August 2016 - 37

The Bidding Box
MODERATOR: BRUCE ROGOFF
brogoff@gargoylegroup.com

See the East and West hands that appear on pages 53 and 61 respectively, and try bidding them with a regular partner. Compare how you
performed with the expert pairs whose auctions you can read about in
this month's column. The North-South players are silent unless otherwise noted. The competitors were not informed of any interference by
the opponents before the bidding commenced. The form of scoring is
matchpoints with a 12 top.
The Bridge Bulletin auctions are meant to portray possible bidding
sequences using common methods.

Steve Beatty has enjoyed significant
success as a player for decades, earning
two open NABC titles along with several runner-up finishes (including the
1999 Spingold). He has also served the
bridge community in several capacities with the ACBL and USBF, not to
mention partnering George Jacobs for
more than three years! His new partner, Tom Carmichael, won the 1997
IMP Pairs as a 23-year-old, and placed
second in the 1999 World Junior
Championships and 2005 Spingold.
Carmichael-Beatty play a standard 2/1
structure with a 15-17 notrump range
and many unusual gadgets.
Tobias Polak and Tom van Overbeeke, a pair of 22-year-olds from the
Netherlands, are fast-rising stars in
a nation loaded with talent. Partners
for two years, they've achieved several
high finishes in Junior and European
open events. Polak made his first
visit to the U.S. in March to play in the
Spring NABC in Reno, earning solid
results in the Lebhar IMP Pairs and
Vanderbilt KO Teams. Polak-Overbeeke play the "Big Bang" system,
developed by Italian star Norberto
Bocchi. It features transfer responses
to 1♣, as well as variable notrump

ranges depending on vulnerability and
seat.

Problem 1

North deals. None vulnerable.
West
♠K84
♥J93
♦65
♣AQ865

East
♠AQ9652
♥A
♦ A 10
♣KJ72

Carmichael

Beatty
1♠
3♦
3♠
4♥
5♦
6♠
Pass

2♦
3♥
4♣
4NT
5♥
7NT
Polak
2NT
3♥
3NT
4♥
5♥
6♠

Overbeeke
1♠
3♣
3♠
4♦
4NT
5NT
Pass

Carmichael's 2♦ showed a limit
raise or better, an interesting treat-

ment, as it allows for stopping in 2♠.
East's next two bids described 6-4
shape with clubs and extra values, and
4♣ agreed both suits. 4NT was double
key card (both black suits), and after
the 1-or-4 response, 5♥ asked for the
♠Q. Beatty complied, and Carmichael
could count 13 tricks. Well done!
2NT showed limit-plus values for the
Dutch, and 3♣ asked. Polak described
three-card support, minimum values and a club control with his next
three bids, while Overbeeke showed
slam values and a diamond control
before taking over with Blackwood.
Polak considered 6♣ over 5NT, but he
thought Overbeeke had denied the ♣K
with his earlier 4♦ bid, so he didn't
cooperate further.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1♠-1NT;
3♣-3♠; 4♠-4NT; 5♣-5♦; 6♣-
7NT; Pass. West should assume six
spades opposite, as he could have had
a weak doubleton, and East had other
options over 3♠.
Scores: 7NT 12; 7♠ 10; 7♣ 9; 6NT 7;
6♠ 5; 6♣ 3; 5NT, 5♠ 1
Carmichael-Beatty 12,
Polak-Overbeeke 5
August 2016 Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2016