I hope all of my readers and their families will have a merry Christmas and a happy holiday.
Now we get to our favorite part of Christmas Day: my competition! Ignore the given auction and answer these questions about this deal:
1. The contract will be played five times, once in each strain. West will always lead the club jack. How many tricks can South win in (a) clubs, (b) diamonds, (c) hearts, (d) spades and (e) no-trump?
2. In one of these contracts, the number of tricks won would be fewer with a different lead.
(a) What is that contract?
(b) What is the better lead?
(c) How many tricks would South then take?
3. Assuming East and West pass throughout, how do you think North and South should bid with (a) South the dealer and (b) North the dealer?
4. You hold the North hand. Your right-hand opponent opens (a) one club or (b) one diamond. What would you do in each case?
5. What is the lowest trump that could effect an uppercut, promoting a defensive trump trick for partner?
Mail your entries to Phillip Alder, c/o Newspaper Enterprise Association, 200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, to arrive by Jan. 19. (Readers outside North America have an extra week.) You may also e-mail your responses to my Web site at www.phillipalderbridge.com. The answers will be given on Feb. 2 and the prizewinners announced on March 29.
Please take as read all the usual disclaimers, and remember that this is primarily for fun.
Now we get to our favorite part of Christmas Day: my competition! Ignore the given auction and answer these questions about this deal:
1. The contract will be played five times, once in each strain. West will always lead the club jack. How many tricks can South win in (a) clubs, (b) diamonds, (c) hearts, (d) spades and (e) no-trump?
2. In one of these contracts, the number of tricks won would be fewer with a different lead.
(a) What is that contract?
(b) What is the better lead?
(c) How many tricks would South then take?
3. Assuming East and West pass throughout, how do you think North and South should bid with (a) South the dealer and (b) North the dealer?
4. You hold the North hand. Your right-hand opponent opens (a) one club or (b) one diamond. What would you do in each case?
5. What is the lowest trump that could effect an uppercut, promoting a defensive trump trick for partner?
Mail your entries to Phillip Alder, c/o Newspaper Enterprise Association, 200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, to arrive by Jan. 19. (Readers outside North America have an extra week.) You may also e-mail your responses to my Web site at www.phillipalderbridge.com. The answers will be given on Feb. 2 and the prizewinners announced on March 29.
Please take as read all the usual disclaimers, and remember that this is primarily for fun.