GAMES CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
We now participate in The Common Game - results from our games can be found at thecommongame.com. Our monthly Calendar is now on line so you can check out the games ahead.
Game time is always 11:00 for the morning games and 6:30 for the evening games - please sign in by at least 10 minutes before game time to allow a timely start to our games.
Our mini-lesson on June 28 concerns some defensive issues. In the play of the hand on defense, we are often called upon to take inferences from the way Declarer is going about the play of the hand or by Partner’s carding. Sometimes we get those inferences right – sometimes not – but the process of trying to locate the hand which holds an important honor makes the game a lot of fun. It’s what’s sometimes called “Looking through the backs of the cards” – an important skill for any bridge player. John Seng, a Sapphire Life Master from Champaign, is one of the best at drawing those inferences. He has put together the following puzzles – Enjoy!
In the following 5 Hands, you are on lead vs. a 4♠ contract and choose to lead a ♣. Here is your Club holding and the Clubs you see in Dummy along with the cards played to the first trick by Partner and Declarer. Your lead and Declarer’s play from Dummy are in Bold and underlined:
Hand 1:
Dummy
♣A 7 6
You Partner
♣ K 10 4 2 ♣ 5
Declarer
♣ 8
Who has the Queen of Clubs? Partner _____ or Declarer ______?
***********************************
Hand 2:
Dummy
♣A Q 5 3
You Partner
♣ K 10 4 2 ♣ 7
Declarer
♣ 6
Who has the Jack of Clubs? Partner _____ or Declarer ______?
****************************
Hand 3:
Dummy
♣A 10 5 3
You Partner
♣ Q J 9 8 ♣ 4
Declarer
♣ 6
Who has the King of Clubs? Partner _____ or Declarer ______?
************************************
Hand 4:
Dummy
♣Q J 9 7 6
You Partner
♣ A K 10 7 3 ♣ 4
Declarer
♣ 2
Who has the 5 of Clubs? Partner _____ or Declarer ______?
************************************
Hand 5:
Dummy
♣K 4 3
You Partner
♣ Q 10 8 2 ♣ 5
Declarer
♣ 6
Who has the Ace of Clubs (let’s all get this one right)? Partner _____ or Declarer ______? Who had the Jack of Club? Partner _____ or Declarer ____?
************************************
Let’s now try to take some inferences later in the play of the hand. Try these out:
Hand 6:
Dummy is on lead later in the hand vs. a 3NT contract and Declarer calls for the lead of a small Club:
Dummy
♣A 10 5 3
You Partner
♣ K 9 6 ♣ 2
Declarer
♣ Q
You win Declarer’s Queen with your King. Who has the Jack? Partner ____ or Declarer _____?
***********************************
Hand 7:
The auction has gone:
You Dummy Partner Declarer
1NT
Pass 2§ Pass 2♠
Pass 4♠ all Pass
Declarer wins your opening lead and begins to draw trump by leading the Ace of Spades followed by the 4 toward Dummy. Here is what you see on the first round:
Dummy
♠Q 10 5 3
You Partner
♠ K 9 6 ♠ 7
Declarer
♠ A
As noted above, Declarer now leads the 4 of Spades:
Dummy
♠Q 10 5
You Partner
♠ K 9
Declarer
♠ 4
Who has the Jack? Partner _____ or Declarer ____? Do you play the King ____ or the 9 _____?
************************************
Hand 8:
Opponents are again in 4♠ after Dummy opens the bidding with 1♣ and jumps to 4♠ after Declarer had responded 1♠. Partner and you passed throughout the auction. Dummy has 19 HCPs, 3 of which are in the Club suit. After drawing trump, Declarer leads a small Club towards Dummy. Here is what you see:
Dummy
♣Q J 10 9
You Partner
♣ K 8 4 2 ♣ ?
Declarer
♣ 3
Who has the Ace? Partner ____ or Declarer _____?
************************************
Thanks go to John Seng for putting these together. We’ll see if we can solve them Tuesday night. See you then.