November 2019 - 37

The Bidding Box
MODERATOR: JIM MUNDAY
acblbiddingbox@gmail.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.
Daniel Sonner, 24, and Cyrus Hettle,
23, are members of the U.S. squad from
the recent Under-26 World Online
Bridge Championship. The U.S. defeated France in an exciting final. They
have played together for three years
and are longtime participants in the
USBF Junior training program. Daniel,
a software engineer, has had strong
finishes in several national events,
including knocking off the reigning
Vanderbilt champions led by Jeff
Wolfson in this year's Spingold. Cyrus,
a third-year doctoral student in the
field of algorithms, combinatorics and
optimization, has several high overall
finishes in Atlanta-area tournaments
and in collegiate events.
They play "Meckwell Light" Precision with a 10-13 1NT nonvulnerable
in first or second seat.
Nathan Finkle, 20, and Ilan Wolff,
22, are also members of the U.S. online
team, as well as veterans in the USBF
Junior program. They also have been
playing together about three years.
They have each had success in collegiate competitions, though playing
separately. Nathan, a junior at Princeton majoring in computer science, is
captain of the bridge team. Ilan is majoring in economics and philosophy at
the University of Chicago and involved
in the burgeoning bridge club there.
They play an aggressive 2/1 style,
opening all 11-counts, with transfer
responses to 1♣ and a 14-16 1NT.

Problem 1

North deals. None vulnerable.
North opens 1NT (15-17).
West
♠QJ9876
♥2
♦K82
♣743
Sonner
2♠
3♣
4♠

North
(1NT)
(Pass)
(Pass)
All Pass

East
♠ A 10
♥KQJ97
♦AQ63
♣Q2
Hettle
2♥
2NT
3♠

South
(Pass)
(Pass)
(Pass)

2♥ showed at least five hearts and a
minor (a penalty double was not available in their methods). 2♠ was natural
and non-forcing. The pair was not on
firm ground at this point as to whether
2NT was natural (as Hettle intended)
or forward-going in spades. In case
2NT was natural, 3♣ was offered as
pass-or-correct. ("Pass if clubs is your
minor; correct to 3♦ otherwise.")
Deciding 2NT was a strong spade raise
after Hettle's 3♠ preference, Sonner
raised to game.
Finkle North
(1NT)
3♣
(Pass)

Wolff
2♥
3♦

South
(Pass)
All Pass

2♥ also showed five-plus hearts
and a minor (no penalty double possible). Uncertain as to the strength
expectation of 2♠, Finkle settled for
3♣ as pass-or-correct for overcaller's

minor, over which Wolff showed his
diamonds. They later agreed that West
held more than enough for 2♠, over
which East would raise.
Bridge Bulletin auction: (1NT)-Dbl-
(Pass)-2♠; (Pass)-2NT-(Pass)-3♦;
(Pass)-3♠?-(Pass)-Pass?; (Pass).
DONT is the Bridge Bulletin defense
to 1NT. East cannot afford to play 2♦
(showing diamonds and a major in that
method) at matchpoints, so East starts
with double to show a one-suiter and/
or a very strong hand. West introduces
spades, and East shows a strong spade
raise with the conventional 2NT. West
shows a diamond feature with some
values, but East can picture missing
the ♣A K, the ♥A and a likely trump
loser, so takes the low road.
Scores: 3♠ 10; 2♥ 8; 3♥ 6; 2♦ 5;
3♦ 4; (1NT) Dbl 3; (1NT) 2; 4♠ 1
Sonner-Hettle 1, Finkle-Wolff 4

Problem 2

East deals. N-S vulnerable.
West
♠2
♥Q84
♦AKQ97
♣ K J 10 3
Sonner
2♦
3NT
Pass

East
♠AQJ876
♥AK92
♦3
♣42
Hettle
1♠
2♥
4♠

November 2019 Bridge Bulletin

November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2019