April 2020 - 42

but showed his excellent suit with a
jump, which was raised to game. In the
postmortem, Cole felt a 4♣ cuebid was
warranted with excellent side controls
despite the limited high-card strength.
Rotaru North
2♥
4♦
5♣
6♣

(Pass)
(Pass)
(Pass)
(Pass)

Nistor
1♦
3NT
4♥
5NT
6♦

South
(2♣)
(Pass)
(Pass)
(Pass)
All Pass

2♥ showed spades with constructive values or better. The jump to 3NT
was gambling style in nature based
on a diamond suit with clubs stopped.
Responder showed slam interest in
diamonds with 4♦. After a round of
cuebids, opener made a last effort with
5NT and learned of the club void (and
♠A by inference), but couldn't be sure
of 13 tricks. Responder had nothing left
to show.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1♦-(2♣)-
Dbl-(Pass); 3♦-(Pass)-4♣-(Pass);
4NT-(Pass)-5♥-(Pass); 6♦-All
Pass. Opener jumps in diamonds,
keeping 3NT in the picture as well as
a diamond contract. Hearing the club
cuebid, opener checks on key cards and
bids the slam facing two of them.
Scores: 6♦ 11; 5♦ 8; 3NT 6; 7♦ 4;
4♦ 3; 3♠ 2; 4♠ 1
Cole-Bianchedi 19, Rotaru-Nistor 20

Problem 3

South deals. E-W vulnerable.
West
♠96
♥ J 10 5
♦K98762
♣54

East
♠AK752
♥AK4
♦AJ5
♣K6

Cole
Rotaru
Pass
2♦
3♣
3NT

Bianchedi
Nistor
2♣
2NT
3♠
Pass

For Cole and Bianchedi, 2♦ was
waiting and 2NT showed 22-24 bal-

42 Bridge Bulletin April 2020

anced. 3♣ was puppet Stayman, asking
for a five-card major. Finding no heart
fit, responder signed off in 3NT.
The meaning of the auction by
Rotaru and Nistor was effectively the
same.
Bridge Bulletin auction: Pass-2♣;
2♦-2NT; 3NT-Pass. Bridge Bulletin
Standard does not employ puppet
Stayman, so responder bids to the most
likely game.
Scores: 5♦ (E) 10; 3NT (E) 9; 4♠ (E) 6;
5♦ (W) 5; 4♦ 4; 3NT (W) 3;
3♠, 6♦ (E) 2; 6♦ (W) 1
Cole-Bianchedi 28, Rotaru-Nistor 29

Problem 4

West deals. Both vulnerable.
West
♠QJ8543
♥KQJ6
♦A72
♣-

East
♠ A K 10 9
♥A874
♦Q
♣Q632

Cole
1♠
4♣
4♥
5♣
5♥
6♠

Bianchedi
2NT
4♦
4NT
5♦
5NT
Pass

2NT was a forcing spade raise, over
which 4♣ showed a void. Cuebids and
Roman key card Blackwood followed,
with opener showing one key card plus
the ♠Q and the ♥K. 5NT confirmed
all the key cards, over which Cole
signed off. Later she acknowledged she
could have bid 7♠ given the earlier diamond cuebid, or perhaps 6♥ to show
values there, over which Bianchedi
could bid the grand in full confidence.
Rotaru
1♠
3♣
4♣
4NT
7♠

Nistor
2NT
3♦
4♦
5♦
Pass

2NT showed invitational or better values in spades. 3♣ showed a

minimum in high cards but shortness somewhere. 3♦ asked and 4♣
showed a void in clubs. Over the 4♦
cuebid, Rotaru was in position to bid
4NT as exclusion key card (the ♣A is
not counted). Finding three key cards
opposite, he bid the grand expecting to
make opposite anything but an unlikely
red-suit holding from responder that
would leave a slow diamond loser.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1♠-2NT
[forcing spade raise]; 3♣-3♥;
4♣-4♦; 4NT-5♣; 7♠-Pass. Opener
shows short clubs, then a void (or
singleton ace) over the 3♥ rebid. Once
responder cuebids diamonds, 7♠ can
be bid with reasonable confidence.
Any possible diamond losers may be
pitched from dummy on the hearts.
Thanks to Buck Buchanan of Arlington
TX.
Scores: 7♠ 11; 7♥ 9; 6♠ 7; 6♥ 5;
5♠ 3; 4♥ 2; 5♥ 1
Cole-Bianchedi 35, Rotaru-Nistor 40

Problem 5

North deals. N-S vulnerable.
West
♠2
♥ K Q J 10 6 2
♦754
♣J85

East
♠AQ9873
♥A8
♦ K 10 8 2
♣6

Cole

Bianchedi
1♠
2♦
Pass

1NT
2♥

Similar to the first deal, 1NT was
semi-forcing, and 2♦ showed fourplus diamonds, 12-17 HCP. 2♥ was
natural and non-forcing, which suited
opener just fine.
Rotaru
2♦
Pass

Nistor
1♠
2♥

2♦ showed hearts, either constructive (about 7-10) or game forcing. If
the constructive variety, the bid shows
six-plus hearts with a sturdy suit will-
April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2020
