August 2018 - 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.
Our contestants this month are
foreign pairs rarely seen at NABCs, but
each won a major title last fall in San
Diego. Winning the North American
Swiss Teams were Wubbo de Boer and
Agnes Snellers of the Netherlands, a
couple for nearly three decades and
regular partners for about 18 years. De
Boer had been a prominent member
of the Dutch "Team Orange" for 12
years prior to that, winning the 1993
Bermuda Bowl. Snellers was a member
of the Dutch Ladies team in the early
1990s, but retired from "serious"
bridge to focus on her career. They
are perhaps proudest of the fact that
together they've been captain and
coach of the highly successful Dutch
Junior team for the past 10 years.
De Boer-Snellers play a natural
system with variable notrumps (9-12
in first and second seat nonvulnerable,
strong otherwise), and 2/1 responses
that are not quite game forcing. A 2♣
opening is either weak in diamonds or
various strong hands, and a 2♦ opening is either weak in one major or any
game force.
Shao Shao and Shen Yuxiong, winners of the prestigious Reisinger BAM
Teams, have been regular partners
for five years. They are considered
top pros in the bridge-crazy nation
of China, where they've registered
multiple victories in very strong league
and club championship structures

(many top foreign pairs compete there
as well). Each has represented China
in international play several times over
the years.
Shao-Shen play fairly simple original
Precision methods: 13-15 notrumps,
1♦ promises four-plus cards in the
first two seats, five-card majors, and
1♣ showing any 16-plus hand.

Problem 1

North deals. None vulnerable.
North opens 1♠. If East passes, South
bids 1NT (forcing). North bids 2♥,
South bids 2♠.
West
♠63
♥K54
♦A95
♣A8432

East
♠ A 10 4
♥983
♦K42
♣KQJ7

de Boer North
(1♠)
Pass
(2♥)
Pass
(Pass)
3♣
All Pass

Snellers
Pass
Pass
Dbl

South
(1NT)
(2♠)
(Pass)

Shao

Shen
Pass
Pass

South
(1NT)
(2♠)

Pass
All Pass

North
(1♠)
(2♥)

These days, light responses to oneof-a-major openings are commonplace
when responder has a fit, a situation
made murkier when a forcing 1NT is
employed as a compromise with weak

values but "extra" length. Neither East
ventured an initial double with the
solid high-card strength but sterile
shape (Shen particularly didn't like
the three low hearts), nor was West
tempted with his marginal values.
After North-South stopped bidding,
only Snellers chose to balance with a
double, which they've agreed is takeout unless discussed otherwise. Shen
feared his double might be interpreted
as penalty, so he stayed fixed.
Bridge Bulletin auction: We slightly
prefer Snellers' decision to balance,
particularly if our opponents are aggressive types. We'd also be tempted to
double 1NT as West.
Scores: 2NT 12; 3♣ 7; 3NT 5;
(2♠) 3
de Boer-Snellers 7, Shao-Shen 3

Problem 2

East deals. N-S vulnerable.
West
♠ K 10
♥ J 10 5 3
♦KQJ7
♣A98

East
♠A98543
♥KQ7
♦A4
♣52

de Boer

Snellers
1♠
2♠
3♠
Pass

2♣
2NT
4♠

August 2018 Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2018