March 2025 - 39

and because the maximum high-card
strength held by the partnership was
25, East was comfortable passing.
GIB
1c
Pass
The East GIB passed in first seat
as well, as GIB plays a fairly mainstream
style of opening bids which
involves passing balanced 11-counts.
After West opened 1c, East bid 2c,
an inverted raise. By a passed hand,
this shows a limit raise in clubs.
West's pass is certainly allowed by
system when partner is a passed
hand. Whether it's a good idea or not
with these nice cards and a fifth club
is a more debatable point.
Bridge Bulletin auction: Pass-1c;
2c-2s; 2NT-3NT; Pass. If you play
inverted minor-suit raises, the agreement
can remain " on " by a passed
hand. It often pays not to be too worried
about stoppers in the unbid minor
suit after an inverted minor raise, especially
with some length there.
Scores: 3NT 11; 2NT 8; 3c 5; 4c 1
Seguineau-Sebbane 15, GIB 15
Problem 3
South deals. E-W vulnerable.
West
East
s K J 10 8 4
h 4 2
d A 10 8
c K Q 5
2s
3NT
s A Q
h 9 6 5
d K Q 7
c A 6 4 3 2
Seguineau Sebbane
1s
2c
2NT
Pass
West opened 1s with a very reasonable
13-point hand. East's 2c response
was forcing to game. Similar to
Problem 1, 2s by West doesn't promise
extra length for this pair and was
chosen on this hand to avoid bidding
notrump with two low hearts. East
GIB
Pass
2c
probably didn't want to bid notrump
either with no heart stopper, but he
had few alternative options available,
so he chose 2NT anyway. West had no
reason to do anything but raise to 3NT.
GIB
1s
2s
3c
4d
4NT
6s
GIB
2c
2NT
3s
4s
5s
Pass
West opened 1s, over which East
responded 2c forcing to game. West
rebid 2s, again not promising six.
This style may be foreign to some players,
but it helps to clarify the meanings
of other bids because West doesn't
have to make a flawed rebid like 2NT
or 3c on a hand like this one. East's
2NT rebid was natural. West GIB
now did very well to bid 3c, showing
secondary support and investigating
further contracts. 3s by East now
should show honor-doubleton, and
looks like a very logical bid on this
particular hand. If West had simply
bid 4s, the auction would have been
highly successful. West instead bid
4d, agreeing spades and showing a
diamond control. West seems to be too
light on values for that bid. East signed
off, showing great restraint with a very
useful hand. West now made a huge
overbid with 4NT, not only having a
minimal hand, but with no semblance
of a heart control. East answered 5s
showing two key cards with the sQ,
and West bid 6s because just one key
card was missing. West's overbidding
was perplexing, and ruined what had
been a good start to the auction.
Bridge Bulletin auction: 1s-2c;
3c-3d; 4d-4s; Pass. Once 3NT
is out of the picture, both players
should be extremely pleased at the
prospect of playing a strong 5-2
spade fit.
Scores: 4s 12; 5s 9; 5c 7; 3NT 4
Seguineau-Sebbane 19, GIB 15
Problem 4
West deals. Both vulnerable.
West
East
s Q
h A K 9 8 3
d A J 6
c A K Q 7
3c
4c
4NT
5s
7NT
s A K 6
h 7 6
d K Q 7 2
c J 4 3 2
Seguineau Sebbane
1h
2c
3NT
4d
5c
6d
Pass
West opened a heavy 1h, discounting
the sQ and leaving lots of bidding
room. East responded 2c forcing to
game. Most expert players will bid
2c even with the weaker suit, leaving
2d to promise five. West raised clubs
with his rather outstanding hand and
support. East had spades and diamonds
both well stopped, so he bid an
obvious 3NT. West was far from finished,
however. He pulled back to 4c,
emphasizing that clubs was the trump
suit. East bid 4d, showing a control.
4NT by West was key card
Blackwood for clubs. They play 1430
responses, so 5c by East showed
one key card. West bid 5s, a clever
treatment this pair uses where this
bid specifically asks for the sK. 6d
by East confirmed the sK and also
showed an extra trick in diamonds
beyond that shown by the 4d call.
West decided he had heard enough to
place the contract in 7NT, winning
all the matchpoints.
GIB
2c
3h
Pass
The 2c opening by West made a lot
of sense with 23 HCP. East responded
2NT with the old-fashioned meaning
of being natural with some values.
The main problem with that bid
on this hand isn't so much the heart
weakness, which West will usually
March 2025 | Bridge Bulletin |
39
GIB
2NT
6NT

March 2025

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