July 2018 - 42

Kriegel tries 4♣. "I'm tempted to
and gives partner the option of 3NT
force to game, but West has implied
or 5♣. He knows I have lots of hearts
length in the minors, so we might have
and clubs and didn't want to penalize
only eight (or seven!) clubs. I think 2♥
diamonds."
Dhir doubles, but says he would have is natural on this auction, so my only
overcalled 2♣ initially if he didn't have cuebid is 3♦. I wouldn't feel comfortable passing 3NT if partner bids it over
a heart stack. "I want partner to let the
3♦, so I'll choose a call that's more
double of 2♦ sit
straightforward about strain."
if he wants. West
is obviously broke
because he passed 3. IMPs. North-South vulnerable.
the first time, so it ♠J 10 6 ♥K Q 10 8 7 5 4 ♦K 9 ♣7
looks like we can
West North
East
South
take the oppo1♠
Pass
?
nents for a number here on this
Call
Votes
Award
goulash hand."
1NT
6
100
Jonathan Yue
Yue agrees.
2♥
4
80
"Double. Partner
4♠
1
50
understands that I have strong hearts
4♥
1
30
and some strength. He can pass for
penalty if he wishes, or bid notrump or
Force the question
cuebid. West's 1NT almost seems like
Most of the panel favors bidding a
panic."
one-round forcing notrump.
Double by Zhang. "Seems like the
Duffie: "I really wanted to bid 2♥,
opponents don't have a good fit, and we
but I think I'll just end up going down
want to punish them when partner has
in 4♠ too much of the time. Having no
a diamond stack."
aces makes my hand a lot worse, and I
Jeng bids 3♦. "Partner's most likely
think partner rates to have wastage in
shape is 4=2=4=3 because he declined
the minors. Even if partner has someto overcall 1♠ and because West didn't
thing like:
pass out 1♥ doubled. To make a club
♠A K Q x x ♥x x ♦Q x x ♣x x x,
slam, all I need is a spade honor and
two top clubs. I want to create a force
maybe the opponents are getting a
to see what is going on in this hand.
heart ruff. And partner could have as
2♥ seems like it might be natural, so
much as:
I'll make a bid that I know will be taken ♠A K x x x ♥J x ♦Q J x ♣K Q J,
as forcing. 2♦ doubled doesn't seem
and game isn't odds on."
very profitable when they are almost
Jeng says he would have considered
guaranteed to be in a nine-card fit with
an
invitational 3♥ had that call been
a heart singleton or void in dummy.
available.
"Instead, I'll content my3♦ allows me to probe for 3NT, 5♣ or
self with bidding 1NT and
6♣."
probably bid 3♠ or 4♠ on
Xu also prefers 3♦. "This
subsequent action. I don't
hand is too distributional
want to encourage partner
for a forcing pass, which will
too much with a 2/1 gamelikely be followed by partforcing response, and while
ner's penalty double of 2♦.
I do have much playing
3♦ shows shortness, and
strength, I have only three
partner must take that into
spades, and it seems likely
consideration when deciding
that partner is marked with
whether to bid notrump. I
Michael Xu
minor wastage."
would expect double stopDhir
bids
1NT. "I like 1NT if that's
pers for him to bid notrump."
how I can show hearts and an invita-

42 Bridge Bulletin July 2018

tional hand. In my methods, I use 3♥
directly over 1♠ for this. If partner
has at least one heart, we have a nice
double fit and game will often make."
1NT by Zhou. "Even with the spade
fit, the hand rates to play best in hearts.
But to invite, you must start with 1NT.
If partner rebids 2♠ or 3♠, you can
raise to game. If he rebids two of a minor, you can bid hearts, and if he bids
2NT, you can bid 4♥."
Xiao sides with
the 1NT majority. "This hand
is definitely not
strong enough
to force game,
and it would be
especially bad
if partner has a
small singleton or
Brent Xiao
a void in hearts.
This just looks like a forcing 1NT followed by an invitational 3♠. But if
partner rebids 2♠, I will raise to four."
Rosenberg, 1NT: "I don't see us as
being good enough for 2♥, as our heart
suit is not conducive to playing in
spades - I'd rather the suit be headed
by the ace. The system says 1NT is
forcing, which I like to play, so I'll just
make a limit raise in spades: 1NT, then
3♠ next. I do have some sympathy for
2♥ and forcing to game, because as
Kit [Woolsey] would say, at least we'll
probably get to the right strain, and we
are red at IMPs. But I don't think this
is a good enough hand to do it on, and
spades should be a reasonable strain."
Grossack bids 2♥. "Force it to game.
Too much playing strength to stop
low. Looking to play in hearts unless
partner is void in hearts or shows a
sixth spade. Someone once told me the
7-1 is better than the 5-3. Pretty good
advice!"
Xu, 2♥. "My support in spades combined with my long, good hearts makes
this hand too good for anything but a
game force. I will insist on hearts and
not spades because I don't want to risk
getting blocked out of my heart suit."
Zhang's 2♥: "Force to game first and
plan to raise spades at my next turn."
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2018
