Quiz 8L21   Main

The Tell-Tale Heart Bids

by Richard Pavlicek

Not for the faint of heart!

Thump, thump. Oh, what to lead against these heart bids? Thump, thump… the sound grows louder as you finger one card after another. Thump, thump… the beat becomes deafening as a card finally hits the table! A great lead? Or a nightmare? Thud!

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. If you finish plus after 10 boards, you might even live to walk out of here!

Problem 1

IMPs	Both Vul		West Pass Pass Pass	North 1 2 NT Pass	East Pass Pass Pass	SOUTH Pass 1 4
8 5 4 2 10 7 A 8 2 J 8 6 5

Your lead?  2  5   

2000 Olympiad Round of 16

Netherlands vs Iceland	A Q 9 A K J K 10 7 5 4 9 7
8 5 4 2 10 7 A 8 2 J 8 6 5		K 10 3 6 4 9 6 3 A K 10 3 2
4 South	J 7 6 Q 9 8 5 3 2 Q J Q 4

Wubbo de Boer led the 4. Down 1 +100.
Matthias Thorvaldsson led the 6. Made 5 -650.

Note: Choices for this quiz assume standard leads, so the 2 and 5 were substituted for the 4 and 6 above.

Problem 2

IMPs	E-W Vul		West Pass	North Pass	East Pass	SOUTH 4
7 6 5 Q J 5 10 5 4 7 6 4 3

Your lead?  5  3   

2000 Olympiad Qualifying

Poland vs Belgium	K Q 9 8 3 2 6 J 9 6 A Q 10
7 6 5 Q J 5 10 5 4 7 6 4 3		A J 4 8 3 A K 8 J 9 8 5 2
4 South	10 A K 10 9 7 4 2 Q 7 3 2 K

Jacek Pszczola led the 6. Down 1 +50.
Philippe Coenraets led the 6. Made 4 -420.

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Problem 3

IMPs	E-W Vul		West Pass Pass	North 3 Pass	East Dbl Pass	SOUTH 1 4
8 7 6 5 2 K Q 8 7 3 Q 7 6

Your lead?  6  K   

2002 Rosenblum Quarterfinal

Kowalski vs Lavazza	9 5 3 J 8 7 3 J 9 5 4 J 2
8 7 6 5 2 K Q 8 7 3 Q 7 6		K Q J 2 9 6 10 6 A K 10 9 3
4 South	A 10 4 A K Q 10 4 A 2 8 5 4

Apolinary Kowalski led the 7. Down 2 +100.
Giorgio Duboin led the Q. Down 1 +50.

Problem 4

IMPs	N-S Vul		West 2 Pass	North 2	EAST 1 Pass	South 1 Pass
A 9 6 9 8 7 2 J 3 2 A 8 6

Your lead?  2  J   

2006 Vanderbilt Final

Chang vs Welland	K 4 3 K 5 3 K 9 6 5 Q 9 4
A 9 6 9 8 7 2 J 3 2 A 8 6		J 8 5 2 Q A Q 10 7 4 K 3 2
2 South	Q 10 7 A J 10 6 4 8 J 10 7 5

Gunnar Hallberg led the J. Down 1 +100.
Adam Zmudzinski led the 2. Made 2 -110.

Note: The standard lead from J-x-x in partner’s suit is low, but the jack also has merit so I left it as is.

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Problem 5

IMPs	E-W Vul		West Pass Pass Pass	North 1 NT 4	EAST Pass Pass Pass	South 1 2 Pass
J 5 4 K 3 J 6 5 3 K 10 8 5

Your lead?  4  5   

2006 USBC Round of 16

Welland vs Meltzer	A 10 8 7 5 2 A 10 2 Q J 9 6
J 5 4 K 3 J 6 5 3 K 10 8 5		K 9 7 6 3 10 6 Q 8 7 A 4 2
4 South	Q 2 A Q J 9 8 4 K 9 4 7 3

Jim Krekorian led the 4. Down 1 +50.
Mark Feldman led the 8. Made 4 -420.

Problem 6

IMPs	Both Vul		West Pass Pass Pass	North 2 4	East Pass Pass	SOUTH 1 NT 2 Pass
9 8 6 4 3 6 3 J 7 4 3 A 6

Your lead?  3  A   

Would you have led a spade? So would I, but only the real-life choices are offered here.

2006 USBC Round of 32

Fout vs Onstott	A Q J A J 10 9 8 4 10 5 9 8
9 8 6 4 3 6 3 J 7 4 3 A 6		7 5 7 5 2 K 6 2 K Q 5 4 2
4 South	K 10 2 K Q A Q 9 8 J 10 7 3

Will Ehlers led the A. Made 4 -620.
Samuel Cohen led the 4. Made 6 -680.

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Problem 7

IMPs	N-S Vul		West Pass Pass	North 3 Pass	EAST Pass Pass Pass	South 2 NT 3
J 5 4 K Q 10 J 7 3 K J 10 8

Your lead?  4  J   

2006 World Championship Round of 32

Mahaffey vs Orange	Q 8 3 J 6 4 3 2 9 8 5 3 2
J 5 4 K Q 10 J 7 3 K J 10 8		10 9 7 8 5 A 10 6 4 2 Q 9 6
3 South	A K 6 2 A 9 7 K Q 5 A 7 4

Mark Lair led the J. Down 1 +100.
Sjoert Brink led the 4. Made 3 -140.

Problem 8

IMPs	Both Vul		West Pass Pass Pass	North 1 3 Pass	East Pass Pass Pass	SOUTH 1 2 4
Q J 10 9 K 10 K 8 6 3 10 7 6

Your lead?  Q  3   

2006 World Championship Round of 32

Orange vs Mahaffey	A 7 5 4 3 2 9 6 2 Q J 5 K
Q J 10 9 K 10 K 8 6 3 10 7 6		K 8 J 7 4 9 7 4 A 9 5 3 2
4 South	6 A Q 8 5 3 A 10 2 Q J 8 4

Sjoert Brink led the Q. Down 1 +100.
Mark Lair led the 6. Made 4 -620.

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Problem 9

IMPs	Both Vul		West Pass	North Pass	EAST Pass Pass	South 2
K J 10 8 9 8 2 4 2 A Q J 9

Your lead?  4  Q   

2008 USBC Semifinal

Strul vs Jacobs	A 9 7 4 6 A Q J 9 K 5 3 2
K J 10 8 9 8 2 4 2 A Q J 9		Q 2 A 7 3 K 8 7 6 10 8 7 6
2 South	6 5 3 K Q J 10 5 4 10 5 3 4

Lew Stansby led the 4. Made 2 -110.
Ralph Katz led the Q. Made 4 -170.

Problem 10

IMPs	None Vul		West Pass Pass	NORTH Pass 2 Pass	East Pass Pass Pass	South 1 4
A 8 7 5 10 9 4 2 K 3 A 4 2

Your lead?  A  2   

2009 Spingold Quarterfinal

Meltzer vs Schermer	9 3 A 6 3 8 4 Q J 10 7 6 5
A 8 7 5 10 9 4 2 K 3 A 4 2		Q 6 4 2 5 Q 10 6 2 K 9 8 3
4 South	K J 10 K Q J 8 7 A J 9 7 5 —

David Berkowitz led the 4. Down 2 +100.
Jacob Morgan led the A. Made 5 -650.

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.

Guess what? I’m not in a dismembering mood today, so I let you live to reach the end of this. Now beat it — before I change my mind!

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Credits to Edgar Allan Poe (1809-49) and “The Tell-Tale Heart”
© 2009 Richard Pavlicek