April 2020 - 47

tice to the potential of this hand."
4♣ by Lee. "I'm very keen on bidding
a diamond slam, and this seems like a
decent start. But with no forcing way to
bid diamonds, I have to start with this."
Korbel likes 4♣. "I'll follow this up
with a lot of diamonds."
Grossack makes a slam try with 4♣.
"Even though the high cards aren't
there, it is just too easy to envision a
slam, e.g.,
♠K x x x ♥x ♦A J x x x ♣x x x.
I will follow whatever partner bids
with 5♦, intending to show a 5♦+ bid.
Going to be hard for partner to bid 6♦
no matter what, but at least I will be
able to say that I tried!"
Meckstroth: "4♣. I plan to follow up
with 5♦. That should show something
like this. I am hopeful we can bid slam."
Sanborn, same plan, more cynical.
"4♣. Then 5♦. Visions of perfect
hands have ruined me too often."
Weinstein initiates the search for a
slam - maybe even a grand - with 4♣.
"This is only the start. Might have a
harder problem later."
Rigal goes one further. "5♣. I'm going to take a shot at slam in diamonds;
but my partner will now know I have a
club void and might be able to set the
contract better than me."
Colchamiro chooses 4♦. "Opposite:
♠K x x x ♥x x ♦A Q x x ♣x x x,
I may have underbid."
6♦ by Robinson. "Can't invite slam
or bid Roman key card Blackwood for
diamonds, so I'll guess with 6♦."
5. Matchpoints. None vulnerable.
♠5 ♥Q J 9 8 6 3 2 ♦A 4 ♣A K 9
West

North

East

1♠

2♣

Pass

Call
3♥
2♠
2♥
4♥
3♣

Votes
8
7
1
0
0

South
1♥
?
Award
100
90
70
50
20

Matchpoint-minded
Cohen's 3♥: "At matchpoints, I have
to try to reach hearts, so I don't want to
do anything yet that might show club
support. Yes, 2♠ (or 3♠) would show a
good hand, but it wouldn't show seven
decent hearts."
"3♥, forcing," by Lawrence. "If I buy
a raise, I'll look for 6♥. If not, I'll look
for 6♣."
Neither 2♥ or 3♣ is forcing in
Donn's book, "and I don't see how 2♠
would help us. So I make a simple jump
in my seven-card major."
Sanborn bids 3♥. "I have to make
some forcing bid. Will begin here. If
partner bids 3NT, it's an easy 4♣ bid.
After a heart raise, I can use key card."
Colchamiro bids 3♥, calling 4♥
a close second choice. "The game is
matchpoints. If I bid this as a club
hand, who is gonna tell who that we
don't have a heart control opposite :
♠K x x ♥x ♦K Q x ♣Q J x x x x?"
3♥ by Becker. "Partner's bid is wideranging, so my first priority is to force
to game and emphasize my seven-card
major."
"3♥ - easy one," says Grossack.
"A jump after 2/1 in competition is
game forcing. I will ask for key cards if
partner raises my hearts, via cuebid or
otherwise."
Shi bids 3♥. "I'm not going to hide
my seven-card heart suit, and 2♥ is
nonforcing, so here we go. I may have
an opportunity to support clubs later."
Lee accepts the cuebid challenge.
"2♠. I want to sort out strain with a
low-level force, especially at matchpoints, where committing to clubs
when 4♥ makes but 6♣ doesn't is a
total disaster."
"Gotta set up a game force first," says
Korbel with 2♠. "I don't believe 2♥
would be forcing."
Rigal bids 2♠. "Let's set up a game
force and rebid hearts, but not insist
on hearts; clubs could be right facing a
singleton or void at the slam level."
Robinson, similar strategy. "2♠.
First I'll set up a game force, because
both 2♥ and 3♣ can be passed. With
my singleton spade and no spade raise,

it looks like partner has spades and is
therefore probably short in hearts."
Weinstein, also, establishes the game
force early with 2♠. "This gives both
partner and me time to pattern out our
hands a bit more."
Meyers rebids 2♥. "I am the ♥10
away from jumping to 3♥. If partner
bids 2NT, I will jump to 4♣; if partner
supports hearts, I will also bid clubs.
How do I bid hearts and clubs at the
same time?"
◾

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April 2020 Bridge Bulletin

47
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April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2020
