October 2017 - 37

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

See the West and East hands that appear on pages 53 and 55 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 to one of
the top-scoring contracts using common methods.

Margie Gwozdzinsky and Ira
Herman, along with regular teammates
David Rosenberg and Allen Kahn, have
been mainstays of the New York bridge
scene. Margie has the longer resume
on the national and international stage,
having won a World Women's Teams
Championship in addition to several
national titles (and a second-place
finish in the tough Reisinger BAM).
The men have stayed more local with
great success at the regional level,
including victories in the two longestrunning championships on the ACBL
calendar (the Goldman Pairs and
Reisinger Knockout). As a team, the
foursome reached the round of 32 in
each of the last two Spingolds.
Herman-Gwozdzinsky play 2/1 with
a very sound opening-bid style and
many gadgets. Their notrump openings are 15-plus to 18, with two-way
Stayman responses. Margie describes
herself as "Roth-Stonish," adding, "You
better not double me!"
Rosenberg-Kahn play similarly,
though their 2/1 responses are not
100% game forcing. They also play
two-way Stayman over their 15-17
notrump. As Kahn (affectionately
known as Genghis in New York bridge
circles) puts it, "We'll open more hands
than Ira and Margie, but we're still
pretty sound by today's standards."

Problem 1

North deals. None vulnerable.
West
♠J653
♥KJ
♦QJ82
♣ A 10 4

East
♠AK
♥ A 10 9 5 4
♦5
♣KQJ76

Herman

Gwozdzinsky
1♥
2♣
3♣
4NT
Pass

1♠
2♦
3♥
5♥
Rosenberg
1♠
2NT
Pass

Kahn
1♥
2♣
3NT

Despite the excellent playing
strength, neither East considered
a jump shift at their first rebid. As
West, Herman chose a game-forcing
2♦ ("a bit pushy, but we do open very
sound"), finding himself with a bit of a
dilemma after partner rebid her clubs.
He opted for 3♥, thinking his spades
were a potential liability for notrump,
and Gwozdzinsky, with loads of extras
and a diamond control, took over with
Roman key card Blackwood. Herman
showed two key cards without the ♥Q.

Rosenberg thought an invitational
2NT was enough with his average
12-count. Kahn had plenty of undisclosed strength but had no convenient
way to explore below 3NT, the likely
best contract, so he simply raised.
Bridge Bulletin auction: As
Rosenberg-Kahn.
Scores: 6♣ 11; 4♥ 7; 5♥ 6; 4NT 5;
5NT, 6♥ 3; 5♣ 2
Herman-Gwozdzinsky 6,
Rosenberg-Kahn 5

Problem 2

East deals. N-S vulnerable.
West
♠ 10 8 7 4 3
♥Q8543
♦K2
♣7

East
♠K6
♥ A K 10
♦QJ
♣KQ9632

Herman

Gwozdzinsky
1NT
2NT
Pass

2♥
3♥
Rosenberg
1♠
Pass

Kahn
1♣
3♣

Gwozdzinsky thought all rebid options would be awkward after a 1♣
October 2017 Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2017