BriDgE Quiz

8QUESTION 1: Neither VUlnerable, as SoUth, yoU hold: 8QUESTION 4: Both VUlnerable, as SoUth, yoU hold:

AJ754 NORTH 1h 1NT

sWhat call woUld yoU make?

8QUESTION 5: North-SoUth VUlnerable, as SoUth, yoU hold:

QJ4 SOUTH 1c

sAKJ95 NORTH Pass

cWhat call woUld yoU make?

EAST Pass

I encountered an odd situation recently. Our opposition bid up to six clubs, and we sacrificed in six spades. The first player passed, and his partner bid seven clubs, which was a make when our spade ace did not cash. How did they know?

When the enemy sacrifice oVer yoUr slam, many play that a pass shows a first-roUnd control in their sUit, which means a grand slam may still be in the offing. To doUble woUld simply deny the ace or a Void. That enabled the partner of the passer to bid on in yoUr example.

Some players in my circle like to make strange leads against no-trump in suits bid by the opponents. They do not adhere to the normal fourth-highest. Is there any advantage to that?

The theory is that when an opponent has length in yoUr sUit, wasting yoUr foUrth-highest spot-card coUld giVe away a trick. For example, imagine yoU hold ace-jack-nineeight-three in the sUit declarer has shown fiVe of. If partner has the 10, QUeen or king, leading the three will aVoid blocking the sUit. To start with the eight woUld either block the sUit or sacrifice a potential winner.

I have heard some mention of “last train” among my bridgeplaying friends. What do they mean?

“Last train” denotes a last-ditch inVite, UsUally to slam, bUt it occasionally crops Up in game-try aUctions. It inVites partner to bid on, whereas a sign-off woUld show less. The bid is always the step immediately below the sign-off and often takes the place of a normal cUe-bid. HoweVer, Unless partner has denied a control in a specific sUit (in which case the last train bid woUld confirm a control there), the last train does not relate to a control in the sUit bid or any other sUit.

Are there any good bridge problem books that you recommend? I am looking for singledummy problems rather than complex double-dummy affairs.

There are too many sUch books to coUnt. HUgh Kelsey wrote a series of foUr excellent match play books, while Allan Falk has prodUced similarly brilliant works. Ewart Kempson and, more recently, JUlian Pottage haVe written these sorts of books as well. Finally, Albert Sheinwold’s problems from 50 years ago are hard to beat.