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Answers to quiz on simple hands in declarer play

Hand 1 :

West
S A 5
H K J 8 7
D 9 6 2
C J 5 4 3

#

East
S K 4 3
H A Q
D A 7 5 3
C 10 9 8 7
The auction:

Dealer East
E S W N
1NT end    

Contract : 1NT by East.   Lead : Queen of spades by South.

Answer: You must take the initial spade lead in your hand. The ace of spades in dummy must be saved until you have played the ace and queen of hearts. You can then enter dummy for two more spade tricks, making seven in all (2S, 4H and 1D).

Hand 2 :

West
 S K Q 10 5
H K 7 4
D K Q 4
C A 9 3

#

East
S J 9 2
H A J 3 2
D A 10 6
C 10 4 2
The auction:

Dealer West
W N E S
1S Pass 2H (or 2C) Pass
3NT end    

Contract : 3NT by West. Lead : King of clubs by North.

Answer : West should make nine tricks from 3S, 2H, 3D and 1C. There are six on top and the spade suit yields three more once the ace has been driven out. You should hold up your ace until the third round.

Hand 3 :

West
S A K Q 8 7 5
H 10 8
D 7 4
C A 9 6

#

East
S J 10 9 4
H 6 4 3 2
D A 5
C K Q 8
The auction:

Dealer West
W N E S
1S Pass 3S Pass
4S end    

Contract : Four spades by West.   Lead : Ace of hearts.

Answer : West must draw trumps before cashing side-suit winners. If he tries to cash three clubs first, defenders will get a ruff. West should make 6S, 1D and 3C.

Hand 4 :

West
S 8 6 4 2
H K
D J 8 5 3
C J 5 4 2

#

East
S A K Q J 3
H A Q 6 4 2
D A
C 8 7
The auction:

Dealer East
E S W N
2S Pass 2NT Pass
3H Pass 3S Pass
4S end    

Contract : Four spades by East.   Lead : AC, then KC then 3C.

Answer :  East has nine top tricks (5S, 3H and 1D) and can make another by ruffing a heart in dummy. Trumps can be drawn first here as East has so many. This incidentally sets up a small heart for the eleventh trick.

Hand 5 :

West
S K Q 7 4
H K Q 5 2
D A K Q
C 9 4

#

East
S J 10 6 2
H J 10 9
D 6 4 3 2
C 8 6
The auction:

Dealer West
W N E S
1S * Pass 2C
2H Pass 2S end

Contract : Two spades by West.   Lead : King of clubs.

Answer :  On the face of it, there  are nine tricks (3S, 3H and 3D) once the two major suit aces have been driven out.. As it happens, when North takes the ace of spades, a diamond lead gives South a ruff, which limits declarer to eight tricks.

Hand 6 :

West
S A 5 3
H K 5
D 7 4 2
C A 10 9 7 3

#

East
S K Q J 10 8
H A 9 6 3
D A 5 3
C 2
The auction:

Dealer West
E S W N
1S Pass 2C Pass
3H Pass 4S end

Contract : Four spades by East.   Lead : Queen of diamonds.

Answer : East can see nine top tricks (5S, 2H, 1D and 1C) and the tenth must come from ruffing a diamond. This must be done before drawing all the trumps. It's probably safe to ruff twice, the second time with the ace.

Hand 7 :

West
S J 9 7 5
H A K Q
D K Q J 10
C 3 2

#

East
S 8 6
H 9 6 4
D 4 3
C A K Q 8 6 5
The auction:

Dealer West
W N E S
1D 1S 2C Pass
2NT Pass 3NT end

Contract : Three no-trumps by West.   Lead : Ace of spades

Answer :  West's jack of spades proves an adequate stopper and a crucial ninth trick. When the clubs break 3:2, the small clubs all yield tricks and declarer comes home to 6C, 3H and 1S=10 tricks.

Hand 8 :

West
S K Q J 10
H K J 10 3
D A 3 2
C A J

#

East
S A 3 2
H Q 8 4
D 5 4
C Q 7 6 5 2
The auction:

Dealer West
W N E S
1H Pass 2C Pass
3NT end    

Contract :   Three no-trumps by West.   Lead :  Jack of diamonds.

Answer :  West needs three heart tricks to make her nine, so must lose a trick later on to the ace of hearts. It is thus crucial here to duck the diamond lead twice, and take the ace on the third round.  When the safe hand (South) proves to have the ace of hearts, she comes home to nine tricks (4S, 3H, 1D and 1C).

Hand 9 :

West
S K 2
H A 9 6 3
D A 8 3
C 7 6 4 2

#

East
S 3
H Q J 10 8 7
D 9 6 2
C A K Q J
The auction:

Dealer West
E S W N
1H Pass 3H Pass
4H  end    

Contract :   Four hearts by East.   Lead :  Queen of spades.

Answer : East must lose one spade and two diamonds and so must avoid the loss of a heart. The successful finesse requires a lead from East, say the Queen of hearts, and when the king does not appear, this runs successfully to North. East can repeat this finesse as often as necessary to make ten tricks--5H, 1D and 4C.

Hand 10 :

West
S A K 5
H Q 10 9 4
D K 5 2
C 7 3 2

#

East
S Q 8 6
H J 3
D A 7 4 3
C A K 8 5
The auction:

Dealer West
E S W N
1NT Pass 3NT end

Contract :   Three no-trumps by East.   Lead :  Jack of spades.

Answer : East has only seven sure tricks--3S, 2D and 2C. The other two must come from hearts, and fortunately East's spades are good enough to stand repeated attacks.  Once two heart tricks have been lost to the ace and the king, the two established heart tricks make the total up to nine.
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Somerset Maugham, a wonderfully prolific writer, once said " If I had my way, I would have children taught bridge as a matter of course, just as they are taught dancing. In the end, it will be more useful to them.....you can play bridge as long as you can sit up at a table."