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Answers to quiz on slightly more difficult hands in declarer play

Hand 1 :

Contract : 4S  by East.   Lead : Queen of hearts by South.

Answer: Drawing trumps here will probably result in only nine tricks, while cross-ruffing will certainly yield ten and possibly even thirteen. Take your red ace, kings and start ruffing at once, without drawing any trumps. 

Hand 2 :

Contract : 3NT by East. Lead : Ten of spades by South.

Answer : East has six top tricks--2S, 3H and 1D, and the club suit offers the best prospect of bringing the total to nine. Lead from the East hand, finessing the jack initially and then the ten. You may need to hold up the spades at some stage.

Hand 3 :

Contract : Three no-trumps by West.   Lead : Queen of clubs

Answer : West has eight top tricks (3S, 3D and 2C).There is insufficient time to set up a trick in hearts as the clubs are very vulnerable to attack. The diamond suit, with eight cards in it offers good prospects of five tricks, and even when the suit breaks 4-1, it yields the ninth trick with the four of diamonds.

Hand 4 :

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

Answer : West loses one diamond and ruffs the second round. She counts herself lucky that defenders did not find the club weakness. Did you finesse the heart or play for the drop ? The latter, of course, and the king falls. One ruff in spades sees all the other spades fall and the two of spades gives the eleventh trick.

Hand 5 :

Contract :Four hearts by East.   Lead : King of clubs.

Answer : East has seven top tricks (5H, 1D and 1C) and two more from spades once the ace has been driven out. The tenth must come by ruffing a diamond in dummy before drawing trumps. Note that ruffing a club in hand does not give the tenth trick.

Hand 6 :

Contract : Four hearts by West.   Lead : Eight of hearts

Answer : Note that while you may frown at East's bid of two hearts, it is better than the alternatives--pass, one no-trump or two diamonds. West can see eight top tricks (1S, 5H and 2C). The other two must come from ruffing two spades in dummy. You have time for this, despite the trump lead.

Hand 7 :

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

Answer :  West has five top tricks and the remaining four will come from the diamond suit once the ace has been driven out. The spade ace must be held up twice, otherwise both hands can attack the spades, when in with the ace of diamonds. If the hand with the long spades also holds the ace of diamonds, you won't make this contract.

Hand 8 :

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

Answer :  West is fortunate as she has four losers  (3H and 1S)  if the defenders find them early enough. The club lead enables her to discard a heart on the clubs before forcing out the ace of trumps. She then comes home safely to ten tricks (3S and one spade ruff, 3D and 3C).

Hand 9 :

Contract :  Two diamonds by West. Lead : Jack of clubs.

Answer : Both diamonds and spades can be established by driving out their aces. Declarer then comes home to 3S, 1H, 5D and 2C---11 tricks in all. Underbid !

Hand 10 :

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

Answer :  North may have started with a five-card spade suit so that it is crucial to hold the ace until the third round so that South has no spades left (if she has, then the spades will divide 4-4). West has six certain tricks and can make up her quota from clubs or diamonds. The diamond finesse would put the danger hand on lead if the finesse fails, and North would cash two spade tricks. If the club finesse fails, North can do no harm. West will then come home to nine tricks---1S, 3H, 1D and 4C at least.