June 2019 - 42

Here's Lawrence: "I'd like to get
hearts into the picture. 3♥ does that.
So does a double, but that will be taken
as showing hearts and diamonds.
And if I double and partner does bid
diamonds, a 3♥ bid now doesn't do
much. In some partnerships, 3♥ will
be treated as forcing, my first pass
notwithstanding. So that's my bid. Easy
if it is considered forcing. I would give
credit to a 4♥ bid. Thoughtful."
Meckstroth likes 3♥. "I would probably open this hand."
Colchamiro bids 3♥. "This must
show a tolerance for clubs because I
didn't start with 1♥, 2♥ or 3♥. And
because I can't expect partner to pass
with a singleton, I must be prepared
for him to go on to 4♣ or wherever.
Accordingly, 3♥ must be forcing. And
yes, I would have opened 1♥. The ♥10

NEXT MONTH'S PROBLEMS
1. Matchpoints. None vulnerable.
♠A K 6 5 ♥4 ♦5 ♣K 8 7 6 5 4 2
West
3♥

North
3NT

East
Pass

South
?

2. IMPs. North-South vulnerable.
♠5 ♥A K Q 8 3 ♦J 8 ♣10 9 7 6 5
West
Pass
Pass

North
1♦
3♦

East
Pass
3♠

South
1♥
?

3. IMPs. North-South vulnerable.
♠A Q 10 5 ♥A 6 ♦7 ♣K Q J 9 7 3
West

North

East
1♣

South
?

4. Matchpoints. None vulnerable.
♠A Q 10 4 ♥K Q 10 2 ♦10 6 5 2 ♣6
West
1♦

North
2♣

East
Pass

South
?

5. Matchpoints. Both vulnerable.
♠3 ♥6 4 2 ♦- ♣A K 9 7 6 5 4 3 2
West

North
1♥

East
Pass

42 Bridge Bulletin June 2019

South
?

makes a big difference."
Cohen, 3♥: "By partnership agreement, or just common sense, this
shows club tolerance/support. Otherwise I would have preempted in hearts.
In other words, a passed hand can't
have a suit good enough to introduce
freely on the three level without a fit
for partner."
Boehm agrees. "3♥ should show club
tolerance as a passed hand. I would
have opened 1♥: majors, lead, easy
rebid and two defensive tricks - and I
consider myself a fairly sound opening
bidder."
3♥ by Theurer. "My hand and hearts
are good enough to suggest that strain.
The fact that I'm a passed hand helps
to limit my values, and I have club support in case partner doesn't have three
hearts (1=2=4=6 pattern?)."
Donn's 3♥: "Might as well check for
a fit here before committing to clubs."
Shi, too, who says she would definitely have opened this hand in first
seat. "It's very likely partner has a
heart fit with me because partner has a
singleton spade, so I don't want to mess
around with a responsive double, which
would really show only four hearts."
Sanborn says her passed-hand 3♥
has to guarantee a club fit. "A responsive double could land us in trouble
facing a minor two-suiter."
Robinson doubles to bring hearts
into the picture. "This hand gets closer
to an opening bid in support of clubs,
especially if partner is short in the
majors. I plan to bid at least 4♣."
Grossack doubles. "After making
peace with the original atrocity of this
auction [presumably that means he
would have opened the hand], it is once
again time to realize just how powerful this hand will be in the play. I think
double is more flexible than 3♥ - it
keeps 4♥ and 5♣ both in the game. I
plan on following up with 3♠ and forcing to some sort of game."
4. Matchpoints. East-West vulnerable.
♠A K Q J 9 3 ♥A J 8 2 ♦K 8 5 ♣-

West

North

Pass
Pass

1♦
3♦

Call
4♣
5♣
5NT
4♠
3♠
4NT
3♥
4♦

East
1♣
Pass
Pass

Votes
6
1
0
3
2
1
1
1

South
Dbl
2♠
?
Award
100
90
80
80
60
60
50
50

Up for grabs
Whatever you do, don't pass.
Scoring the problem, Walker promoted 5♣ when used as exclusion
Blackwood. "It appears the majority
of the panel is looking for slam, and
5♣ is by far the best way to explore
because it can help you find a possible
grand. 5NT (grand slam force) was also
promoted because it's another good
way to get to 7♦ when it's right. This
cannot be 'pick-a-slam' in this auction.
Partner has already advertised interest
in only one suit and denied tolerance
for your suit, so there's no realistic
choice but diamonds. 5NT gets 10
points fewer than 5♣ only because it's
a bit more dangerous - a partner who is
inured to the pick-a-slam meaning may
not stop to think about why it has to be
GSF instead."
The plurality cuebid 4♣.
Meyers: "4♣ is the strongest bid I
can make. If partner bids 4♦, I am going to bid 4♠. But if partner comes to
life and bids 5♦, I am bidding six."
4♣, bids Cohen. "Let's torture partner a little more. If he does something
- like jump to 5♦ - we can consider
slam. Otherwise, 4♠."
Meckstroth cuebids 4♣. "I'm willing
to try and get to 6♦ on this one."
Lawrence bids 4♣. "My hand is better than it has to be. I'm worth another
bid. Partner could have passed 2♠, so
his 3♦ bid is meaningful. We might
have a slam in diamonds if partner has
♦Q J x x x x - certainly possible."
4♣ by Korbel. "My 2♠ bid is not
quite forcing (I could jump to 3♠
June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2019
