Source:Â 15th European Youth Bridge Championships;Â Cardiff Â’96.
  
 
 
 
Tune up by trying your hand at these real life problems. There are plenty of IMPs at stake!
1. Love All. Dealer West 
ItÂ’s not often partner doubles an enemy grand slam when you are looking at two aces. How do you plan to defend?
2.Love All. Dealer West
After West opens with a weak 2 you (North) arrive in 6. East leads the 7. What is your plan?
3. E/W Vul. Dealer South
South opens 2 (semi-forcing) and rebids 3NT over NorthÂ’s relay of 2. North raises to 6NT and you have to find a lead.
4. Love All. Dealer North
What do you lead?
5. E/W Vul. Dealer South.
Your opening lead?
6. E/W Vul. Dealer South
What do you bid?
Solutions
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
1. Love All. Dealer WestÂ
ItÂ’s not often partner doubles an enemy grand slam when you are looking at two aces. How do you plan to defend?
It should be clear that partnerÂ’s double is directing you to find an unusual lead. As you can see by looking at the full deal the 2 will produce the maximum penalty.
The bidding of the East-West pair leaves a lot to be desired! At the table North was not wide awake and after cashing the A (200 points down the drain, celebrated by cashing the A (kissing goodbye to another 200). In the other room your team-mates collected +100 from 6 doubled. If you led the 2 you win 12 IMPs. If you cashed the A first you collect 9 IMPs. If you cashed the }A and then tried the spade ace your gain is 5 IMPs.
2.Love All. Dealer West
After West opens with a weak 2 you (North) arrive in 6. East leads the 7. What is your plan?
Your general plan will be to win the opening lead with the A, cash two top spades, unblock the K and cross to dummy with a diamond to discard your losing heart. When West turns out to have the master trump it costs you nothing to ruff a club before conceding a trump trick.Then if the diamonds donÂ’t break you will be able to squeeze East on this layout:
In the other room the North-South pair were content to stop in 4 and they made 11 tricks for +450. If you would have made your slam you win 11 IMPs. If you went down you lose the same 11 IMPs.
3. E/W Vul. Dealer South
South opens 2 (semi-forcing) and rebids 3NT over NorthÂ’s relay of 2. North raises to 6NT and you have to find a lead.
I hope you selected the Q! The full deal was:
Your other pair found their heart fit but did not advance beyond game so you win 11 IMPs if you led a club. Otherwise you lose 11 IMPs.
4. Love All. Dealer North
What do you lead?
Only a heart will do! 
Your team-mates made 6 in the other room so you win 14 IMPs if you led a heart, otherwise itÂ’s a flat board.You may berate your partner for failing to double 3 but in real life the World Champion sitting East led a heart anyway
5. E/W Vul. Dealer South.Your opening lead?
Trying to cash the A will prove to be expensive!
In the other room your pair collected only +500 from 6 doubled so you gain 12 IMPs if you led a spade. If you tried the A you concede -1630 and 15 IMPs.
6. E/W Vul. Dealer SouthWhat do you bid?
If you think partner is showing a strong balanced hand then there is a lot to be said for passing.
Almost any defence will net +1100. In the other room North-South recorded +180 so you win 14 IMPs by passing. If you removed the double to 2 then you lose 2 IMPs.
On this simple set of six boards you could be anywhere between +61 and -12 IMPs. How did you fare?
Esta entrada también está disponible en: Spanish