April 2018 - 38

balanced), but the New Yorkers simply
bid up the line. Jared had nice fillers
for partner's suits, but he bid a prompt
1NT: "I like to go low at matchpoints."
Michael had an easy pass.
Dan's 1♠ rebid did suggest an unbalanced hand. Jurek admitted to a little
"bidding contest-itis" when he chose a
game-forcing 2♣ rebid: "I decided to
stretch a bit here, hoping to figure out
what the 'problem' was. Really, I should
just rebid 1NT." Dan's 2♥ would
normally show three-card support,
but his doubleton was pretty good,
and he didn't want to rebid his motheaten diamonds. They inevitably found
notrump, but at too high a level.
Bridge Bulletin auction: As Jared-
Michael. As Dan pointed out, "1NT
rates to be high enough if partner cannot bid again."
Scores: 3♦ 11; 1NT 8; 4♦ 7; 2NT 4;
5♦ 2; 3NT 1
Jared-Michael 19, Jurek-Dan 12

Problem 3

South deals. E-W vulnerable.
South opens 1NT (15-17 HCP). If
possible, North bids 2♦ (transfer) and
South bids 2♥.
West
♠-
♥K95
♦ K 10 6 3
♣ K J 10 7 6 4

East
♠QJ985
♥43
♦A82
♣AQ8

Jared

North

Michael South
(1NT)
2♥
(Pass)

Dbl
3♣

(2♦)
All Pass

Jurek

North

Pass
Pass
3♣

(2♦)
Pass
(Pass)
2♠
All Pass

Dan

South
(1NT)
(2♥)
(Pass)

Jared's double showed either a minor
one-suiter or a four-card major with a
longer minor. Michael had a good hand
with nice support for all three possible
suits, which he expressed with 2♥. He
would have bid game opposite spades,
but chose to go low when Jared showed

38 Bridge Bulletin April 2018

the club one-suiter.
The Canadians have no convenient
way to show a minor one-suiter, so
Jurek could only pass and wait. He
conservatively passed over South's
2♥ bid, admitting later that he should
have bid 3♣. Dan's balance of 2♠ was
not what Jurek wanted to hear, so he
corrected to clubs. Dan liked his support but didn't expect to find this much
opposite. Had Jurek volunteered 3♣
earlier, Dan would have bid 3♥.
Bridge Bulletin auction:
(1NT)-Dbl[some one-suiter]-
(2♦)-2♥[values]; (Pass)-3♣-
(Pass)-3♥["Stopper?"]; (Pass)-
3NT["Yes."]- All Pass
Scores: 3NT 10; 5♣ 8; 2NT 6; 4♣ 4;
(2♥ Dbl) 2; (2♥) 1
Jared-Michael 23, Jurek-Dan 16

Problem 4

West deals. Both vulnerable.
West
♠AK96
♥ 10 4
♦QJ8764
♣A

East
♠ Q 10 5 4
♥AK
♦AK2
♣ 10 8 7 6

Jared
1♦
3♥
4♦
5♦
Pass

Michael
1♠
3NT
4NT
6♠

Jurek
1♦
3♠
4♥
5♦
6♣
7♠

Dan
1♠
3NT
4NT
5NT
6♦
Pass

Jared's 3♥ is defined as a two-anda-half spade bid. 3NT was artificial,
asking for shape, and 4♦ showed the
stiff club. Michael took over with Roman key card Blackwood, bidding 6♠
after the three-key-card reply: "I didn't
want to push for seven, as I thought
getting to slam was already a good
result." Jared would have bid 3♠ at
IMPs, which might have gotten them to

the grand.
Dan's 3NT also asked for shape, and
4♥ showed the stiff club. After Blackwood and the three-key-card reply, Dan
asked for side kings with 5NT, though
he already knew the answer! However,
he knew that Jurek's response would
be 6♣, which allowed him to bid 6♦
to ask for third-round diamond control. That could only mean that Dan
held the ace-king, so Jurek knew his
diamonds would provide all the tricks
needed for the grand.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1♦-1♠;
3♠-4♦; 4♠-5♥; 6♣-6♦; 7♠-Pass.
Scores: 7NT 12; 7♠ 10; 7♦ 9; 6NT 7;
6♠ 5; 6♦ 3; 5NT 2; 5♠ 1
Jared-Michael 28, Jurek-Dan 26

Problem 5

North deals. N-S vulnerable.
West
♠Q9
♥A52
♦KJ85
♣AK52

East
♠KJ
♥J8743
♦AQ4
♣ Q J 10

Jared

Michael
1♥
2NT
Pass

2♣
3NT
Jurek
2♣
2♠
3♣
Pass

Dan
1♥
2♦
2NT
3NT

After the game-forcing 2♣ (for
Jurek-Dan, it might have been a twocard suit), Michael's 2NT announced
that he was happy to bid notrump,
as 2♥ would not have promised six.
Jared chose to simply raise, noting his
balanced shape and scattered values.
Michael later mentioned that he'd have
rebid 3NT even if Jared had bid 3♥.
Dan's 2♦ was artificial, denying six
hearts or any other significant shape
feature, so usually a balanced hand. 2♠
showed three hearts, and 2NT shows
a balanced hand. 3♣ is a cuebid, and
3NT an offer to play. Dan explained
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2018
