Just the first four for now. Aside from proper cricket, I'm taking part in the British Chess Solving Competition (the MSC might be tough, but the 8 problems for this are crazy devilish).
A. Pass? Yuck! Support doubles are great when partner does have a 5-card major, but they can lead to this type of mess. 2
means being tapped in hearts - West is making a 2-level vulnerable overcall so probably has AKxxx(x). 2N from me gives the wrong message and, if East has 2 or 3 hearts (which is possible), fatal. On the other hand, partner could have J9xx in hearts. In that case would he not have then bid 2N? Faced with showing a heart stop or 3-card spade support what would partner’s priority be? 3
looks fine if partner does have a heart stop, but without one we’re suddenly in a dark alley with mist descending: 4
? 3
?
Can I pass 2
doubled and hope that with 23/24 HCP between us we can sneak 200 or more. To make 3N partner needs to have Jxxx in hearts. If he does, what are our chances of putting 2Hx two off for 500? If we only have a part score (or a horrible spade Moysian or 4
contract), passing and aiming for +200 doesn’t look too bad.
B. 3N or 4
. Suppose partner has 19/20 HCP, where are we heading? At MPs isn’t 3N better than 5
? But can we make 6
? I have good red suit controls, so if partner’s HCP are largely in the black suits, 6
might make. However, partner may not be 55 and with AKxx in clubs opposite my holding, 6
looks likely to be one off.
C. 4
/4
. I’m with Jock in his interpretation of BWS. The idea that 4
is a control bid showing club support, as we didn’t support spades is cunning but will these MSC blighters who tend to ignore BWS when it suits them be as clever as Jock? Where does that leave 3
?
Going back two steps, does the 1
bid show 4xx5:
BWS: with 4=3=5=1 or 4=3=1=5 distribution, opener should rebid in spades after a one-heart response. Then 2
over 1N would be 4xx6 and a minimum opener, which means 3
over 1N doesn’t necessarily show a huge hand. However, partner would have bid the same with 20/21 HCP and 4xx6. That makes a sign-off in 3N at this stage a tad wimpish. So, let’s pursue 6
with 5
as the fallback. With a lovely spade K and diamond Ace, 4
or 4
gives partner the opportunity to show heart control.
D. 3
. BWS is not clear about whether 2
promises a 5c suit (as I’ve seen often on vugraph), but let’s agree diamonds now. Excitement or deflation will be immediate, as partner will next show the state of his spades. If partner bids 3
, my 4
gives him a chance to show second round spade control. Alternatively, I think a 4
RKC bid here would leave space for a king ask, but not sure that BWS allows it.