The Actuary July 2015

Page 32

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puzzles@theactuary.com 11

SOLUTIONS FOR JUNE 2015 PRIZE PUZZLTE TO H BROUGU BY YO AN MILLIM

Tracking time Mensa puzzle 627

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S N F E T O U R I S M E C N M L I L A C A L E H N A F O R T U R S I E H Y M N A L O N D A S T R O N O R H C X F R E D H O Y I S I G S C I E N C E H S A N 12

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A A I M E L A N G I G D N D R O M E D S M E P R T L E N E C T N T R E N D Y H R E M E R U N D D O C L E S L E E R A D B I G B A N Y E Y 10

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R E M A R K S

© Nylfia

At the back Coffee break

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P O S T A G E

Congratulations to this month’s winner – Sarah Softley of the Pension Insurance Corporation

Bridge puzzle 53 Gone slamming A train covers its outward journey at 98 mph. It returns, over exactly the same distance, at 73.5 mph. What is the train’s average speed over the entire journey? ANSWER 84 mph Congratulations to this month’s winner – Henry Pollock of Prudential

Doing the rounds Adding values Mensa puzzle 628 Mensa puzzle 629 What letter should replace the question mark?

ANSWER M. Moving clockwise, the alphabetical value of the first letter along each edge, minus double the alphabetical value of the second letter, gives the alphabetical value of the corner letter.

ANSWER 3 (on a clock).

Strip teaser Mensa puzzle 630 What number is missing in this sequence?

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56 392 401 401

? 4424 66360

ANSWER Four 4411. Add 1, multiply by 3, add 5, multiply by 7, add 9, multiply by 11 etc

Is East’s ♦ Q a singleton or has East played ♦ Q holding ♦ QJ? If it is a singleton, West has 4 diamonds headed by ♦ J. You can restrict ♠ K632 your losses to one ♠ 875 N by leading from your ♥ 10765 ♥ J9842 hand towards ♦ 10. W E ♦ QJ ♦ 963 However, that is only ♣ 987 useful if the ♣K is ♣ K5 onside, otherwise your S contract is defeated anyway. If W has the ♠ Q9 ♣K, you cannot afford ♥3 the safety play and ♦ A8742 have to hope for a doubleton ♦ QJ with ♣ AJ1064 East, Love all; dealer south Bidding Therefore, you must (1) Applying the Rule of 20 (no of S N take the club finesse HCPs + no of cards in two first. It fails. West wins 1♠ 1♦ (1) longest suits to equal 20 or more) and plays a spade. You (2) 2♣ 2♥ must take tha ♠A, play (2) Fourth Suit Forcing asking for (3) a heart, discarding 2♠ 4♦ some more information. ♠Q and now play a 5♦ 6♦ (4) (3) low diamond to your Could bid 3♣ to show 5-5, ♦ A. You are rewarded but prefers to show some when ♦ J appears as spade support. you now play a third (4) Arguably 6NT is better. diamond drawing the Things are not very promising. It last trump and cash the club and heart looks as though you need a 3-2 winners for twelve diamond break and the club tricks. finesse to work – about a 1 in 3 chance. West leads a heart and Note that the spade finesse does not help you win and decide to lead K♦. you. The club finesse is East follows with Q♦. still required. Plan the play.

♠ AJ104 ♥ AKQ ♦ K105 ♣ Q32

Bridge puzzle provided by David Lampert

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THE ACTUARY • July 2015 www.theactuary.com

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