July 2020 - 34

It's Your Call
DIRECTOR: SUE MUNDAY

❘ SCORES: KAREN WALKER

Problem No. 1 from bridgechallenge.com; No. 5 from Bob Munson, Danville CA
Please welcome 19 of the players
who competed at the Michael Seamon
Junior U.S. Bridge Championships in
December hosted by the U.S. Bridge
Federation.
Five open teams and one women's
team won the right to represent the
United States at the 18th World Youth
Team Championships in Salsomaggiore
Terme, Italy. Subsequently, the USBF
added a seventh team, for a squadron of
two under-26 (U26) teams competing
for the Patino Cup; two under-21 (U21)
teams competing for the Damiani Cup;
two under-16 (U16) teams competing
for Koc University Cup; and one young
women's team competing for the Rona
Cup.
Although the world championships
have been postponed till next year
because of the coronavirus, these
young players are raring to go. So let's
see how they do in the IYC panelists'
seats this month.
1. IMPs. East-West vulnerable.
♠- ♥K 6 2 ♦J 9 8 6 3 2 ♣Q 10 6 5
West

North

East

Pass

1♦

2♠

Call
3♦
4♦
5♦
4♠
3♠

Votes
9
3
3
2
2

South
Pass
?
Award
100
70
70
50
50

Diamonds are forever
Haas explains his dilemma on No. 1.
"The problem is how many diamonds
to bid. I think that 3♦, although a

34 Bridge Bulletin July 2020

misdescription of my shape, will give
us the best opportunity to play in 3NT,
make a diamond contract, or double
3♠ or 4♠."
Chen, 3♦. "I will not defend spades,
and if I pass, 2♠ might get passed out.
3♦ is probably making. I will bid 4♦
over 3♠."
Grossack says 3♦ feels just right.
"Partner may have a stack of spades,
and if so, I have no need to bypass 3NT.
With at least (maybe) half the deck or
so, I don't feel the need to start jumping around, not knowing whose hand it
may be."
Rosenberg, 3♦: "I'm always planning to bid 5♦ over 4♠ unless perhaps
partner doubles. Because I expect
there to always be more bidding, 3♦
has several benefits. First, if it's partner with a good hand and good spades,
we can still play 3NT when it's right.
Second, I somewhat want to disguise
the nature of my hand to opponents,
so that it looks like I'm getting pushed
into 5♦ when I really want to bid it the
whole time."
Finn Kolesnik: "3♦. I don't see a
better option. 3♠ is an overbid without much merit, so I am left with the
'normal' 3♦ bid. My hand looks strong
offensively. I plan to bid more diamonds later."
Yue and Kristensen both bump it up
a notch to 4♦.
Yue: "This hand should qualify as a
mixed raise if there was no interference. It is too strong for 3♦, which
is a normal competitive raise. The
strongest possible hand I can have - a
limit raise - is covered by 3♠."
Kristensen: "5♦ is just too much,
especially when partner is in third seat

and could have defensive values. 3♦
could reach 3NT when it's right, but
are we really sitting for it with a void
and six-card support for partner in a
holding that doesn't expect to be running the suit off the top? 4♦ is highly
encouraging but nonforcing, in case
partner has the wrong hand; but it also
could lead to a good save, or 5♦ could
just be the right
game."
Cedrone puts the
kibosh on further
guesswork with
5♦. "I choose 5♦
because we have a
nine- or 10-card fit
in diamonds. If it
Marley Cedrone, 15
doesn't make, it's
USA1 U16
only minus 50 or 100
because we are not
vulnerable. It looks
like the opponents
may have a very
large spade fit, so the
opponents could be
on for a vulnerable
4♠."
Sonner, too - all
Daniel Sonner, 24
the way to 5♦. "I
USA2 U26
don't really want
to defend 4♠ with a spade void, so I'll
just bid 5♦ right away."
Xiao jets to 5♦. "I am favorable,
and it is likely that East's bid could be
stronger than an average 2♠ in fourth
seat. For this reason, I don't expect
partner to always have a monster
here. With East-West holding at least
a nine-card spade fit, I can't stand
defending 4♠, regardless of what my
partner has, so I am bidding 5♦ right
away. We will even make this contract
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July 2020

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