These 9 problems are representative of the bridge questions that are
asked in a Master Teacher Interview. Questions presented at the
interview must be answered based on the bridge knowledge of the
candidate without consulting any resources.
Sample Hand #1
Dealer: South
DUMMY
9 8 7
Vul: None
9 2
J 6 2
8 7 6 4 2
PARTNER YOU
10 6 3
2 led
6 3
Q 10 7 3
J 9 5 3
Declarer (S)
??
Bidding
WEST
NORTH EAST SOUTH
2C*
Pass 2D Pass 2S
Pass 3C**
Pass 3H
Pass
3S Pass 6S All Pass
* strong, artificial
** 2nd negative no control
Assume IMPS or rubber bridge:
(a) What is you play to the first trick?
(b) What is you plan for defending?
ANSWER:
Your 10
could be the key to defeating this slam. The bidding and partner’s
opening lead indicate that declarer might need to ruff a heart to make
the contract. Forget third hand high at trick one. Save your
10
so you can overruff!
Declarer’s hand:
A K Q J 5
A K Q 7
A K
K Q
Sample Hand #2
Dealer: Sourth
Dummy
K 9 4 3
Vul: None
9 8
J 8 3 2
Q 9 4
Partner YOU
A Q 8 5
10 7 6 3
9 7 6
J 3
Declarer
??
Bidding
WEST
NORTH EAST SOUTH
1D
2C
2D Pass Pass
2H
Pass Pass 3D All Pass
Partner leads the
A K followed by the 2,
which you trump with the 6.
What do you lead at trick four and why?
ANSWER: Partner’s
2
should be a suit preference signal asking for a heart return. Lead the
10.
When switching to a new suit later in the hand, the lead of a low card
expresses interest in having that suit returned. Lead high when you
would prefer a different lead. You need a spade through dummy’s
K
to set 3D two.
Declarer’s hand:
J 6
K Q J
A K Q 10 5
8 7 6
Sample
Hand #3
Dealer: South
K 4
Vul: None
A J 8 2
8 7
Q 10 9 7 5
6
led
YOU (Declarer)
A 8 2
K 7 3
Q 10 4 3
A K 2
Bidding
WEST
NORTH EAST SOUTH
1NT
Pass
2C Pass 2D
Pass
3NT All
Pass
After West’s fourth best 6
lead, you play the 7
from dummy and East plays the
J.
Assume Rubber Bridge or IMPS where you want to make the safest play
for your contract. Discuss your options and plan as declarer, giving
reasons for your plays.
ANSWER: You can
win the
Q
at trick one. Other winners are 2 spades, 2 hearts, and 3 clubs. You
need one more trick. That trick can come from either a club finesse
(or 3-2 break) or a heart finesse. The club finesse is your best bet
because it sets up your ninth trick even when the finesse loses. You
have a 2-way finesse in clubs. Cash one high club and then finesse
either by leading toward the
Q 10 9 or by going to dummy and leading the
10
and letting it ride.
The Rule of Eleven
tells South that East has played his only card higher than the
6
at trick one. You know West holds the
A K 9. The diamond suit is a concern if West has a fifth diamond. You
have a second diamond stopper as long as West leads diamonds. You do
not have a second stopper if East leads through the
10 4 3 left in your hand after winning the
Q
at trick one. This makes East the dangerous opponent and West the
safe opponent. You want to take the finesse that will avoid letting
the dangerous opponent in. This means playing the dangerous opponent
for the missing high card (remember, you don’t care if this finesse
wins or loses as long as East doesn’t gain the lead). Finesse East for
the
J
and you will make your contract.
The defenders’
cards are:
WEST EAST
J 9 6 5
Q 10 7 3
9 6 5
Q 10 4
A K 9 6 2
J 5
6
J 8 4 3
Sample Hand #4
Dealer: South
7 5 2
Vul: None
A Q 7 6
A 8 2
J 6 5
K
led
YOU (Declarer)
A
K J 8 4 3 2
K 10 7
K 8 3
Bidding
WEST
NORTH EAST SOUTH
1H
Pass
3H Pass 4H All Pass
You win the
opening lead with the
ªA.
Explain your plan for making 4H. (Assume normal distributions.)
ANSWER:
You have one
diamond loser and possibly three club losers. You must play to avoid a
club loser. Don’t touch clubs yourself. Draw trump in two rounds,
ending in dummy. Ruff a spade. Play the
K
and
A,
ruff a spade. Then give up a diamond. Whichever opponent gains the
lead is endplayed and must lead clubs or give you a ruff/sluff. If
West gets in and leads a club, let the lead ride around to the king.
If East gets in instead, let the lead ride around to the jack (unless
East leads the
Q,
which you must cover). In clubs the opponents can take at most the
club
A
and
Q
as long as they break the suit.
The defenders’
hands are:
K Q 10 9
J 8 6 4 3
10
9 5
9 6 5 3
Q J 4
A 7 4 2
Q 10 9
Sample
Hand #5
Dealer: South
J 7 5 4 2
Vul: None
A 7 4 3
K 4
8 3
¨Q
opening lead YOU
(Declarer)
A K Q 10 9 6 3
Q 10
7 3
A 5
Bidding
WEST
NORTH EAST SOUTH
1S
Pass
2S* Pass 4S All Pass
* A 3S limit raise is also possible
Trick 1: You cover the
Q.
East plays the A
.
Trick 2: East shifts to the
10,
which you win with the A.
West follows with the 7
Trick 3: You draw trump with the
A.
West follows and East discards the
2.
Trick 4: You lead the 5.
LHO plays the 4
and East wins the 9.
Trick 5: East leads the 5.
What will you play to this trick and why? Assume you are playing
against competent opponents.
ANSWER: The key is West’s play to the second club trick. West is
marked with a high club but wanted East on lead – probably to lead a
heart to West’s king. If West did not hold the
K,
he should have won trick 5 with a high club and led a heart through
dummy’s ace. Declarer should play the
10
and hope that West does not also have the
J.
The defenders’ hands are:
8
--
K 9 2
J 8 6 5
Q J 9 8 5
A 10 6 2
K J 7 4
Q 10 9 6 2
Sample
Hand #6
Dealer: South
K 6 2
Vul: None
8 7 6 3
10 6 5 4 2
3
Opening lead
10
A J 7
A K 4
A K 7
7 6 5 2
Bidding
WEST
NORTH EAST SOUTH
1C
Pass
Pass Pass
How do you plan to make 1C?
ANSWER: The spade
lead gives you a third spade trick with the jack. You have four more
tricks in the red suits. Your best bet is to play on clubs at every
opportunity, giving the defenders the tricks they have coming and
preventing them from gaining extra tricks by ruffing.
The defenders’
hands: WEST
EAST
10 9 8
Q 5 4 3
Q 10
J 9 5 2
Q J 8 3
9
A Q J 10
K 9 8 4
On a diamond
switch, East can get one diamond ruff but he will ruff your diamond
loser, not a winner. By the time West can lead a second diamond, East
is out of trump. If declarer plays even one high diamond before
drawing trumps, 1C goes down.
Sample
Hand #7
Dealer: North
A 7 5
Vul: None
A 6 3
A 4
K J 8 6 2
Opening lead K
YOU (Declarer)
6 3
K 10 9 8 7 4
J 7
A 7 3
Bidding
WEST
NORTH EAST SOUTH
1NT Pass 4H All Pass
An
old-fashioned auction gets you to 4H. LHO leads the
K,
won by Dummy’s
A.
You cash 2 high trumps revealing a trump loser with your LHO. How will
you proceed to make 4H? Assume IMPS or Rubber Bridge.
ANSWER:
Finesse for a contract only as a last resort. If you cash the
A
and finesse Dummy’s
J,
losing to RHO’s
Q,
the defense cashes the
Q
and switches to spades. Dummy wins the
ªA,
but when you play the
K,
intending to subsequently discard your losing
6,
LHO ruffs and leads a spade for one down. You lose one trick in each
suit.
To
take a winning frame of mind, you should NOT finesse the
J.
If successful, it means merely an overtrick. First, assume a normal
3-2 club split. (That’s more likely than a successful club finesse.)
DO think to establish clubs for a Spade discard, but be willing to
accept the loss of a club trick in that process.
After the 2 high trumps, cash your
K
and
A
and surrender a club. LHO then gets the
Q
and shifts to the
K,
but too late. Win it in Dummy and play the good
J,
enabling you to discard your losing
6
while LHO ruffs with his high trump. A loser-on-loser play! Correct
timing in play of the club suit saves the day!
