May 2019 - 42

how bad can it be?), but because I have
good experience just bidding my suits.
With a doubleton heart, they may not
let me play 1NT anyway, and bidding
this is more likely to give me shape
information on partner's hand. Also,
sometimes partner has a stiff spade,
and I just stole their suit."
Donn prefers 1♠. "I never understood the penchant players have for
bidding 1NT on this sort of hand.
Sometimes we belong in spades; sometimes the opponents belong in spades,
but we steal the suit by bidding it first.
Also, we want the takeout doubler on
lead against 1NT, not his partner."
1♠ by Sanborn. "Gross, but no

NEXT MONTH'S PROBLEMS
1. IMPs. Both vulnerable.
♠7 6 4 ♥8 5 ♦A Q 8 6 ♣A 10 5 4
West

North

Pass

Dbl

East
3♥
Pass

South
Pass
?

2. Matchpoints. East-West vul.
♠Q ♥9 8 6 3 2 ♦Q 9 3 2 ♣J 8 4
West

North

East

Pass
Pass

1♦
3♣

1♠
Pass

South
Pass
Pass
?

3. IMPs. None vulnerable.
♠A J 5 2 ♥A J 10 6 3 ♦8 ♣7 6 5
West

North

East

1♠

2♣

2♠

South
Pass
?

4. Matchpoints. East-West vul.
♠A K Q J 9 3 ♥A J 8 2 ♦K 8 5 ♣-
West

North

Pass
Pass

1♦
3♦

East
1♣
Pass
Pass

South
Dbl
2♠
?

5. IMPs. None vulnerable.
♠A Q 6 5 ♥A 6 4 ♦10 8 7 5 3 2 ♣-
West
3♣

North
Dbl

East
4♣

42 Bridge Bulletin May 2019

South
?

reason to bid notrump from my side,
and I'm too weak for redouble. Passing
doesn't solve anything - it just leaves
them room."
Meyers bids 1♠ "only because I think
notrump will play better from partner's
side. My second choice is 1♦."
Theurer bids 1♠, calling the problem a style question. "Some ignore the
double for the most part and bid the
major, some might bid 1♦, some 1NT,
and even pass is possible. I'll go with
the modern style of 'ignorance.'"
There are two votes for 1♦.
Robinson: "I bid suits up the line and
I don't want to emphasize spades here.
I especially don't want partner to raise
my spades with only three."
Lawrence: "1♦ allows for partner to
bid 1♠ if possible, in which case I will
be happy there. If he bids 1NT, that's
also fine."
Grossack offers a redouble, "mostly
because I feel that I am too good to
pass, but have no suit to introduce after
the double. Second choice is 1NT. But
honestly, what is 1 measly HCP between friends?"
4. IMPs. Both vulnerable.
♠10 7 2 ♥A Q 5 ♦A 10 2 ♣A 8 6 2
West

North

Pass
Pass

1♥
2♥

Call
2NT
3♥
3NT
3♦
4♥
Pass

East
1♦
Pass
Pass

Votes
10
2
2
1
1
0

South
Pass
2♦
?
Award
100
70
60
60
50
40

One more try
A number of panelists would have
doubled 1♦ at their first call. But let's
assume you didn't ...
2NT, bids Korbel. "Let's offer 3NT
while making one more try for that
vulnerable game. I expect this to be a
landslide vote."
Lee, too. "I'll give partner one more
chance. Opposite a little help in dia-

monds, 3NT rates to be better than 4♥."
Sanborn bids 2NT. "Can't have much
more, having passed the first time, and
the cue should imply heart support in
case partner is shapely. The ♦10 is a
teaser."
Cohen says he would have doubled
the first time. Now, 2NT. "Vulnerable
at IMPs, I have to give it just one more
try. Picture:
♠J x x ♥K 10 x x x ♦K x ♣K x x."
Meyers, 2NT: "I like to play that 2NT
is forcing in these auctions (partner
overcalls 1M, I cue, partner's second
bid is 2M) - partner should consider
this one more invitational try and retreat to 3♥ without enough to accept."
Boehm's call is 2NT. "Offers partner
a choice of level and strain."
2NT by Grossack. "Seems like after
this I will have described my hand
perfectly."
"2NT looks bang-on for values,"
says Rigal. "Partner can pass or offer a
choice of games."
Donn calls 2NT an accurate description of the hand. "Sometimes 2♥ was
our last plus, but partner can easily
have enough for game as well. The ♦10
is very helpful."
Shi: "2NT. Too strong to pass, so I'll
just show what I'm all about."
Meckstroth gives 3♥ another go.
"Why didn't I double to begin with?"
Theurer nudges partner with 3♥.
"It's a vulnerable game, but partner
can be pretty light to balance, so I don't
want to hang him. Having shown a minimum over my cuebid, I expect partner
to go on with anything other than pure
junk. My aces are nice (and perhaps the
two 10s will help a little), but the flat
shape warrants some caution."
Weinstein proposes 3NT, offering
partner a choice of games. "I don't want
to hang partner for balancing, but I just
need so little to get to nine tricks, and
partner's not going to know when he
has the right hand if I invite."
Colchamiro's onboard with 3NT, too
(and he objects to the original pass of
1♦). "Hopefully I can run hearts. If so,
nine tricks should be there, but 10 may
not opposite:
May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2019
