AUDREY GRANT'S BETTER BRIDGE MAGAZINE July / August 2017 | Page 6

MASTER SOLVERS’ CLUB
A FEATURE FROM THE BRIDGE WORLD
n
East is the Dealer and opens
1♠. You’re sitting South and it’s
your call.
w
e
1♠
s
?
DEALER: EAST
VULNERABILITY: NONE
YOU ARE SITTING SOUTH.

COVER THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE WHEN CHOOSING YOUR CALL.
THEN COMPARE YOUR DECISION WITH THE EXPERTS.
The Director of this recent Master
Solvers’ Club, Danny Kleinman,
writes: If we were playing rubber
bridge for money, or if we adhered
to the style taught by the great
stylist Edgar Kaplan in his classic
Competitive Bidding in Modern
Bridge, I would expect pass to be
unanimous.
Times have changed. In the latest
poll in The Bridge World, pass
wasn’t even the most popular call.
Kleinman sympathizes with those
who did pass. Let’s consider some
of their reasons for deciding, at this
point, to stay out of the auction.
Jon Green: Pass. The values are
marginal; both 2♦ and double
have small flaws. Lack of a sixth
diamond or a strong suit argue
against 2♦, while lack of a fourth
heart and club weakness argue
against double.
Robb Gordon: Pass. Too many
minuses; too much in spades, not
enough elsewhere, no fourth heart,
and soft values.
Clark Hudecek: Pass. I see no
reason to rush in with marginal
values and only a five-card suit.
This hand is more defensive than
offensive. On a good day, I’ll score
two trump tricks against a spade
contract.
Doub and Wildavsky: Pass.
Double and 2♦ are possible, but
they look a bit thin.
4
Some who did choose to come into
the auction with a 2♦ overcall didn’t
show much enthusiasm for the bid.
Barnet Shenkin: 2♦. I hate it, but
light overcalls are the modern style
at matchpoints.
Joel Wooldridge: 2♦. I’m a bit
more aggressive than my peers in
these situations, but it seems to
work well.
Zia: 2♦. Pathetic, but winning.
Then there were those who were quite
comfortable overcalling 2♦.
Kit Woolsey: 2♦. The best suit for
competing, and the lead wanted
on defense. A double would risk
reaching a poor four-three heart fit.
Passing is for losers.
Robert Wolff: 2♦. Simple hand,
simple problem, simple 2♦.
Nick L'Ecuyer: 2♦. When the
choice is between passing and
bidding, it is usually right to bid,
especially with no more than two
cards in opener’s suit.
Paul Ivaska: 2♦. Better than a
double, which has more flaws:
dead minimum in high cards,
probably wasted ♠J, only three-
card support for hearts and clubs,
and fails to suggest the lead I most
desire against West’s not-unlikely
notrump contract.
Phillip Alder: Double. Close.
I wish I held two low spades and
king-jack-low in clubs.
Brian Platnick: Double. With
neither side vulnerable, I want to
intervene aggressively, though I’d
prefer to be a tad stronger. With
King-low in spades and king-jack-
low in hearts, doubling would be
normal.
David Berkowitz: Double. Better
to get in early, and I don’t like to
overcall in a five-card suit at the
two-level.
Kevin Bathurst: Double. I try
to get in early when it’s close,
especially not vul, at matchpoints.
Diamonds? What diamonds?
BETTER BRIDGE CONCLUSION
Pass. The hand is balanced, with no
aces, and only a five-card diamond
suit. Partner would expect a better
suit. The ♠K is well placed -
however, it would be more useful
on defense than for declarer play.
You’re probably going to be on lead
and you know what to lead, the
♦K. It’s a close decision.
= 10 votes
pass = 8 votes
double = 8 votes
2 ♦
A double of East’s 1♠ opening bid, to subscribe to the bridge world
visit www.bridgeworld.com
received as many votes as a pass.
AUDREY GRANT’S BETTER BRIDGE JULY / AUGUST 2017