March 2025 - 45

5. ... And One More For The Road
Matchpoints. Both vulnerable.
sQ 9 7 4 3 hA Q dK 10 2 cA 9 4
West North East
4h Pass
Call
4NT
Pass
Dbl
4s
5c
3c Pass
Pass
Votes
12
3
South
3NT
?
Award
100
80
50
40
40
" This is my favorite, " Walker comments,
" Almost everyone on the
panel went for the red sacrifice ... in
notrump, no less. Until this problem,
I don't think I've ever seen a
hand and auction where that seemed
right. "
" I'm very unhappy lefty didn't let
me play 3NT, " says Meckstroth, who
comes back with 4NT. " But I'm not
sure I can beat 4h, so I will bid one
more for the road. " Rigal, 4NT. " A
fine example of apophasis: I don't
need to say this isn't Blackwood. "
4NT by
Josh Donn
Donn, " obviously
to play
after bidding
3NT.
Notrump
may have the
same tricks
as clubs, and
even if I go
down, it's
very easy to
imagine 4h
being cold. "
" 4NT is a
natural bid, " Lin agrees. " When you
make a natural 3NT bid and they
compete to 4M, your 4NT is natural.
I'm hoping my partner has seven
decent clubs, a heart lead is two
tricks and the diamond is the 10th. "
Boehm bids one more for the road.
" Uncertain defense versus 4h. "
" 4NT is a two-way shot, " Cohen
says. " We might make it and/or it
might be a good sacrifice. "
" It looks like LHO did well to bid, "
Sanborn credits her opponent. " 4NT.
It's a total guess. "
Grossack, 4NT: " Might even be a
double game swing, for all I know.
And I am sitting when they double,
thank you very much. Hopefully
partner knows that we don't joke
around with vulnerable preempts.
If not, they can expect a timely
discussion on preempt style in the
postmortem. "
Korbel:
" 4NT. Might
make; might
be a good
sacrifice. "
Lee agrees:
" Difficult to
know who
can make
what. "
Ditto
Colchamiro.
" Who knows?
Daniel Korbel
game. "
Both sides
could make
" They might make. We might
make, " says Weinstein, bidding 4NT.
" The one thing I won't do is pass. "
Robinson passes. " Partner's pass of
4h shows a bad hand. Opposite:
sx x x hx dx x cK J 10 x x x x,
we could go for 800. If partner has:
s10 x hx x dQ 9 x cK Q J x x x,
we might beat 4h and partner should
double. "
Meyers also passes. " I don't think
we are making 5c and I don't know
if they are making 4h. I fleetingly
thought of bidding 4s, but my spades
are too bad and although I think 4s
is choice of games, 4s is too fatuous
with my scanty spade holding. " 2
NEXT MONTH'S PROBLEMS
It's Your Call uses the Bridge
Bulletin Standard system. Enter the
MyACBL member portal at acbl.org
and click on It's Your Call on the lefthand
menu. You'll find a link to the
system notes at the top of the page.
1. IMPs. North-South vulnerable.
sJ 10 7 hA K Q dA 9 4 cA 9 8 6
West North East
Pass
South
1c
Pass 1h 1s Dbl (1)
3s 4h 4s ?
(1) Three-card heart support
2. Matchpoints. East-West vul.
sJ 10 h- d9 4 2 cA K Q 10 7 5 3 2
West North East
South
1d
2s Pass
1h 2c
?
Pass
3. Matchpoints. None vulnerable.
sA K J 8 hK 9 5 4 dA 7 6 2 c6
West North East
South
3d ?
4. Matchpoints. Both vulnerable.
sQ h4 2 dK J 8 6 cK Q J 10 8 2
West North East
1d
Dbl
South
?
5. IMPs. None vulnerable.
sK Q 6 5 4 h10 4 2 dK 7 3 cK 4
West North East
Pass
Pass 2h Pass
South
Pass
?
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March 2025 | Bridge Bulletin |
45
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March 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2025
