FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

BOLD BIDDING

Jeff Meckstroth-Eric Rodwell, one of the bridge world’s most successful pairs, thrive on bold bidding. They have a reputation for bidding 3NT, and making it, with subnormal values.

In the Senior Knockout Teams at the Fall NABC, “Meckwell” reached a typical (for them) notrump game. Meckstroth’s threeclub opening bid would not have occurred to me, nor would I have been eager to try 3NT as Rodwell did.

West led the jack of diamonds, maybe a debatable choice against a Meckwell 3NT since it might give declarer a ninth trick. Sure enough, Rodwell took the king and claimed eight more tricks.

Overtrick

In the replay, North passed in second seat, and East opened two diamonds, conventionally showing a minimum opener with four spades and five hearts. East-West bought the contract at three spades, plus 170 when the defense slipped. Meckstroth-Rodwell, playing on the team led by Nick Nickell, ran out of luck in the final, losing to KASLE-Cannell, Casen-Krekorian, Kwiecien-Starkowski.

Daily Question

You hold: K J 10 7 KQ943 Q7 10

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ 6. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids one spade. What do you say?

Answer: You have gameinvitational strength, hence raise to three spades. If your queen of diamonds were the ace, you would bid four spades. If your king of hearts were a low heart, you would settle for a chance-giving raise to two spades. If vulnerable, you might risk four spades with your actual hand.

West dealer Neither side vulnerable