September 2020 - 34

the ♣K on opening lead, so he bid 6♦
with confidence.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1♠-2♦;
3♦-3♠; 4♥-4NT; 5♠-6♦; Pass.
Responder introduces the chunky
diamond suit and also sets up a game
force. The five-card support is powerful, but a singleton ace is not a great
splinter holding, and the hand is minimal otherwise, so opener simply raises
diamonds showing at least four cards
there. Over this, responder shows
a spade fit as well. Opener cuebids
the ♥A, which allows responder to
check on key cards (in spades, the last
agreed suit), with opener showing two
with the ♠Q. Responder can see the
importance of protecting the ♣K. Also,
discards on opener's spades might be
necessary, so responder offers 6♦ as a
place to play.
Scores: 6♦(E) 11; 6♠ 7; 5♠ 6;
5NT(E) 5; 6♦(W) 4; 5NT(W) 3; 5♦ 2
Beatty-Stewart 18, Aker-Simson 31

Problem 4

West deals. Both vulnerable.
West
♠AJ62
♥ K 10
♦AK963
♣A5

East
♠74
♥QJ984
♦Q
♣QJ632

Beatty
1♦
2♠
3♦
Pass

Stewart
1♥
3♣
3NT

2♠ was an artificial game force with
many possible hand types. 3♣ showed
8-plus HCP and asked for further
information. 3♦ showed four spades,
five diamonds and no more than two
hearts. With no fit for opener's suits
and the unbid suit stopped, responder
offered 3NT.
Aker
1♣
2♥
2NT
3♥
Pass

Simson
1♠
2♠
3♣
4♥

34 Bridge Bulletin September 2020

1♣ was artificial and forcing showing 16-plus unbalanced or 17-plus
balanced. The partnership usually
forces to game with 8-plus, particularly
with shape. Responder's 1♠ showed
hearts with game-forcing values. 2♥
showed diamonds. 2♠ was artificial
and denied a diamond fit. 2NT was
natural, and now responder could show
the club suit as well, over which opener
showed a heart preference. With a suitoriented hand and good heart intermediates, East made the winning decision to play in hearts, but with a bare
minimum, just raised to game.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1♦-1♥;
2♠-2NT; 3NT-Pass. Opener's hand
has the playing strength for a 2NT
opener, but he starts with 1♦ to get
both suits in at a convenient level,
completing the plan with a jumpshift
to 2♠ over the 1♥ response. In a
forcing auction, responder bids 2NT
to show the club stopper, expecting
opener to show a club or heart fragment along the way. Opener has suitoriented values, but with 2-2 shape,
just raises to 3NT rather than misstate
the shape of the hand.
Scores: 4♥ 11; 3♥ 7; 3NT 6; 2NT 4;
5♣ 3; 4♣ 2
Beatty-Stewart 24, Aker-Simson 42

Problem 5

North deals. N-S vulnerable.
West
♠ A 10 9 8
♥K765
♦Q3
♣Q94
Beatty
1♥
3NT

East
♠KQJ
♥Q84
♦ A K J 10 8 7 5
♣-
Stewart
1♦
3♦
Pass

Opener thought about jumpshifting
to 2♠ over 1♥, similar to Problem 4,
but lacking the ability to show 3-7 in
the red suits over that, chose to emphasize the diamonds with a 3♦ rebid.
East considered long and hard over
3NT before reluctantly passing. In the

postmortem, Stewart felt he should
have pulled 3NT to 4♦ but regretted
more not going with the 2♠ rebid,
subsequently showing three-card heart
support with a long diamond suit.
Aker
1♥
2♥
3NT
5♥
Pass

Simson
1♣
2♦
3♥
5♣
6♦

1♣ was strong and artificial, with
the 1♥ response showing spades or 11-
13 HCP with a balanced hand. 2♦ was
natural, and 2♥ showed the balanced
hand type. 3♥ was more diamonds,
with 3NT showing a minimum and
a non-forcing hand. 5♣ was exclusion key card Blackwood asking for
key cards outside of clubs. East-West
had recently adopted a new response
structure here, but Aker was not certain they would be on the same page
because it had never come up at the
table, so he just showed one keycard
with 5♥. Simson duly signed off in
6♦, and dummy's fourth spade was a
welcome sight.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1♦-1♥;
3♦-3NT; 4♥-4♠; 5NT-6♦; Pass.
Opener has an awkward rebid, but
lacking special methods, chooses
a reasonably descriptive 3♦ call,
though it is an underbid. Responder
has an easy 3NT over that. Opener
has doubts about notrump and a little
extra strength, and in a bidding contest, perhaps finds an inspired 4♥ call.
This suggests an unbalanced hand and
enough playing strength to be able to
bid further. Responder is now warned
from notrump, and the hand becomes
huge for diamonds, so he cuebids the
♠A. Opener bids 5NT as pick-a-slam,
and with only four hearts, chooses 6♦.
Scores: 6♠ 12; 6♦ 11; 5♠ 9; 5♦ 6;
3NT(W) 4; 3NT(E), 4♥ 2
Beatty-Stewart 28, Aker-Simson 53

Problem 6

East deals. E-W vulnerable.

September 2020

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