January 2022 - 41

Zagorin
1
3k
3NT
5k
Pass
Zagorin and Bertheau had a nice
auction. 1k and 1 were natural
bids. 2' was artificial, showing
either clubs or a strong hand. 3k
showed a three-card limit raise. 3
showed some slam interest, and 3NT
showed a spade control. 4 was a key
card ask in hearts, with 5k showing
two plus the queen. 6k was just the
right contract.
Gumperz
2l
3
4l
6'
Pass
2l by Gumperz showed 8-plus
points and heart support. 3l by Clayton
was a natural slam try. 3 and
4' were both control bids. 4l is a
convention called " last train " : Rather
than specifically showing a diamond
control, it basically says responder
is interested in slam but has nothing
else convenient to say. Clayton decided
to spurn Blackwood altogether and
bid 5NT, asking his partner to pick a
slam, perhaps hoping a diamond slam
in a potential 4-4 fit would be best.
6' by Gumperz showed the ace and a
great hand, just in case they belonged
in a grand slam, but they didn't, and
Clayton knew it.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1k-1;
3l-4k; 4NT-5; 6k-Pass. 4k
over the jumpshift is often played
as showing a three-card limit raise.
Opener has a bit of a guess, but probably
has a nice enough hand to head
toward slam.
Clayton
1k
3l
4'
5NT
6k
Bertheau
1k
2'
3
4
6k
Scores: 6k 10; 4k 8; 5k 7; 4NT 6;
6NT 4
Zagorin-Bertheau 39, Gumperz-
Clayton 37
Problem 7
South deals. Both vulnerable.
West
East
 10 9 8 6  A 7 3
k 5
l K J 8 5 4 l 3 2
' A Q J ' 9 8
Zagorin
1l
1
Pass
Both pairs did a good job stopping
low on these cards. The important
bid in this auction was 2k, showing
an invitational hand. Bertheau had
other ways to sign off in 2k, by using
artificial rebids in clubs and diamonds.
Although 2k was invitational,
Zagorin had no trouble passing it
with his minimum opener and short
hearts.
Gumperz
1l
1
2l
Pass
This auction started the same way,
although 1 by Gumperz showed
either a natural spade suit, or any
hand with 17 or more points. 1NT by
Clayton showed 8 or more points,
saying that if partner had the 17-plus
hand, then game is forced. Gumperz
didn't have that hand, and instead bid
2l naturally with his five diamonds.
Having already showed a little more
than a minimum response, Clayton
was able to settle for 2k.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1l-1k;
1-3k; Pass. BBS doesn't have a fancy
way to show an invitational hand
with hearts on the two level, so these
methods would propel the partnership
a bit higher.
Clayton
1k
1NT
2k
Bertheau
1k
2k
k K Q J 8 6 4
Scores: 2k 11; 3k 6; 2NT 3; 4k 2;
3NT 1
Zagorin-Bertheau 50, Gumperz-
Clayton 48
Problem 8
West deals. None vulnerable.
West
East
 A K Q 9 4  J 8 6
k A 8 5 k K Q 9 4 3
l A 9 6 l Q 2
' K Q
' 10 8 3
Zagorin
2'
2NT
3k
3NT
4
5l
6k
Bertheau
2l
3l
3
4k
5'
6l
Pass
Zagorin and Bertheau had a long
but effective auction here. 2'
showed a strong hand, and 2l was
waiting. 2NT showed 22 or more
HCP, balanced. 3l was a transfer to
hearts, but holding a very strong hand
they only accept the transfer with a
fit, which is exactly what 3k showed.
3 showed some slam interest,
with 3NT showing a spade control.
Bertheau felt he had done enough,
but with his amazing controls and
source of tricks in spades, Zagorin
was not finished. He bid 4 asking
for key cards in hearts. 5' showed
one or four, clearly one in this case.
5l asked for the kQ. Bertheau made
an interesting 6l bid, showing the
kQ and the lQ. Many players would
use 6l to show the king rather than
the queen, but he had already denied
the lK by failing to show a diamond
control over 3NT. In any case, Zagorin
bid 6k, reaching a good slam.
Gumperz
1'
2NT
3
Pass
January 2022 | Bridge Bulletin |
continued on page 63
41
Clayton
1l
3'
4
January 2022

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