September 2020 - 36

It's Your Call
DIRECTOR: SUE MUNDAY

❘ SCORES: KAREN WALKER

Problem No. 3 comes from the District 23 Problem Solvers' Panel moderated by John Jones.
1. Matchpoints. None vulnerable.
♠10 7 ♥8 3 2 ♦A K Q J 8 ♣10 7 2
West
Pass

North
1♣
1♥

Call
1NT
1♠
2♣
2♦
3♦
2NT
2♥

East
Pass
Pass

Votes
7
2
2
1
1
0
0

South
1♦
?
Award
100
60
60
60
50
40
20

The sound of silence
Acting on the opponents' failure to
claim the master suit, most of the panelists seize the opportunity to bid 1NT.
"I don't like bidding 1NT," Robinson
argues as he bids 1NT. "But I do have
a balanced hand and probably five
diamond tricks. Maybe the 10 will be a
pusher in spades."
Korbel estimates his success in 1NT.
"The opponents' silence suggests that
partner will have three or four spades,
and also, usually, neither opponent
owns a five-card spade suit. We should
comfortably make 1NT. No second
choice."
Donn listens. "No one overcalled
spades, and partner might even have
four of them. I am not worried about
notrump at all. Also, 10-x is not that
bad of a holding to declare with. They
could lead from the jack and partner
has ♠A Q x x, or they could lead from
the queen and partner has ♠K J x x."
Meckstroth hears the same nothing.
"1NT. Doesn't sound like any kind of
spade suits out there!"
Lee admits: "I'm just going for the

36 Bridge Bulletin September 2020

biggest plus score at matchpoints."
Rigal, 1NT. "Not perfect, but my
hand looks like it should play OK in a
notrump partscore. They may be able
to cash four spades, but I pitch losers
and get ready to claim."
Colchamiro gives it some thought
before bidding 1NT. "A tough one. 2♦
or even 2♣ could be the winner. I presume partner doesn't have 3=4=3=3,
else they'd have bid 1NT over 1♦. So
partner's most likely shape is 3=4=1=5
or 3=4=2=4. 3NT looks far away, even if
partner has a solid minimum like:
♠K x x ♥A J x x ♦x x ♣A J x x.
So no 3♦ for me. If partner has only a
doubleton spade, the opponents may
take five spade tricks, but we've got
good chances for eight, and certainly
seven tricks in notrump."
There are a couple of 1♠ bidders. For
pairs playing two-way checkback, 1♠
is a one-round force that may or may
not show spades. For those not playing two-way checkback, however, 1♠
sounds a lot like fourth-suit game forcing. Is it? Definitely worth a partnership meeting.
Meyers chooses 1♠, "which is
fourth-suit forcing. My hand is too good
to bid 2♦, and I don't have a 1NT bid. If
partner bids 1NT over 1♠, I will pass. If
partner raises spades, I will bid 2NT."
Grossack: "To me, 1♠ is a one-round
force and doesn't necessarily show
spades. I'm hoping partner bids 1NT
so I can make an invitational 2NT
call. My second choice is 1NT. I would
make that bid if 1♠ were game forcing
(which it still might be)."
Lawrence calls this an annoying
hand. "2♣. If partner peeps, I will bid

3♦ next. The rules should allow for a
double to show this hand. Pity."
Cohen also chooses 2♣. "At matchpoints, I'd rather play in hearts, but I
have too much to pass; partner could
have a 4=4=1=4 17-count and we might
belong in 3NT. I have to keep the bidding open, and this is the most accurate
description. In Walsh style, partner
should be unbalanced to rebid 1♥."
Boehm rebids his diamonds. "2♦.
Tough problem. At least this keeps the
ball rolling."
Sanborn rebids her diamonds, too, a
level higher. "3♦ is both the least worst
lie and the best route to 3NT: Perfect on
strength, and isn't this about a six-card
suit? We could belong in clubs, but now
is not the time to bid them."
2. IMPs. None vulnerable.
♠K 9 7 6 5 ♥A Q J 8 4 ♦Q 7 6 ♣-
West

North

East

Pass
Pass

2♦(1)
3NT

Pass
Pass

South
1♠
2♥
?

(1) At least four diamonds
Call
4♦
Pass
4♥

Votes
10
3
0

Award
100
70
70

When to push past 3NT
Expert Karen Walker, who scores
IYC, recalls reading the sage advice of a
famous player: "You should never play
3NT when you have a void in an unbid
suit." Whether adhering to that advice
or their own instinct, most of the panel
moves off 3NT.
Boehm bids 4♦ and poses the same

September 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2020