What’s your call?
| 5♠ | 5NT | |||
| 6♣ | 6♦ | 6♥ | 6♠ | 6NT |
| 7♣ | 7♦ | 7♥ | 7♠ | 7NT |
| Redbl | Pass |
“Redouble?” queries Hampson.
“This problem is from the Twilight Zone. What does partner have that he couldn’t bid over 3♥ but is forcing slam now? No idea, but I suppose I will follow 5˜ with 5NT and raise six of a minor to seven.”
“Redouble,” says Weinstein with no question mark. “I think 5♥ is one-directional. Partner has to start with 4NT (or 5NT) to give me a choice of suits. His most likely hand is a slam try in spades with a control in hearts (no 5♠ bid directly). ”
Meckstroth redoubles. “Rather amazing 5♥ bid when I have this. If pard bids 5♠, I’ll follow with 5NT, pick a slam.”
Cohen thanks East for the opportunity to show first-round heart control with a redouble. “Are you on my pay-roll?” he asks RHO. “Seriously, be wary of such gratuitous doubles.”
The Joyces also seize the redouble opportunity. “We don’t know what partner has, but this bid is easy, show-ing first-round heart control.”
Stack, too. “What can partner have for the cuebid if not the minor-suit aces and the ♠K? It is tempting to bid 5NT (pick a slam), but this hand has too much potential to settle for a small slam at this point.”
Unsure of where they are headed, the Sutherlins use redouble to conserve space. “Partner is pushing for a slam, but is willing to settle for 5♠ if we have a minimum. Instead we have a super max. A grand is definitely possible. Re-double gives us the maximum amount of room to investigate.”
Walker redoubles. “Partner must be 6–5 or 6–6 with a heart void (else he would bid 4NT). Although hearing about the ♥A won’t excite him, the redouble seems better than 5NT because it gives him more room to identify his suits. I can’t imagine partner bidding like this without the two missing aces. More evidence of that comes from East, who surely wouldn’t double 5♥ if he held an outside ace. ”
Sanborn toyed with her redouble card, “but thought it might only be confusing without really helping part-ner.” She settles on 5NT. “I am almost certain to be heading toward seven of a minor. Let’s see which one.”
Rigal teases: “5NT minor-suit oriented to locate our best slam. Will I raise partner’s effort to the grand? Watch this space — and thanks for not asking!”
The Gordons’ 5NT: “Over to you, pard!”
5NT from Robinson. “Asking partner to bid a minor and denying four spades.”
Giving up on the grand slam, Falk bids 5NT to find the partnership’s better minor. “It’s not 100% clear that my ♥A is pulling any weight. North would bid 5° with the likes of:
♠K J x x ♥— ♦A x x x x ♣x x x x,
expecting that 5♠ is safe and giving me an option of more.”
“What a headache!” exclaims Colchamiro. “I’ve gone over and over this one to figure out exactly what partner has. I’m guessing that partner has a two-suiter, but not the minors, or he would have tried 4NT or 5NT. So that leaves spades and a minor. For sure partner has a heart void, so my ♥A is useless. I’m bidding 5NT for the minors. With 20 HCP, it seems a bit chicken not to bid 6♥ and force a seven-level contract, but I just don’t think partner has the three prime cards I would need given his pass over 3♥.”
The Coopers retaliate with a back-atcha cuebid of 6♥. “Partner must have more than just the two minor-suit aces for his 5♥ bid. But which grand do we belong in? If partner bids 6˜, we’ll bid 7˝, which should tell him we hold equal length in the minors. We hope.”