TGIF March 2026: Scores 1. IMPs. N-S vul. K J 7   9 5 3   ---   A Q J 10 9 8 2   West North East South         1 1 1 3 ? Your call? Bid Votes Award 4 9 100 Dbl 5 80 Pass 2 60 3 1 50 Moderator: This month's problems deal with some wilder-than-usual concoctions. Zachary Grossack: Dbl. I don't enjoy doing this so much with a diamond void, but it is a takeout double, and this is my best way to show three spades. The money on hands like these is getting to 4 only when partner has five, but playing clubs (or notrump) otherwise. My hand will not play well in a 4-3 spade fit. Radu Nistor: Pass. Can't bid 4 because we're skipping 3NT, and there's not enough strength to double to show extras. Barry Rigal: 4. I'm hoping we can still get to spades. If I passed, I'm not sure what I'd do next assuming double or 3NT from partner. Maybe a clear-as-mud cuebid. Michael Dimich: 3. Bidding system only allows support doubles through 2. It's IMPs so 3. Maybe partner will offer 3NT with good diamonds and poor spades. Christopher Diamond: 4. Don't think support double is available at the 3-level. Might be able to back into spades. Larry Meyer: 3. Support with support, especially with a void in the opponent's suit. Paul McMullin: Dbl. I hope that is a support double. 2nd choice: pass! Perry Khakhar: 3. I'd love to bid 4 or something else. But double would be really bad. Hope partner isn't trying his luck in a Moysian. Kf Tung: Dbl. Support. Louk Verhees: 4. I don't like Dbl with this type of hand.   2. Matchpoints. N-S vul. K Q 8   A Q   Q 9 7 6 3 2   Q 5   West North East South   1 Pass 1 ? Your call? Bid Votes Award 1NT 13 100 2 4 70 Pass 0 40 Moderator: Sometimes it just feels so right to get the lead coming your way. Larry Cohen: 1NT. Dangerous to bid, but also dangerous to pass and miss out on 600, especially against today's thieves. Daniel Korbel: 2. I'm sure you're trying to sucker me in to a 1NT overcall, but I just won't do it. Michael Dimich: Pass. Long diamonds with poor texture. Defending is a better option. Christopher Diamond: 2. In the era of light openings and responses you need to get into auctions. A natural 1NT would be better but not available. Robert Sauve: Pass. All secondary values and a poor diamond suit. Larry Meyer: 2. The sixth diamond compensates for the lack of suit quality. Paul McMullin: Pass. Avoiding entering their live auction. Perry Khakhar: 2. No safety anywhere, but the Lord hates a coward! Kf Tung: 2. Compete. Louk Verhees: 2. There are two choices really: 1N/2. To me both are ok. Depends on what partner has which one works best.   3. IMPs. None vul. ---   A Q 2   K Q 10 8 4 2   A Q 8 6   West North East South   Pass Pass 4 ? Your call? Bid Votes Award Dbl 11 100 5 4 70 4NT 2 60 Pass 0 20 Moderator: How high does your partnership play takeout doubles? Josh Donn: Dbl. I am actually worried partner will pass this more than I would like with this particular hand, but 5 is a little too final in my opinion. I think the sum of all the other outcomes where double wins exceeds the times 5 wins. Roger Lee: 5. Practical bridge, but I would double against a very aggressive RHO. Jeff Meckstroth: 4NT. Far from perfect but willing to risk the five level here. I think it unlikely partner will be able to bid if I double. Craig T. Wilson: 4NT. Takeout. Michael Dimich: 6. I don't need that much in North's hand for this to work. Christopher Diamond: 5. Flawed but so is everything. Robert Sauve: 4NT. Minors. Larry Meyer: Dbl. Leave all the options available for partner. Paul McMullin: Pass. Still not rushing in. Perry Khakhar: Dbl. I think I can manage 4 tricks most of the time. If partner finds a suit, good! Kf Tung: 4NT. Takeout. Louk Verhees: 5. Problematic. Double may easily lead to all pass. Could be right but also very wrong.   4. Matchpoints. E-W vul. Q 9 8 6 5 4 2   K J 10 8 4 2   ---   ---   West North East South         Pass 3 Pass 4 ? Your call? Bid Votes Award 4 13 100 5 3 70 4 1 50 Moderator: This fantasy problem pits the practical 4 against the practical 5. Strain before level? Or level before strain? August Boehm: 4. 4, major-suit takeout, would be ideal, but wow, does that require an agreement! Radu Nistor: 5. Because the opps are red, their club suit should be good, and because partner didn't overcall 3, we should have a reasonable major fit, so the 5-level should be safe. Maybe we get to slam if partner can tell we have this hand. Michael Dimich: 5. Find the right major fit is the price you pay for bidding 5. Christopher Diamond: 4. No right answer to these types. Vulnerability says bid so try the longest suit and hope. Larry Meyer: 5. Let's find out which is the better major to play in. Paul McMullin: Pass. If with 6-5 you Come Alive!, then with 7-6 (and only 6 HCP, AND a passed partner!), you... shut up and hope they stay in 4. Perry Khakhar: 4. Let's plan on bidding both. I think they are going to a slam. Kf Tung: 4. Can't afford the 5-level, so no 5 bid. Louk Verhees: 4. It seems like partner is not that strong since he didn't bid. Not passing. I just bid my longest and hope it works out.   5. Matchpoints. None vul. Q 8 4   A 9 2   10 2   J 8 6 5 4   West North East South     1 Pass 1NT Pass 3 (1) Pass ? (1) shortness. Your call? Bid Votes Award 3 7 100 3NT 5 80 4 3 70 4 0 60 5 1 60 5 1 60 Moderator: Partner makes a self-splinter. So now what? Jill Meyers: 4. I have the A but nothing about my hand suggests we would make 3NT. Can partner have seven solid and an ace? That is what she would need. Steve Robinson: 3NT. I think 3 asks me to bid 3NT with a heart stopper. He could have bid 2 and then bid clubs without solid diamonds. Harrison Luba: 3. Some doubt about 3NT. If partner bids 4, I'm happy to raise to 5, and if partner bids 4, then I'll pass. Michael Dimich: 3NT. No voice quavers with bidding boxes. Christopher Diamond: 3. Not enough in the blacks for 3NT but need to do something. So stall. Larry Meyer: 3. I have already denied holding 4 spades, so I can show my half stopper. Paul McMullin: 4. I hope shortness in hearts translates to length everywhere else! Perry Khakhar: 3NT. Hamman's rule! Kf Tung: 3NT. Easier than 5. Louk Verhees: 3NT. In this case I think the explanation needs to be more complete: does shortness mean 1-suited, 2-suited or 3-suited? Impossible to give an answer. I guess 1-suited, but doesn't seem fair.

Panel's Answers

	1	2	3	4	5	Total
August Boehm	4	1NT	Dbl	4	3NT	480
Steve Robinson	4	1NT	Dbl	4	3NT	480
Kerri Sanborn	4	1NT	Dbl	4	3NT	480
Jill Meyers	4	1NT	Dbl	4	4	470
Daniel Korbel	4	2	Dbl	4	3	470
Janice Molson	4	2	Dbl	4	3	470
Jeff Meckstroth	4	1NT	4NT	4	3	460
Sheri Winestock	Pass	1NT	Dbl	4	3	460
Zachary Grossack	Dbl	1NT	5	4	3	450
Amber Lin	Dbl	1NT	Dbl	4	4	450
Harrison Luba	Dbl	1NT	4NT	4	3	440
Josh Donn	4	1NT	Dbl	5	5	430
James Holzhauer	Dbl	1NT	5	4	3NT	430
Barry Rigal	4	2	5	4	4	410
Radu Nistor	Pass	1NT	Dbl	5	3NT	410
Larry Cohen	3	1NT	Dbl	5	5	380
Roger Lee	Dbl	2	5	4	3	370

Local Heroes

		1	2	3	4	5	Total	Points
1.	Rod Coote	Dbl	1NT	Dbl	4	3	480	91.00
2.	John Lenaghan	4	2	Dbl	4	3NT	450	68.25
3.	Kai Zhou	Dbl	1NT	Dbl	4	4	440	31.85
3.	Larry Pocock	Dbl	1NT	Dbl	4	4	440	31.85
3.	Christopher Diamond	4	2	5	4	3	440	31.85
6.	Douglas Avis	Dbl	2	Dbl	4	3NT	430	15.17
7.	Stephen Vincent	4	Pass	Dbl	4	4	400	13.00
8.	Brad Bart	Dbl	1NT	5	5	4	390	10.74
8.	Larry Meyer	3	2	Dbl	5	3	390	10.74
10.	Elaine Sutton	3	2	5	4	3NT	370	9.10

World Leaders

		1	2	3	4	5	Total	Points
1.	John McAllister (United States)	Dbl	1NT	Dbl	4	3NT	460	84.00
2.	Lars Erik Bergerud (Norway)	Dbl	2	Dbl	4	3NT	430	63.00
3.	Bob Todd (Canada)	4	2	5	4	3NT	420	29.40
3.	Gareth Birdsall (Uk)	Dbl	Pass	Dbl	4	3	420	29.40
3.	Louk Verhees (Netherlands)	4	2	5	4	3NT	420	29.40
6.	Roy Bolton (Canada)	Dbl	2	Dbl	4	4	410	12.17
6.	John Mac Gregor (Canada)	4	2	5	4	4	410	12.17
6.	Shahar Zack (Israel)	Pass	2	Dbl	4	3NT	410	12.17
9.	Perry Khakhar (Canada)	3	2	Dbl	4	3NT	400	8.87
9.	Miro Kovacevic (Canada)	3	2	Dbl	4	3NT	400	8.87

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