March 2025 - 44

long clubs and one of the majors, so
with both majors, they will follow
with 6h. "
Cohen launches to 6s. " It's hard
to imagine partner having only two
spades, and I really want to play
it from my side. I'm giving up the
unlikely seven. (I know there will be
5d bidders, right?) " [Yep, Larry, look
right there on the score sheet.]
Meyers purchased a ticket on that
spacecraft, too. " 6s, playing my partner
for a minimum of one of the black
aces. "
Korbel bids a safe 4s. " There are
too many 'unlucky' ways 5s or 6s
could fail. I'll stay low and stay fixed. "
Ditto Meckstroth. " We certainly
might make a slam, but there are no
assurances. So I will settle for a plus
score. "
4s by Boehm. " Might miss slam,
but I see no sensible way to explore. "
Robinson abstains, for which he
gets zero IYC points because you simply
cannot do that at a bridge table!
However, the man has his principles.
" I don't know how to bid a hand with
five spades since I didn't open 1s. If
I had opened 1s, I would know partner's
double denies spade support. "
4. Fools Rush In
IMPs. None vulnerable.
sK Q 10 2 h4 dA 9 7 cK Q J 8 3
West North East
South
1c
Dbl Redbl 1h 1s
2h Pass
Pass
Call
3h
3d
3c
Dbl
Votes
9
6
?
Award
100
80
60
30
We may have gone astray earlier in
the auction, as many of the panelists
point out. How do we recover?
3h by Robinson. " I don't know why
I bid 1s, because that shows a weak
opening bid - same hand without
the dA. I plan on bidding clubs next.
44 | Bridge Bulletin | March 2025
Because partner didn't bid notrump,
he doesn't have two good heart stoppers
so we don't belong in 3NT. "
Korbel: " I'm not sure this auction
could ever happen. I believe 1s was a
mistake and should be a weaker hand
- without the dA, for example. I'll
try 3h now. "
3h by Sanborn. " Why did I bid
over 1h? This normally shows weakness.
I should have passed, then
jumped in spades. That would create
a force. "
" In catch-up mode again, like No.
2, " says Cohen, bidding 3h. " Bidding
1s directly showed a weaker hand. I
should have passed, then pulled. "
Meckstroth bids 3h. " We're
not going to stop below game.
Inferentially, I should have this
shape. "
3h by Grossack. " I must force to
game with these cards and I don't
want to chance a double having no
idea what it would mean. "
Lin, 3h. " My partner can't penalize
them in
hearts, but
is giving me
room to see
if we have
enough interest
together. I
denied interest
in penalizing
1h
when I bid
1s, so I think
double now
would show
better hearts
Amber Lin
- maybe honor-doubleton. The rest
of my hand is more offensive, too. "
" If you had asked me what 3h
means, I wouldn't have known what
to say, " says Donn, " but this hand
looks right for it. "
Colchamiro bids 3d. " I am not so
sure 1s was the way to go over 1h -
maybe pass is better? The panel will
smugly double here because it's obviously
takeout, but I don't have such
an agreement and I don't believe IYC
does either. 3d shows my fifth club
and if partner insists on diamonds,
who knows? It might be the winning
strain. "
Meyers, 3d. " That is what I have:
clubs, spades and diamonds. "
3d by Rigal, who rhetorically
asks, " Could I be 4-1-4-4? No, I
don't really think so, because with
that hand, I'd pass 1h, wouldn't I?
[Rhetorical again?] For the record,
1s tends to suggest a minimum
shapely hand with pass forcing.
I think I would have considered
passing. "
Boehm bids 3d. " When partner
didn't double 2h (penalties, sitting
over strength), we're headed for our
own contract. My 1s call implied
distribution, i.e., club length, else I
should have passed over 1h. 3d pinpoints
the shape. "
" I'm not so sure about this auction,
as I was always taught that bidding
immediately showed a weaker hand
than I have here, " Molson says. " I
guess I pattern out with 3d. "
" 3d feels kinda like the eye of the
hurricane, " says Weinstein.
JANUARY TOP ONLINE SCORES
(546 players)
Nancy Kornegay,
North Richland Hills TX
Erli Zhou, Sunnyvale CA
500
500
Christopher Donnelly, Belmont MA 490
Michael Kufs, Merrick NY
490
Arthur Loring, West Palm Beach FL 490
George Wang, El Monte CA
Phillip Articola, Manassas VA
Andrew Eastwood, Savannah GA
Ashot Harutyunyan, Montreal QC
Joe Lentz, Madison WI
Donald Stanger, Northfield MN
Steven Blatter, Aurora CO
490
470
470
470
470
470
460
Lawrence Cheetham, Bedford NH 460
Andy Goodman, Carmel CA
Stephen McConnell, Evanston IL
James Peresta, Grand Blanc MI
460
460
460
March 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2025
