July 2007 - 31

The Bidding Box

the West hand to bid 3 (fourth-suit
forcing) at its second turn and follow
with a heart raise.
With three low hearts, and extreme
concentration in the black suits, the
West players might have taken a
chance on 3NT despite the eight-card
heart fit.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1-1;
2-3NT; Pass
Scores: 4NT 10; 4 8; 6NT 7;
5, 6 6; 6 4; 5 2
Fout-Roman 40, Anten-Gross 32

Problem 6

West deals. Both vulnerable.
West
J7
KJ64
KQ4
Q965
Fout
Pass
2
4

East
53
 A 10 8 2
A6
 K 10 8 3 2
Roman
1NT
2
Pass

This problem is possibly flawed.
After Fout passed the West hand,
Roman admitted that he would pass
the East hand if he were actually at
the table. This would end the auction in a bidding contest, so Roman
decided to humor the editors and
open the bidding with 1NT (12-14
HCP). Hands with 5-4-2-2 patterns
may be opened 1NT in their methods,
provided that the hand is not 5-4 in
the majors.
A Stayman sequence followed, and
the reasonable (but not cold) heart
game was reached.
Anten
Pass
1

Gross
1
Pass

Gross also conceded that opening the East hand was risky, noting,
"They might outbid us in spades, but
you can sometimes get killed by not
opening."
After Anten's passed-hand 1
response, Gross simply passed. At
the table, of course, the opponents
would not allow you to get away with
July 2007

this (someone will surely balance
in spades), but in a bidding contest,
there's no reason to bid any higher
than you have to!
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1-1;
2-3; 3-Pass
Scores: 2 10; 3 9; 4 8; 2
7; 3 6; 1NT 5; Pass 3; 4 2
Fout-Roman 48, Anten-Gross 42

Problem 7

South deals. N-S vulnerable.
South opens 2.
West
East
94
A753
Q653
A8
 A K 10 8
J97
965
AJ82

Fout
Anten

North

Roman
Gross

Pass
3

(Pass)
(Pass)

Dbl
Pass

South
(2)
(Pass)
(Pass)

The only real choice here is West's:
Should he pass the reopening double
or try 3? Fout decided the trump
holding was too tenuous to try for a
penalty, so he chose the value-showing 3 instead. Ditto for Anten.
Bridge Bulletin auction: as above
Scores: (2) doubled 10; (2) 7;
2NT 5; 3 3; 3 2; 3NT 1
Fout-Roman 51, Anten-Gross 45

Problem 8

West deals. E-W vulnerable.
West
AKJ8653
82
64
AJ
Fout
1
2
4
6
6NT

East
 10
 A K 10 9
AKQJ8
Q82

Roman
2
3
5NT
6
Pass

1 is 14-plus, natural and forcing.
2 was natural, as were 2 and

3. Fout's jump to 4 was interesting. A 3 bid on the second round
would have promised a solid suit, so
this delayed jump shows a very good,
but not solid, seven-card suit.
Roman was sure that 6NT was
right, but only if played from the
West hand (to protect the club holding). He couldn't think of a way to
induce his partner to bid notrump at
this point in the auction, however,
so he tried 5NT (pick a slam) and
got an unexpected 6 response.
Unwilling to take the chance that
diamonds would play (or score) better
then spades, Roman returned to 6.
Fout corrected to 6NT, the success of
which could hinge on the location of
the K.
Anten
1
2
3
5
6

Gross
2
3
4
5NT
Pass

Anten and Gross also have the
agreement that a jump to 3 on the
second round would have shown a
solid suit. Therefore, Anten believed
that 3 on the third round shows a
better hand than 4.
This was little help to Gross, who
still was unsure what to do with his
non-fitting, but prime, 19-count. His
4 was natural, trying to get more
information. Anten obliged with 5,
a control-showing bid, and 5NT was
"pick a slam." Anten chose 6.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1-2;
2-3; 3-5 (club control?);
6 (yes, the ace)-6; Pass
Scores: 7 (W) 12; 6NT (W) 10;
7NT 8; 6 9; 6 8; 7 7; 7 (E)
6; 6NT (E) 5; games 2
Final score: Fout-Roman 56,
Anten-Gross 53
r

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31
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2007
