August 2018 - 41

in the majors. Obviously a grand slam
is possible, because at these colors,
partner can't have much in clubs. Less
obvious is the secure route to get there.
Partner figures to have something like:
♠K x x x ♥K Q x x ♦Q x ♣x x x,
where 6♥ or 6♦ is enough. But he
might have the ♠Q, making 7♦ best.
I'm not smart enough to find out with
any certainty. So I'm gonna go low (in
context). I'm assuming West isn't nuts,
and has nine or 10 tricks, so passing the
double has little upside versus plus 920
or 980 our way."
Grossack drives for slam with 5NT.
"Michael Rosenberg once said they either have nine clubs or are 8-4 for this
5♣ bid. So I'm not going to pass. I think
I bid 5NT to suggest to partner that I
have two places to play (because 5NT
is always pick-a-slam, I must be picking between two options for trump).
6♣ is also an option, but I think it
is too ambiguous and leaves partner
stuck for a bid."
Lee guesses 5NT. "I think we rate to
have a slam somewhere, and this gives
us the most flexibility in finding the
right strain."
"Pick a slam, any slam," Rigal urges
with 5NT. "6♣ would be three-suited, I
think; 5NT emphasizes diamonds."
A couple of the panelists elect to
defend.
Boehm is one. "We probably have a
better spot, but no assurance of finding
it. Remove to 5NT and hope to survive
bad breaks and land on our feet? I'll
take whatever plus score is coming in
5♣ doubled."
Meyers, too. "Pass. But I'm close to
cuebidding 6♣. I think double will net
us a plus score for sure, and I'm not
sure 6♣ will."
Lawrence says his guess is 6♣. "That
double isn't penalty. I expect we'll
beat it, but we might have a slam, and I
won't get rich passing against a vulnerable 5♣ bidder. I need points. Partner
won't have more than two clubs because his bid asks me to bid something.
♠K Q x x ♥K x x ♦Q x x x ♣x x
is a typical hand on which we can make

6♦."
Shi's 6♣, roughly translated, says, "I
have a good hand, concern about strain,
and interest in a grand. I hope this conveys all those messages."
3. Matchpoints. East-West vulnerable.
♠A K 10 8 ♥K ♦A Q J 10 9 7 4 ♣4
West

North

East

3♥

Dbl(1)

Pass

South
1♦
?

(1) Negative.
Call
4♥
4♠
4NT
5♦
6♦

Votes
7
7
2
0
0

Award
100
90
70
30
10

The swan takes wing
Except for the key-carders, the panelists are split right down the middle.
Almost half the panel stops to cuebid
4♥ on their way to ... where?
"Who are these red-on-white lunatics we're facing this month?" wonders
Weinstein as he bids 4♥. "We need
so little for slam; we need to cuebid
to show a great hand. Not sure this
promises spades, but whatever partner

thinks it means, we have it."
Shi: "We could easily have a slam,
and this is pretty much the only way I
can start investigating it."
Donn: "4♥, showing a good 4♠ bid.
I will not go beyond 4♠ on my own,
because hands like this are notoriously
difficult to play if the breaks are bad
and partner has a singleton diamond."
Korbel's 4♥ is a slam-try somewhere. "Partner assumes in spades,
and bids accordingly. If partner bids
4♠, I will reluctantly pass."
Lee defines his 4♥ as just a good
4♠. "If slam is in the picture, I'll try to
steer us back to diamonds later."
Rigal's 4♥ is a heart cuebid for
spades. "I'm not done yet. Over 4♠ I
will bid on with ... glad you didn't ask!
Maybe key card?"
Meyers agrees. "4♥, and if partner
bids 4♠, I will bid Blackwood. It is
tempting to bid 4♠ directly, but partner could have values and only three
spades, or partner could have spade
length and we have a slam. So I want to
keep the door open."
Sanborn calls 4♠ the practical
bid. "There are a few gaps, and I can't
guarantee slam facing a lot of various
hands. Of course, we could be laydown
for seven, but maybe partner will be

Panel's answers
August Boehm
Ken Cohen
Larry Cohen
Mel Colchamiro
Josh Donn
Zachary Grossack
Daniel Korbel
Mike Lawrence
Roger Lee
Jeff Meckstroth
Jill Meyers
Barry Rigal
Steve Robinson
Kerri Sanborn
Sylvia Shi
Steve Weinstein

1
3♦
3♦
4♠
4♦
4♠
4♦
4♠
Dbl
4♦
3♦
4♦
4♦
4♦
4♠
4♦
4♦

2
Pass
Pass
5NT
5NT
5NT
5NT
5NT
6♣
5NT
5NT
Pass
5NT
5NT
5NT
6♣
5NT

3
4♠
4♠
4♠
4NT
4♥
4♠
4♥
4♠
4♥
4♠
4♥
4♥
4NT
4♠
4♥
4♥

4
2♣
2♣
1♠
1♠
Pass
1♠
1♠
2♣
1♠
1♠
1♠
1♠
1♠
1♠
1♠
1♠

5
1♠
1♠
Dbl
Pass
Dbl
Dbl
Dbl
Pass
Dbl
Dbl
1♠
Pass
Dbl
Pass
Dbl
Dbl

Total
390
390
490
450
450
500
480
360
490
470
440
470
470
470
450
490

August 2018 Bridge Bulletin

41
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2018
