Chew the Fat! > IAC & Master Solvers Club
2023 NOVEMBER MSC
Masse24:
NOVEMBER 2023 MSC
Deadline: SEPTEMBER 30 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)
Submit your NOVEMBER MSC responses here: The Bridge World - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
BWS 2017 System: BWS 2017
BWS 2017 POLLS, CHANGES AND ADDITIONS: BWS 2017 - Polls, Changes, and Additions
* Bridge World Standard 2017 (BWS or BWS2017) is effective beginning with the January 2017 Master Solvers' Club problems. This page shows (1) the results of the panelist polls that were used to adjust the system; and (2) the changes in and the additions to Bridge World Standard 2001 (BWS2001) that were made.
In the listings of the questions and answers, an asterisk indicates the BWS2001 agreement; the proportion of the expert votes for each item, rounded to the nearest percent, is shown in brackets.
IAC Forum MSC Scores
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blubayou:
THIS MONTH'S PROBLEMS SEEM A LOT MORE PLEASANT THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO ... (I could hardly get happy with any selection compared to one of the other choices, on several of them :-\ )
Problem A:>> I have always believed that "1D, 2C" auctions should be SAYC- not 2over1gameforce so would happily bid two clubs, but here we are in the real BWS world. Fortunately, the non-forcing jump to 3 clubs is not at all disgusting unless you are jinxed and just know that the AQ1086 is behind your KJ97xx! Looks like a one-answer problem...
--- Three Clubs ---
Problem B:>> The BWS treatment mentioned in the hint is an OUTRAGEOUS TRAVESTY! BWS has adopted the "Walsh Diamond" approach, with one rare and minor quibble, so ONE Spade should be a waffle, with Two Spades instead showing the 4=?=5=? game force. This hand is a poster-child for that idea. IF I CANNOT bid one spade with this pattern (whatever my point-count might be) and xx(x) in spades, then someday soon our partnership will fall apart as partner starts likeing to rebid in NT with a stiff/void in diamonds , thinking it's the only way to get to 1NT when it is necessary to stop right there.
Now, given that 1S shows spades in BWS, we have four equally flawed alternatives:
1: bid the 5 great diamonds again
2: support partner's clubs (we DO know that she in not on a short club- look it up)
3: ignore the wrong-siding problem and bid our points and shape via "1NT"
4: BID ONE SPADE DESPITE IT SHOWING A SUIT, and hope you don't get raised or otherwise fatally mislead pard!
---One Notrump, under violent protest!---
Prpblem C:>> Heaven help us if partner has some 8 points outside of club face cards and we do not invite. try playing for game with dummy having only 2 kings [not clubs] , for that matter!.
--- Three Spades---
Problem D:>> Pass? 3 !D ?, 4 !D ?, 3NT? ---Three Notrump ---
jcreech:
My initial thoughts:
Problem A: 3 !C Seems like the best description; it shows nearly half my hand in terms of suit, and my values. My other choice was the inverted raise promising at least one more diamond or something worse. I could trot out 1 NT, but with nothing higher than a nine, that begs disaster from my side.
Problem B: 2 !D Best description again. That diamond suit looks like six, and partner has only promised four hearts and three clubs if 4-4-2-3; the percentages suggest that partner has more clubs, but I would rather play in diamonds opposite a stiff or void than clubs opposite xxx.
Problem C: 3 !S This is close; if we were red, I would regard the try as automatic, but white at imps, pushing for game is not as important. With opener sitting behind me, I think it is worth the try for game.
Problem D: 3 NT The values are about right, the stop (with potential for a second stop) is right, the question is whether we have the tricks.
Problem E: 2 !D This is why I like playing weak NT; I bid my NT and follow partner's lead. On this auction, I have a decent suit to rebid, but tend to promise more length. Partner's negative double just forced me to rebid a five-bagger when a Moysian is not particularly good (especially in hearts where I would be ruffing with an honor).
Problem F: Pass This definitely feels like an underbid, but where am I headed. I need help for a notrump stopper. In spades, the wrong hand is tapped. If partner has three or four diamonds, that would be good, but difficult to get to except with a negative double and you are more likely to hear spades than diamonds. And clubs, you need partner to have at least five. If partner has a good hand, we will have another chance to bid; he is clearly short in hearts.
Problem G: 2 NT What I really want is 3 !D forcing for one-round, then if partner rebids hearts, I can bid notrump. 2NT and 3NT are both possibilities, but I really do not want to hear partner bidding 4 !H next.
Problem H: !D J Trying dummy's second suit. It sounds like declarer has the club control, so maybe the king is well placed, and my trump length may give some problems, but I don't want to advertise. A heart looks wrong with LHO bidding the suit and I don't know if the top honors are together or split yet. That leaves diamonds, the sequence is also suggestive.
blubayou:
to Jcreech re: problem B...BWS promises 4 clubs+ for the 1C, 1D; 1major auction. Please look it up, and ruin my day or several of them if I am wrong :P
jcreech:
--- Quote from: blubayou on September 12, 2023, 10:43:39 PM ---to Jcreech re: problem B...BWS promises 4 clubs+ for the 1C, 1D; 1major auction. Please look it up, and ruin my day or several of them if I am wrong :P
--- End quote ---
Hi Jock,
You may be right because the subsection I read is confusing. Now I may be misreading this, so I am putting the quote for all to see and help me misinterpret:
Under H. After Our Minor-Suit Opening in the subsection on Opener's Rebids:
--- Quote ---(b) with 4-4-3-2 too weak to open one notrump and lacking four-card support, rebid in a four-card suit at the one-level when possible, except with 4=4=2=3 (bid one notrump);
--- End quote ---
There are two parts to this, and I just noticed that the first part separates the shape elements with "-" and the second part with "=". I now suspect the "-" can place the shape elements with any of the suits, while the "=" keeps the shape element with the location in the series (i.e., the first element is spades, the second hearts, and so forth. So 4=4=2=3 would be a possible form of 4-4-3-2.
That being said, the second part would apply for auctions that begin 1 !C-1 !D, and if partner held 4=4=2=3, would rebid 1NT, so a rebid of 1 !H shows at least four clubs, as Jock said.
However, the first part, read quickly, suggests that with 4=4=2=3, that opener would rebid 1 !H without a raise of diamonds, but is really aimed at auctions that begin 1 minor - 1 !H, so that when opener holds four spades and fewer than 4 hearts, the rebid is 1 !S. I think this could have been written more clearly.
Nonetheless, the diamond suit, Burns' first law notwithstanding, has a strong potential as a source of tricks, and as many panelists has said over the years, "it is where I live." I am going to stick with 2 !D as my initial choice, though Jock's arguments have increased my likelihood of switching before submission.
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