February 2025 - 42

IT'S
Rigal doubles, " planning to convert
YOUR
CALL
DIRECTOR: SUE MUNDAY
SCORES: KAREN WALKER
4h to 4s, suggesting five spades and
diamond support. Yes, you can sell
me that defending 4c would be our
only chance to go plus. But now that
I've broken tempo, I don't think I can
pass. "
" Double, flexible. Values, no clear
Thanks this month to Bill Segraves
of Guilford CT, for problem No. 1;
Brad Bart, Coquitlam BC, for No. 3;
Chip Dombrowski, Batavia OH, for
No. 4; and Karen Billett of Victoria
BC for No. 5.
We have a winner! Congratulations
to Brad Theurer of Gaithersburg
MD, who took the IYC online contest
crown for 2024. Brad is invited to
join the expert panel in the spring.
A roster of the top 50 contestants
appears on pg. 80.
Jump into the action now to compete
for the 2025 championship.
You'll find navigation directions
under " Next Month's Problems. "
1. Pregame hoopla
Board-a-match. Both vulnerable.
sA K 8 6 2 h7 6 4 dQ 3 2 cJ 8
West North East
South
3c 3d
Call
Dbl
4d
4s
5d
5c
Pass
4c ?
Votes
12
Award
100
60
60
50
40
20
OK, then. Our system notes indicate
that we play responsive doubles
through 3s. We either need to raise
the level of our responsive doubles
or loosen up. Because whatever the
technical meaning of this four-level
double, it is - as the unanimous
choice of the panel indicates - clearly
the most flexible way to convey these
values to partner.
42 | Bridge Bulletin | February 2025
Robinson: " Double - responsive.
I want to show my five spades. If I
had six, I'd bid 4s directly. If partner
bids 4h, I'll bid 4s and partner will
know that I have only five spades
and he won't pass without three.
Otherwise, we'll get to 5d. "
Lin doubles, responsive, " but I'll
be happy if partner passes. If partner
bids 4d, I'll pass. If partner bids
4h, I'll correct to 4s and hope it
works out. I don't want to push this
one - the red-suit finesses will likely
be offside and I lean toward going
low at board-a-match (similar to
matchpoints). "
Boehm doubles. " I will correct 4h
to 4s, implying two places to play. If
there is a good game, this will get us
there. "
" I double on the off chance we have
a spade fit, " says Sanborn. " I'll pull
hearts to diamonds. "
Meckstroth starts with double. " My
spades aren't strong enough to bid
directly. "
Korbel agrees. " I can't up and
bid 4s, as partner can pass with a
singleton or even a void. If partner
bids 4h, I can bid 4s, giving them a
choice between 4s and 5d. "
Double by Donn, " the usual answer
in a competitive auction when I don't
know where we belong. I bid 4s next,
offering a choice between that and
5d. "
Colchamiro doubles. " And then
4s over 4h, showing diamonds, too,
giving partner the best sense of my
hand that I can. Not so sure this is
best. A direct 4d or 4s could work
out better; even pass might lead to a
plus, whereas bidding would lead to a
minus. But that's too chicken for me. "
direction, " explains Grossack. " 4d
buries the spades and 4s buries the
diamonds. Gotta stay loose. "
Cohen doubles, " dreaming partner
will bid 4s (who has such partners?),
but over anything else we'll just settle
into 5d. "
2. Point spread
Matchpoints. Both vulnerable.
sA J hK 7 5 3 dK 6 3 c9 5 3 2
West North East
Pass
1h Dbl
Call
Dbl
2NT
3NT
3c
Pass
Votes
10
1
1
South
Pass
2h ?
Award
100
70
60
30
30
Again, a majority of doublers looking
for the right strain.
Donn: " Double, pulling 2s to 3c.
If partner has the singleton heart
opponents are advertising and only
four spades, as double implies, then
we must have a fit in a minor. "
Double by Korbel. " I'll obviously
correct 2s to 3c. This caters to partner
being 4=1=5=3. "
Cohen doubles, anticipating partner
will bid 2s; " and I will remove
that and expect to reach an eightcard
minor-suit fit. Partner is likely
4=1 in the majors, so we have to have
an eight-card fit in a minor. "
Lin agrees with double. " This is
a minors-oriented double. I think
pass could be the winning call here
because this hand is very defensive -
getting plus 200 rather than 110; but
I think it is just too normal to bid. "
" Double - gotta get in there! " urges
February 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2025
