BridgeforchessTHE FIRST SET · 12 PUZZLES
Every puzzle carries its own Elo — the rating of a player who solves it half the time. Every player starts at 1200: the first three puzzles are Placement, with big steps to find your level, then rated play moves your rating in small steps after every puzzle.
A 1200 player solves the 980 puzzle 78% of the time and the 1750 puzzle 4% — that gap is what makes the rating honest.
You start at 1200. The first 3 puzzles are Placement — big steps (K 80) to find your level — then rated play at small steps (K 32). This run lives in your browser only; a saved rating arrives with the playing interface.
PUZZLE 1 OF 12 · TACTICS · PLACEMENT
Elo 9803NT by North.
Two tricks left and you need both. Which card do you lead?
Two worked runs through the set, computed with the same engine the practice run uses. Easy puzzles barely pay; hard puzzles pay well; a miss against an easy one stings most.
| # | Puzzle | Puzzle Elo | Result | Before | Change | After |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Like chess, the strongest piece wins: the highest card of the suit led takes the trick. | 1040 | solved | 1200 | +23 | 1223 |
| 2 | Trumps are your queen: a trump beats every other suit — even a losing pawn becomes a winner. | 1180 | solved | 1223 | +35 | 1258 |
| 3 | Bidding is an opening repertoire: partner’s 1♠ is a known line, and 6–9 points with three trumps is the book reply. | 1290 | solved | 1258 | +44 | 1302 |
| 4 | Prophylaxis: take the piece before it forks you. An ace must be spent over the king, or the jack runs. | 1430 | solved | 1302 | +22 | 1324 |
| 5 | Counting a suit is counting material: every card that has shown up narrows where the rest can live. | 1580 | solved | 1324 | +26 | 1350 |
The first five of the twelve puzzles, worked as an example. The first 3 puzzles are Placement (K 80); the rest are rated play (K 32).
| # | Puzzle | Puzzle Elo | Result | Before | Change | After |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Like chess, the strongest piece wins: the highest card of the suit led takes the trick. | 1040 | solved | 1200 | +23 | 1223 |
| 2 | Trumps are your queen: a trump beats every other suit — even a losing pawn becomes a winner. | 1180 | missed | 1223 | -45 | 1178 |
| 3 | Bidding is an opening repertoire: partner’s 1♠ is a known line, and 6–9 points with three trumps is the book reply. | 1290 | solved | 1178 | +52 | 1230 |
| 4 | Prophylaxis: take the piece before it forks you. An ace must be spent over the king, or the jack runs. | 1430 | missed | 1230 | -8 | 1222 |
| 5 | Counting a suit is counting material: every card that has shown up narrows where the rest can live. | 1580 | solved | 1222 | +28 | 1250 |
The first five of the twelve puzzles, worked as an example. The first 3 puzzles are Placement (K 80); the rest are rated play (K 32).
All 12 puzzles with their Elos, from 980 to 1750. Answers are one click away — but if you want the rating to mean something, run the practice first.
3NT by North. Theme: Tactics.
Two tricks left and you need both. Which card do you lead?
Lead the ♥K — Cash the heart king — nothing beats it — then lead the low diamond across to dummy’s ace. Lead the diamond first and the ace wins early, putting dummy on lead straight into West’s club king.
3NT by South. Theme: Tactics.
Two tricks left and you need both. Which card do you lead?
Lead the ♠K — Cash the spade king — nothing beats it — then lead the low heart across to dummy’s ace. Lead the heart first and the ace wins early, putting dummy on lead straight into East’s club king.
West passes. Partner (North) opens 1♥. East passes. You hold: Theme: Openings.
Your hand: ♠ A ♥ Q 8 5 3 ♦ K 6 ♣ J 7 2
Eleven points, four hearts. Your bid?
4♥ — Bid 4♥. With eleven points and four trumps, game is on — jump straight to it.
4♠ by South. Theme: Tactics.
Three tricks left and you need two. Which card do you lead?
Lead the ♦4 — Lead the low diamond and ruff in dummy with the ♠Q. Lead the trump first and West’s forced ace takes it away.
4♥ by North. Theme: Tactics.
Three tricks left and you need two. Dummy is on lead. Which card do you play?
Lead the ♦5 — Lead the low diamond and ruff the club in hand with the ♥4. The trump lead lets East’s forced ace take it away.
West passes. Partner (North) opens 1♠. East passes. You hold: Theme: Openings.
Your hand: ♠ K 9 5 ♥ Q 6 3 ♦ J 8 2 ♣ 10 7 4
Six points, three spades. Your bid?
2♠ — Raise to 2♠. Six to nine points with three trumps: the single raise, the bread-and-butter of the repertoire.
3NT by South. Theme: Tactics.
Two tricks left and you need both. Dummy is on lead. Which card do you play?
Play the ♠A — Play the ace first, then the two covers the king. Save the low card and the last trick slips away on West’s nine.
3NT by South. Theme: Prophylaxis.
You are East. Declarer leads the ♠2 toward dummy’s king. Which spade do you play?
Play the ♠A — Play the ace now. The ten or queen lets the king win cheaply — a trick handed over for nothing. The ace is master, and the king never scores.
West passes. Partner (North) opens 1NT, showing 15–17 points, balanced. East passes. You hold: Theme: Openings.
Your hand: ♠ A 8 ♥ K 7 ♦ Q J ♣ 9 6 4 2
Sixteen points, balanced, no four-card major. Your bid?
3NT — Bid 3NT. Partner has shown 15–17; your sixteen makes 25+ between the hands — game, straight away.
3NT by South. Theme: Calculation.
West led the ♠4, dummy played the ♠K, East discarded a heart — East is out of spades. Where is the ♠Q?
West has it — never finesse East — East’s discard is proof: every remaining spade, including the queen, sits in West’s hand. Count, then play.
3NT by South. Theme: Prophylaxis.
You are West, defending. Partner has signalled for a heart lead, but your hearts are under dummy’s king. What do you lead?
Lead the ♦9, low from an honour — Lead low from the jack. Your jack under dummy’s king is a waiting move: the signal says the suit, not the card.
You are South, first to speak. You hold: Theme: Openings.
Your hand: ♠ A K 9 ♥ A 8 5 ♦ K Q 7 ♣ K 6 3
Twenty points, balanced. Your opening bid?
2NT — Open 2NT. Twenty to twenty-one points, balanced: the strong notrump opening, announced at once.
Ratings here move in your browser and are not saved. The playing interface — a saved rating, a board that picks puzzles near it, and a daily puzzle — is the next piece. New to bridge entirely? Read chess vs bridge first.