AUDREY GRANT'S BETTER BRIDGE MAGAZINE September / October 2019 | Page 6

MASTER SOLVERS' CLUB
A FEATURE FROM THE BRIDGE WORLD
This hand is taken from The Bridge World, a journal for
expert players, founded in 1929. There has never been a
set of unanimous responses to the Master Solvers' Club
bidding problem.
North-South are vulnerable. West is dealer and opens the
bidding with a pre-emptive 3♠ bid. North and East both
pass. You are South with this hand. What call do you make?
West’s 3♠ bid puts South in a quandary.
Over 80% of the panel feel they have
to bid something. For those who choose
3NT, is the ♠J enough to stop West’s
suit from running? Given East-West are
not vulnerable, the common sentiment
is there’s a high probability West’s spades
might not be a solid suit.
For those who choose to double, they are
hoping to locate a heart fit. A double
implies four hearts and excellent values.
However, there’s a risk partner will bid
a suit we are short in. South would not
want to see partner bid 4♣!
Only a handful of panelists vote to
pass. There’s no guarantee North-South
will find a fit in hearts and 3NT is a
gamble. With the balance of points, pass
and collect an almost certain positive
score. It’s safe. Of course, if North has
four hearts and decent values, North-
South could miss a game contract in
hearts.
Nothing’s perfect. That’s why high level
preempts are so effective, especially with
favorable vulnerability.
Let’s hear what the panel has to say.
CARL HUDECEK: Double. Double
brings in hearts. I will not be thrilled
if I hear 4♣ from partner.
DAN GERSTMAN: Double. First
seat at favorable vulnerability, West
could have a very weak hand. Partner
could have as much strength as I hold
and been unable to act.
MARK BARTUSEK Double. A
gamble, but I’m afraid of missing a
vulnerable game by passing.
ANDREW ROBSON: Double. Gets
us to 4♥, 4♦, and occasionally to 3♠
doubled.
4
ANDERS WIRGREN Double. Not
brave enough to try 3NT nor to pass
and gamble that partner has nothing.
Double provides options.
JOEY SILVER: Double. 3NT aims
at too small a target; double expands
our horizon, which I hope does not
include clubs.
Looks like the doublers feel the bid gives
the partnership more options to consider.
The only bad choice that no one wants
is a 4♣ response from partner!
On the other hand, the 3NT bidders
feel looking for a heart fit is too much of
a gamble. Also, they suspect West’s spade
suit is weak at favorable vulnerability,
thus making South’s ♠J a likely stopper
in the suit when combined with
partner’s spade holding. If partner has
the expected 8 or 9 high-card points,
nine tricks are likely easier to make
than ten in a 4♥ contract.
DAVID BERKOWITZ: 3NT. The
most likely game. In this day and
age, I cannot imagine non-vulnerable
opponents running spades. I am
more concerned about a club lead or
missing 4♥.
GEORGE JACOBS: 3NT. Double
might fetch 4♥, but nobody ever
opens 3♠ with solid spades at
favorable vulnerability, do they? And
what if partner were to bid 4♣?
BART BRAMLEY: 3NT. Spades are
not likely to run. If partner has close
to his share of strength, I expect to
have decent play or better. Double
caters to hearts and not much else.
Finally, 20% of the panelists choose
to pass. You are almost guaranteed a
positive score, albeit a small one. Also,
A udrey G rant ’ s B etter B ridge | S eptember -O ctober 2019
Vul: N-S
Dlr: West
Pass
n
3♠
w
e
Pass
s
♠
♥
♦
♣
J 10 6
A K J 4
K 8 5 3
A 8
?
if you bid, the dilemma is finding a
makeable contract, which may not be
easy.
MICHAEL BECKER: Pass. This hand
is likely to be able to make game but
finding that game is problematic.
Double may eliminate 3NT. 3NT
may eliminate suit play. Yet the hand
is too strong to pass. A dilemma.
Rather than guess which bid to make,
I’ll chicken out with a pass.
MIKE LAWRENCE: Pass. If North
has the values for game, he might
have acted. I suspect he is the one
with one spade. I lose if partner has
four hearts and we miss our heart fit
but I may do well if he doesn’t.
DANNY KLEINMAN: Pass. Partners
almost invariably bid your shortest
suit when you make an off-shape
double. It’s the Murphy's Law of
bridge. I wouldn’t want to double as
I’d hate to be the dummy in a club
contract.
BETTER BRIDGE CONCLUSION:
Double. There could easily be enough
combined strength for game since
partner couldn’t act in the direct
position with about 10-12 points.
It will be unpleasant if partner bids
clubs, but that could even be the best
spot if partner has a six-card suit.
Partner can bid 3NT with a spade
stopper and some values.
BRIDGE WORLD SUMMARY
DOUBLE
3NT
PASS
=
=
=
14
9
5
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