Leeds Bridge Club Trust

Problem One

CONTRACT: 4H Lead: 5S; LHO has overcalled 2C

AJ1062

AJ2

K75

83

———

43

K8764

AQ108

K10

 

Problem Two

CONTRACT: 3NT Lead: 7H

 65

AK2

1093

QJ1098

———–

AKQ

53

Q8754

A76

 

Problem Three

CONTRACT: 3NT Lead: QC, overtaken by AC, 8C returned

 Q4

AKQ

Q1054

7654

——–

A73

762

AK76

K32

Problem Four

CONTRACT: 3NT Lead: 6S

Q4

KQ953

AK3

852

———

K72

A8

10842

AK63

 

Problem Five

1043

A82

KJ10

AQ95

——–

Q73

Q9

AQ4

K7632

 

Solutions

1. You need 10 tricks, which will be 5 trumps, 4 diamonds and a spade. Play AS, then heart to the K, another to the J, then cash the A. Now a D to the A and one back to the K. LHO shows out so you can safely finesse the 10 to make your contract.
2. Win KH, then run the QC. If it holds, DO NOT repeat the finesse – if it lost and a H comes back, you cannot reach your club winners and will go off. Simply play another C to the A and give up a club. You will make 4C, 2H, and 3S to make 3NT.
3. Duck the second club (they might break 3/3, and it costs nothing to try. This time they don’t, and a club comes back, LHO having four C. Diamonds might provide a ninth trick, but first you must lead towards your QS. If LHO has the K, that gives you 9 tricks, if not you will need D to break kindly. DO NOT play A and K of D first – if you do that, you will have no entry back to your AS later and will go off.
4. Play the QS, which wins. You need to ensure that if you lose a H trick, it is to the safe hand. Play a H to your 8. If it loses, you need H to break 4-2 (most likely split). If RHO plays 10 or JH when you lead towards your hand, just play H from the top – RHO might have J10x. If RHO had J10xx, then try to duck a C to LHO – lead from dummy and hope RHO plays the 4C.
5. It looks like a fourth highest lead, in which case your QH will win. But don’t risk it – you have 9 tricks if clubs break 2-2 or 3-1, or 4-0 if you take care. Rise with AH, and lead a club to your K. They break 4-0, but with 4 on your left, so you simply lead towards the AQ9 twice and beat LHO’s card, using diamonds to re-enter your hand. LHO had lead a heart from 76 doubleton, and if you duck, they cash four spade tricks as well as the heart to defeat you.