A quiz to see if you like to fight
'Don't bid unless you've got the cards' was for years a sound axiom for run-of-the-neighborhood bridge. Now this is changing. Even the most timid souls are wading in with harassing competitive bids. Do you know when to compete, and how? This quiz is designed to test how up-to-date your fighting instincts are. If you score 50 points or more you are a battler to beware of, and 35 or more means you have a fighting chance. But if your score is under 30 you had better hope your partner can do your brawling for you
1 As South you hold:
[King of Hearts]
[Queen of Hearts]
[10 of Hearts]
[4 of Hearts]
[Ace of Clubs]
[Jack of Clubs]
[6 of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
[8 of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
[6 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
EAST
PASS
1 [Spade]
SOUTH
PASS
?
WEST
PASS
NORTH
1 [Club]
What do you bid now?
2 As South you hold:
E-W vul.
[Ace of Spades]
[Queen of Spades]
[9 of Spades]
[7 of Hearts]
[King of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[9 of Diamonds]
[6 of Diamonds]
[5 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
SOUTH
PASS
?
WEST
1 [Spade]
NORTH
3 [Club]*
EAST
PASS
*Weak jump overcall
What do you bid now?
3 As South you hold:
[Ace of Spades]
[7 of Spades]
[6 of Spades]
[5 of Spades]
[4 of Spades]
[Ace of Hearts]
[2 of Hearts]
[Ace of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
[2 of Clubs]
[8 of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
[4 of Diamonds]
SOUTH
1 [Spade]
?
WEST
2 N.T.*
NORTH
3 [Spade]
EAST
4 [Club]
*"Unusual"
What do you bid now?
4 As South you hold:
[Ace of Spades]
[Queen of Spades]
[5 of Spades]
[4 of Spades]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[King of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
[2 of Diamonds]
[Ace of Clubs]
[8 of Clubs]
[5 of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[2 of Clubs]
NORTH
3 [Heart]
EAST
PASS
SOUTH
?
WEST
What do you bid?
5 As South you hold:
N-S vul.
[King of Spades]
[Queen of Spades]
[Jack of Spades]
[9 of Spades]
[6 of Spades]
[4 of Spades]
[7 of Hearts]
[Ace of Clubs]
[Queen of Clubs]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
WEST
PASS
NORTH
PASS
EAST
3 [Heart]
SOUTH
?
What do you bid?
6 As South you hold:
[Ace of Spades]
[Queen of Hearts]
[Jack of Hearts]
[7 of Hearts]
[5 of Hearts]
[Ace of Clubs]
[Queen of Clubs]
[Jack of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[9 of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[3 of Diamonds]
[2 of Diamonds]
EAST
1 [Club]
SOUTH
?
WEST
NORTH
What do you bid?
7 As South you hold:
Both sides vul.
[Ace of Spades]
[6 of Spades]
[3 of Spades]
[Jack of Hearts]
[3 of Hearts]
[Ace of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
[King of Diamonds]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[8 of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
[4 of Diamonds]
SOUTH
1 [Diamond]
PASS
?
WEST
PASS
PASS
NORTH
1 [Heart]
3 [Diamond]
EAST
1 [Spade]
PASS
What do you bid now?
8 As South you hold:
N-S vul.
[4 of Spades]
[3 of Spades]
[2 of Spades]
[King of Hearts]
[Queen of Hearts]
[7 of Hearts]
[5 of Hearts]
[Queen of Clubs]
[Jack of Clubs]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[8 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
[2 of Diamonds]
EAST
3 [Spade]
PASS
SOUTH
PASS
?
WEST
4 [Spade]
NORTH
4 N.T.
What do you bid now?
9 As South you hold:
[King of Spades]
[Jack of Spades]
[10 of Spades]
[3 of Spades]
[Jack of Hearts]
[Ace of Clubs]
[Queen of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
WEST
1 [Diamond]
NORTH
2 [Heart]*
EAST
3 [Club]
SOUTH
?
*Preemptive, week to intermediate
What do you bid?
10 As South you hold:
[9 of Spades]
[8 of Spades]
[5 of Spades]
[4 of Spades]
[7 of Hearts]
[4 of Hearts]
[3 of Hearts]
[King of Clubs]
[Queen of Clubs]
[Jack of Clubs]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[King of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
WEST
1 [Heart]
NORTH
DOUBLE
EAST
PASS
SOUTH
?
What do you bid?
11 E-W vul.
NORTH
[8 of Spades]
[6 of Spades]
[3 of Spades]
[2 of Spades]
[Ace of Hearts]
[9 of Hearts]
[7 of Hearts]
[5 of Hearts]
[King of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
SOUTH
[Ace of Spades]
[Queen of Spades]
[10 of Spades]
[9 of Spades]
[7 of Spades]
[Jack of Hearts]
[Queen of Clubs]
[Jack of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
[2 of Clubs]
[King of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
EAST
1 [Club]
PASS
SOUTH
1 [Spade]
4 [Spade]
WEST
PASS
(final bid)
NORTH
3 [Spade]
In problems 11-14 has bidding helped you? Here West opens 7 of clubs. East wins ace and returns a diamond. West takes his ace and returns diamond, trumped by East. East leads a club, West follows. How do you proceed?
12
NORTH
[4 of Spades]
[3 of Spades]
[2 of Spades]
[10 of Hearts]
[6 of Hearts]
[5 of Hearts]
[4 of Hearts]
[3 of Hearts]
[Jack of Clubs]
[8 of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
SOUTH
[King of Spades]
[5 of Spades]
[Ace of Hearts]
[King of Hearts]
[7 of Hearts]
[2 of Hearts]
[Ace of Clubs]
[King of Clubs]
[7 of Clubs]
[6 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[8 of Diamonds]
SOUTH
1 [Club]
1 [Heart]
4 [Heart]
WEST
1 [Diamond]
PASS
PASS
NORTH
PASS
2 [Heart]
PASS
EAST
PASS
PASS
PASS
West opens the king of diamonds. How do you play for your contract?
13 Both sides vul.
NORTH
[King of Spades]
[Queen of Spades]
[5 of Spades]
[Queen of Hearts]
[10 of Hearts]
[6 of Hearts]
[Queen of Clubs]
[9 of Clubs]
[5 of Clubs]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
[6 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
SOUTH
[Ace of Spades]
[Jack of Spades]
[10 of Spades]
[9 of Spades]
[2 of Spades]
[King of Hearts]
[7 of Hearts]
[3 of Hearts]
[8 of Clubs]
[King of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[9 of Diamonds]
[4 of Diamonds]
SOUTH
1 [Spade]
2 [Spade]
4 [Spade]
WEST
2 [Club]
PASS
PASS
NORTH
2 [Diamond]
3 [Spade]
PASS
EAST
PASS
PASS
PASS
West cashes the king of clubs and exits with a trump. How do you play for your contract?
14
NORTH
[Ace of Spades]
[7 of Spades]
[5 of Spades]
[4 of Hearts]
[2 of Hearts]
[King of Clubs]
[Jack of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[4 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
SOUTH
[King of Spades]
[6 of Spades]
[2 of Spades]
[Ace of Hearts]
[Queen of Hearts]
[Queen of Clubs]
[7 of Clubs]
[6 of Clubs]
[5 of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[10 of Diamonds]
[9 of Diamonds]
[5 of Diamonds]
NORTH
1 [Diamond]
PASS
3 [Club]
EAST
DOUBLE
PASS
PASS
SOUTH
REDOUBLE
2 [Club]
3 N.T.
WEST
1 [Heart]
PASS
(final bid)
West opens the jack of hearts. How do you play for your contract?
BEST PLAYS, AND WHY
1
2 SPADES—5 PTS. 5 CLUBS—3 PTS. 3 CLUBS—2 PTS. 2 HEARTS—1 PT.
You have passed originally on a hand that is suddenly worth 16 points in support of clubs. Yet, because of that earlier pass, the only forcing bid available is a cue bid in the opponents' suit. What is more, this bid gives the truest picture of your hand. Five clubs has the virtue of insuring that game will be reached, and three clubs is stronger than two hearts, which gets a point for lagniappe.
2
5 CLUBS—5 PTS. 4 CLUBS—3 PTS. PASS—1 PT.
After partner's preemptive announcement of a no-defense hand, your singleton heart should cause a stab at the panic button. Anything less than five clubs may not shut out the heart suit, but four clubs is at least a step in the right direction. Pass deserves one point because it is better than three diamonds, which does not shut out anything.
3
4 SPADES—5 PTS. PASS—3 PTS. DOUBLE—1 PT.
We are far from sure of making game, but why should we tell the opponents that they do not need to take the save they are heading for? Pass gets a few points because it is not incorrect by the book, and double gets one point because it might be better than something else—though don't ask me what.
4
4 HEARTS—5 PTS. 4 CLUBS—3 PTS. PASS—1 PT.
A raise with a void suit seems heroic, but you have better than the four tricks that should give partner game, since partner's three bid says he expects to win six tricks with hearts as trumps. Four clubs is rewarded on the theory that some players insist that any response is forcing. Pass is better than three spades or four diamonds.
5
4 SPADES—5 PTS. DOUBLE—3 PTS. 3 SPADES—1 PT.
Surely you would not allow yourself to be shut out if you held small cards instead of the spade jack and the club queen. Hence the vast difference in awards between four spades, which properly depicts your hand, and three spades, which might be a strained competitive effort. A double might work well, but partner is unlikely ever to credit you with such a powerful spade suit, or he might even pass for an inadequate penalty.
6
3 CLUBS—5 PTS. PASS—3 PTS. DOUBLE—1 PT. 1 HEART—1 PT.
Only by a jump in clubs can you make it clear to partner that you have a fair hand with nearly solid clubs. A pass may work out if the opponents blunder into hearts or if East winds up in no trump. A double will lead to problems if partner bids spades. A one-heart bid might strike oil or trouble. But these last two bids should score over two clubs, which allows West to come in cheaply and sounds to partner like a cue bid.
7
3 SPADES—5 PTS. 3 NO TRUMP—3 PTS. 3 HEARTS—1 PT.
Having told partner by passing on the preceding round that your strength is limited, he should not think that you have suddenly discovered a hidden ace and turned slam-minded. This cue bid is an effort to place a three-no-trump contract in the proper hand if partner has Q-x or J-x-x in spades. Obviously, three no trump is not a good choice, although it is better than three hearts, which in turn must be awarded something more than a possible four diamonds, which carries us beyond the no trump game. A pass is bad. Partner had expected his bid to be treated as forcing.
8
5 HEARTS—5 PTS. 5 DIAMONDS—3 PTS. 5 SPADES—2 PTS.
Partner's four no trump is a three-suit takeout double, not an "unusual" no-trump demand for a minor suit. Diamonds is likely to prove an inferior trump suit. If we play it at hearts, we may be able to pitch losing diamonds on good clubs. Five spades might get to a good slam, but it is more likely to heap unwarranted punishment on a properly competitive partner.
9
PASS—5 PTS. 3 HEARTS—2 PTS. DOUBLE—1 PT.
East's bid is forcing, so why slow up the opponents by doubling when you will surely get an opportunity later to double a higher contract? Three hearts might stir up the animals by leading each opponent to believe that the other is short, but it might also let the opponents off the hook.
10
2 HEARTS—5 PTS. 2 SPADES—3 PTS. 1 SPADE—1 PT.
Instead of the bust with which you might have had to respond to partner's double, you hold the strength for an opening bid. The cue bid in this situation does not show controls in hearts. It merely creates a forcing sequence. Two spades is not forcing and misrepresents your hand, but at least it is better than one spade or other remote alternatives.
11
LEAD THE SPADE 8 FROM DUMMY AND, IF EAST DOES NOT COVER, TAKE THE DEEP FINESSE—5 PTS.
East is known to have begun with only four clubs and one diamond. If his remaining eight cards were not evenly divided between hearts and spades, he would have opened with a five-card major suit.
WEST
[— of Spades]
[10 of Hearts]
[6 of Hearts]
[3 of Hearts]
[2 of Hearts]
[Ace of Diamonds]
[9 of Diamonds]
[8 of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
[6 of Diamonds]
[5 of Diamonds]
[2 of Diamonds]
[7 of Clubs]
[6 of Clubs]
EAST
[King of Spades]
[Jack of Spades]
[5 of Spades]
[4 of Spades]
[King of Hearts]
[Queen of Hearts]
[8 of Hearts]
[4 of Hearts]
[4 of Diamonds]
[Ace of Clubs]
[9 of Clubs]
[8 of Clubs]
[5 of Clubs]
12
WIN THE ACE OF DIAMONDS. CASH TOP TRUMPS, DROPPING QUEEN AND JACK. CASH ACE AND KING OF CLUBS. IF QUEEN DOES NOT FALL, THROW WEST IN BY LEADING DIAMOND JACK—5 PTS.
West's overcall has almost surely marked him for the ace of spades, and if East gains the lead, a spade through declarer's king will doom the contract. Having stripped West of hearts and clubs, you throw him in with the diamond, and he must let you win the king of spades or give you a ruff and discard by leading another diamond.
WEST
[Ace of Spades]
[10 of Spades]
[9 of Spades]
[6 of Spades]
[Queen of Hearts]
[8 of Hearts]
[King of Diamonds]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[10 of Diamonds]
[5 of Diamonds]
[3 of Diamonds]
[5 of Clubs]
[2 of Clubs]
EAST
[Queen of Spades]
[Jack of Spades]
[8 of Spades]
[7 of Spades]
[Jack of Hearts]
[9 of Hearts]
[9 of Diamonds]
[6 of Diamonds]
[4 of Diamonds]
[2 of Diamonds]
[Queen of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[9 of Clubs]
13
DRAW TRUMPS IN THREE LEADS. LEAD TO DUMMY'S DIAMOND ACE AND RETURN A DIAMOND. IF EAST PLAYS LOW, FINESSE THE 10—5 PTS.
Barring a lucky drop of the diamond honors, South faces the certain loss of a club and a diamond and the possible loss of two hearts unless the jack lies with West or unless another way can be found to eliminate a second heart loser. Because of his overcall, West is presumed to hold five clubs, since he has already shown three spades and probably has the ace of hearts. When he wins the second diamond with the queen, West must establish dummy's queen if he leads a club or eliminate a second heart loser if he leads a heart. If West can escape this end play by leading a third diamond, he is marked with only two cards in the heart suit, and South will make the hand by leading up to the queen of hearts and playing low on the next heart lead from dummy. West's ace can now take only low cards.
WEST
[7 of Spades]
[4 of Spades]
[3 of Spades]
[Ace of Hearts]
[8 of Hearts]
[4 of Hearts]
[Queen of Diamonds]
[2 of Diamonds]
[Ace of Clubs]
[King of Clubs]
[Jack of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[3 of Clubs]
EAST
[8 of Spades]
[6 of Spades]
[Jack of Hearts]
[9 of Hearts]
[5 of Hearts]
[2 of Hearts]
[Jack of Diamonds]
[8 of Diamonds]
[5 of Diamonds]
[7 of Clubs]
[6 of Clubs]
[4 of Clubs]
[2 of Clubs]
14
WIN FIRST HEART, LEAD TO SPADE ACE AND LEAD LOW CLUB—5 PTS. WIN HEART AND LEAD TO DIAMOND ACE—2 PTS.
East's double has marked him with all the high cards that are unaccounted for. Therefore the diamond finesse is hopeless, and you must try to win four club tricks—unless you can steal a club before you lead the diamonds. Note that the contract fails if declarer tries to establish clubs by leading to one of dummy's honors. But on the recommended line, East is helpless. If he ducks the club lead, South sets up the diamonds. If he tries the club ace, declarer makes four club tricks, two hearts, two spades and needs only one diamond. Playing the diamond ace and trying to drop the king is, in this hand, better than the mathematically superior diamond finesse.
WEST
[9 of Spades]
[8 of Spades]
[4 of Spades]
[3 of Spades]
[Jack of Hearts]
[10 of Hearts]
[9 of Hearts]
[8 of Hearts]
[5 of Hearts]
[8 of Diamonds]
[7 of Diamonds]
[2 of Diamonds]
[8 of Clubs]
EAST
[Queen of Spades]
[Jack of Spades]
[10 of Spades]
[King of Hearts]
[7 of Hearts]
[6 of Hearts]
[3 of Hearts]
[King of Diamonds]
[6 of Diamonds]
[Ace of Clubs]
[10 of Clubs]
[9 of Clubs]
[2 of Clubs]
ILLUSTRATION