The deal for the Christmas competition came from a book by Jose Le Dentu, an excellent French writer and player who died in 1997.
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? 13 in each case. In spades, you collect three hearts, two diamonds (taking one finesse) and three clubs. Then you take five trump tricks with a crossruff, three times overruffing West.
2) In one of these contracts, the number of tricks won would be fewer with a different lead. (a) What is that contract? Seven spades. (b) What is the better lead? A trump. (c) How many tricks would South then take? 12. The trump lead reduces the possible number of spade tricks from five to four.
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? See the diagram for (b). For (a), the answer is more complicated after a start of one diamond - two clubs - two hearts (a reverse). I accepted anything sensible.
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? (a) One no-trump. Half marks for pass. (b) Double. Half marks for two clubs.
5) What is the lowest trump that could effect an uppercut, promoting a defensive trump trick for partner? A two. I will give an example on Monday.
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? 13 in each case. In spades, you collect three hearts, two diamonds (taking one finesse) and three clubs. Then you take five trump tricks with a crossruff, three times overruffing West.
2) In one of these contracts, the number of tricks won would be fewer with a different lead. (a) What is that contract? Seven spades. (b) What is the better lead? A trump. (c) How many tricks would South then take? 12. The trump lead reduces the possible number of spade tricks from five to four.
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? See the diagram for (b). For (a), the answer is more complicated after a start of one diamond - two clubs - two hearts (a reverse). I accepted anything sensible.
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? (a) One no-trump. Half marks for pass. (b) Double. Half marks for two clubs.
5) What is the lowest trump that could effect an uppercut, promoting a defensive trump trick for partner? A two. I will give an example on Monday.