlicek

Outside of a dog, bridge is a man’s best friend.
Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to play bridge.

As West you are the opening leader against 3 NT on these 10 deals from major events. Your hand may be a dog, but only a doggone fool would come unleashed. Choosing the best lead could win some tasty biscuits, I mean IMPs.

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

IMPsBoth VulWEST
Pass
Pass
Pass
North
Pass
3 NT
East
Pass
Pass
South
2 NT
Pass


S 8 6
H J 9 3 2
D Q 5 4 3
C A 10 2
Table

Your lead? HD 3   

1999 Spingold Final

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

Billy Eisenberg led the H 2. Down 2 +200.
Richard Freeman led the D 3. Made 3 -600.

Problem 2

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass
Pass
North

3 NT
EAST
Pass
Pass
South
1 NT
Pass


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

Your lead? SH 4   

2003 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying

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

Marcelo Branco led the S 8. Made 4 -630.
Rossen Gunev led the H 5. Made 6 -690.

Note: Choices offered by this quiz assume standard leads, so the H 4 was substituted for Gunev’s nonstandard H 5.

Quiz 8L01   QuitTop   Leading from a Dog

Problem 3

IMPsE-W VulWEST
Pass
Pass
North
3 H
Pass
East
Pass
Pass
South
3 NT


S 9 5 3
H K
D 10 7 6 5 3
C A 10 6 5
Table

Your lead? DC 5   

2005 USBC Semifinal

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

Zia Mahmood led the D 7. Down 4 +200.
Peter Boyd led the C 5. Made 3 -400.

Problem 4

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass
North

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


S 9 5 4
H K 4 2
D K 10 9 5
C J 9 6
Table

Your lead? SD 10   

2005 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying

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

Justin Hackett led the D 10. Down 1 +100.
Kenji Miyakuni led the S 4. Made 4 -630.

Quiz 8L01   QuitTop   Leading from a Dog

Problem 5

IMPsN-S VulWEST
3 C
Pass
North
Pass
Pass
East
Pass
Pass
South
3 NT


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

Your lead? HC J   

2006 USBC Round of 32

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

Will Ehlers led the C 10. Down 1 +100.
Samuel Cohen led the H 5. Made 4 -630.

Problem 6

IMPsNone VulWest

Pass
Pass
North

3 NT
East

Pass
SOUTH
1 NT
Pass


S 10 8 4 2
H J 7 6
D 9 8 5 3
C 6 3
Table

Your lead? SC 6   

2007 Bermuda Bowl Semifinal

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

Ton Bakkeren led the S 4. Down 1 +50.
Boye Brogeland led the C 6. Made 4 -430.

Quiz 8L01   QuitTop   Leading from a Dog

Problem 7

IMPsN-S VulWEST
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass
North
Pass
2 H
3 NT
East
1 D
Pass
Pass
South
1 NT
3 S
Pass


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

Your lead? HD 8   

2007 Bermuda Bowl Qualifying

Argentina vs
USA1
S K J 9 4 2
H Q 4
D 9 4
C K 10 5 2
S 10 8 7 5
H J 10 9 5
D 8 7
C A 7 3
Table S 6 3
H K 8 6
D A Q 6 5 2
C 9 6 4
3 NT SouthS A Q
H A 7 3 2
D K J 10 3
C Q J 8

Carlos Pellegrini led the H J. Down 1 +100.
Zia Mahmood led the D 8. Made 5 -660.

Problem 8

IMPsBoth VulWest

Pass
Pass
North

3 NT
EAST
Pass
Pass
South
1 NT
Pass


S 8 5 4 3
H J 10 2
D Q 10 9 3
C K 10
Table

Your lead? HD 10   

2008 Spingold Round of 32

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

Andrey Gromov led the H J. Down 1 +100.
Bas Drijver led the D 10. Made 5 -660.

Quiz 8L01   QuitTop   Leading from a Dog

Problem 9

IMPsNone VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass
North

1 H
3 NT
EAST
Pass
Pass
Pass
South
1 C
1 NT
Pass


S J 10
H Q 8 2
D J 9 8 7
C J 9 8 4
Table

Your lead? SD 7   

2009 Vanderbilt Quarterfinal

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

Bobby Levin led the S J. Down 2 +100.
Gary Cohler led the D 9. Made 3 -400.

Problem 10

IMPsNone VulWest

Pass
Pass
Pass
North

1 D
2 NT
Pass
East

1 S
Pass
Pass
SOUTH
Pass
1 NT
3 NT


S 10 7
H Q J 8 7
D 9 5 2
C 8 7 5 2
Table

Your lead? S 10  H Q   

2009 USBC Playoff

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

Jeff Meckstroth led the H J. Down 2 +100.
Marty Fleisher led the S 10. Made 4 -430.

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.

If you finished with plus IMPs and are wondering where your “treat” is, I’m sorry — I lied. Next time you walk into your local pet store on a leash, try to look emaciated, and the owner may throw you a biscuit.

Quiz 8L01   MainTop   Leading from a Dog

“Outside of a dog…” paraphrases a quote by Groucho Marx
© 2009 Richard Pavlicek