problem D  is surely the "lead" problem...  stiff diamond?  or our club suit (less juicy than usual,  since tapping them out  is already accomplished?


Problem A:>>  A simple jump to  5   looked fine to me at first, but why shouldn't that show an even bigger hand  with two diamond losers??
                                                                 ---5 Diamonds---

Problem B:>>                                            ---Three Clubs---

Probleam C:>>  12 points,  pretty-good 6-card suit  looks like "1H...2H...3H"  to me.  no need to commit to some half-baked third bid when pard can steer us to port with HIS 3rd bid.
                                                                    ---Three Hearts---

Problem D:>>  My May First shot of leaving in the double of 2 spades is hereby cancelled!.  Take out a deck of cards and give partner 9-10 pts , void in spades and four (five??) hearts and 9 minor cards--preferably  4 diamonds and 5 clubs. ( My first effort gave our side a slam in clubs, when Lefty happened to be dealt  Kx in clubs! ). Meanwhile, the opps  had an easy ride to 7 tricks in their 2 spades.
   Really, pard is bound to have very decent clubs since his hearts are Kxxx or worse and he has zero spades.
                                                                    ---Five Clubs---

Problem E:>>   A stretchy jump-rebid to 3   becomes a very comfortable  non-jump, when opp intervene, If you're needing to bid a third time then  "hearts, hearts, clubs"  is better than some alternative.
                                                                  ---Three Hearts---

Problem F:>> 
                                                               

On problem F, where we were asked to raise 1 heart or not raise it  with  KJx, Kxx, AKxxx,  98, ZIA's comment :  "If you don't know by now that this the winning bid, it's probably too late." infuriated me. Then I noticed  the 72% agreement from the panel which changed my mood to merely  'depressed'.  I have played about 400,000 bridge hands since 1963,  and raising hearts with this hand is not even on my  "let's have a little fun" list,  so I guess it's well and truly  too late for me

some sort of comfort to see that a few panelists saw  'breaking the squeeze linkage at trick one"  as a likely winner.  damn!  I can't believe I got to that point and then dismissed it

another typo!    for problem D  please mark me down for TWO NT   --not that dumb jump to three

Problem D -->   Joe finally opened the can of worms that is problem D!  Partner is just short of a free 2H response or within that realm of point-count but noth 'heartsy" enough to like  the 2 over one.   If he will be content with this trump support  I will be very shocked. ......

A bunch of this month's problems do not pass  Jim / Todd's criterion for being "good MSC problems" -- ie: having THREE PLAUSABLE ANSWERS [or 4 or 5].  Starting with ......
PROBLEM A:>>  Binary choice!  -- Follow the LAW, and reraise or don't do so and let 2 ride and likely buy it.  Right now, count me IN:                                          ---Three Hearts---

PROBLEM B:>> A favorite quote i heard long ago goes "If your weak jump raises don't terrify you a bit,  you're not doing them right."  If you combine the votes for "pass', 2   and 4   together, the panel should still be at 21-6  or something in favor of the jump-raise:                                                       ---Three Hearts---

PROBLEM C:>>  If we were not a passed hand, any number of spades from 3 to 6 --  plus 3 or 4  Diamonds would be in the running, but it would be presumptuous to imagine that the opps have a club or heart slam when partner jumps in 3rd seat.  Let's give what I hope is taken as a fit-jump and be glad we don't have a follow-up about what to bid on round 3.
                                                        ---Four Diamonds---

PROBLEM D:>>  I think it's partner's job to bail out here if necessary--not mine. Anyway, I hope 3H isn't the total garden spot.                                                       --- Three Notrump---

PROBLEM E:>>  TEN  LTC "LOOSERS"? Surely it is time to trot out the "cheating raise"---via semiforcing 1NT + plus heart preference.  Obviously BWS doesn't use constructive raises or this would be a quizz with exactly ONE answer
                                                  ---One NOTRUMP---

PROBLEM F:>> Maybe MAYBE I could raise one SPADE to two, but  not one heart.
                                                     ---One Notrump---

PROBLEM G:>> The die has been cast! If we aren't reversing after partner's normal response, we shouldn't have opened one club.                      ---Two Diamonds--- err  "C4"---

PROBLEM H:>>

SOLVER: Jock McQuade        3 Bag End         Hobbiton OR 97030        U.S.A.
Your Solutions for the April 2023 Contest -------------------


-------------------PROBLEM A: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM B: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM C: Double
PROBLEM D: 2 Spades
PROBLEM E: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 1 Spade
PROBLEM G: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM H: Heart 6
Thank you for participating in the Master Solvers Club

Heyy,  DickH!   I have never met another  player that  fantsizes about using 3-of-a-minor for freak two-suiters! ......Meanwhile...   PROBLEM G:>>   show  A--'nuff said.


PROBLEM H:>>Todd, the reason they will lead a diamond is that they visualize  West as
  Kx, AQxxxx(x),Qx,xx(x) with East having AQJx, K, AKxx, AKxx.In this case, if we don't block the diamonds, South is doomed when oppo plays all her black winners.  But I am leading to the stiff heart king [or ace] anyway , mercy in my soul.