Two tournaments on the horizon

On the local bridge front, two events are on the calendar for those who would like to plan ahead.

The date for the North American Open Pairs qualifying game at the YWCA weekly duplicate has been set for Aug. 12. The game will award half red/half black master points, and provides the first step in attempting to qualify for the NAOP finals next spring in Columbus, Ohio.

And the annual Connecticut summer sectional tournament scheduled to be held at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Stamford is now only five weeks away. Details of the threeday competition will appear in this space as the time nears and can be found at www.ctbridge.org.

Today’s quiz: Here is another in the current series of quizzes on the proper play of common suit combinations. In both of the following problems, you (the declarer) are given your own and the dummy’s holding in a particular suit. Assuming free access to either hand and that you have no clues from any opposing bidding, how would you play each combination in order to give yourself the best chance of making one trick in the suit?

1. YouK53; DummyJ62.

2. YouQJ4; Dummy753.

Answers:

1. Lead low from your hand toward dummy and, if your lefthand (LHO) follows low, play the jack; if this loses to the queen, lead up to the king later. Chance of making one trick: 74 percent. The recommended line of play will produce a trick whenever either opponent holds both the ace and queen, or when the honors are split with the ace on your right and the queen on your left, failing only when the ace and queen are divided the other way.

2. Lead from the dummy and, assuming RHO follows low, play the jack (or queen); if this loses, lead up to your remaining honor at a later stage. Chance of making one trick: 76 percent. This approach will yield a trick whenever RHO holds both the ace and king, or when the honors are split, losing only when LHO holds both missing honors.

The week’s duplicate results:

YWCA weekly open duplicate: NorthSouth, 1. Barbie McKelveyJackie Walsh, 2. Lynne RohrerJackie Stone, 3. Susanne RedmondMaureen Smith; EastWest, 12. Mary AlbertellKaren Hershberg, Betty CuttingMary Oztemel, 3. Grant PerkinsRalph Viggiano.

Central Greenwich Bridge Club weekly duplicate, 7/5: NorthSouth, 1. Dorothea BellafioreHolly Pastula, 2. Joyce BeachJohn Roe, 3. Barbara BellafioreJames Chung; EastWest, 1. Doris ErdmanLolly Raphael, 2. Don McCullochJohn Friel, 3. Bob DriessenDean Goss.

Greenwich YMCA’s Perfectly Polite Bridge Group: 9:45 a.m. room winners: North/South, 1. Rex Brown & Jace Jacobson, 2. Priscilla Lauridsen & Betty Steinberg, and East/West, 1. Judy Rein & Joel Rein, 2. Debra James & Linda R. 12:45 p.m. Room Winners: North/South, 1. Judith Kallman & Debbie Simon,

2. Anne Thaxter & Marie Weigel; East/West: 1. Joel Rein & Partner, 2. Charles Biggs & Dean Goss