2024 JUNE MSC

[Masse24]

JUNE 2024 MSC
Deadline: APRIL 30 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

Submit your JUNE 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]

problem A:>>  mm..  our convention has put me [n a weird sort of hot seat, compared to the souths who can simply raise 1NT.  Of course THOSE N-S pairs will never hear that heart noise from West as they are bidding to 3NT before he gets his 2nd turn to bid.(Down three as he runs his solid 7-bagger--hehehe)
   We cannot pass now, as partner will decide we have a club "drop-dead". That seems to leave us with only "double" and "3NT" to choose from. I rule out 3NT maybe giving too much credit for his "time-bomb" 3 .  But i am fascinated by the thought that "3 " must mean a 3-carder with 8,9, 0r 10 minor cards + 9 hcp.  Then partner can do something intelligent.  I hope his intelligent choice isn't leaving in the double I failed to make


problem B:>>  AQ8x, ATxxxx, xx, x...(pass) 1H, (pass), 2H; (3Clubs), ___?  So "double is not a game try...Let's hope the "LAW" bid of 3 Hearts also is not--but regardless that's what I am calling.  What the heck! If pard accepts this blocking bid with 2 major kings and some irrelevant other facecards we might just make an 18-point game
                                                  --- Three Hearts---

[DickHy]

While idly preparing for a cricket trip tomorrow, some thoughts (not necessarily helpful):

A.  Pass.  After I’ve invited and partner has shown a maximum opening hand, aren’t we in a GF situation?  If so, a forcing pass from me allows partner to bid 3N with a heart stop or bid clubs without one.  Supposing we are GF, would a x of 3 show a partial stop (3N showing a full one)? 

B.  3 (x?).  2N is not available, so presumably a re-raise to 3 is no longer pre-emptive.  What does a double of 3 show – shortage and a GI kind of hand?  OK, I’m just making that up ‘cos it fits.

C.  Pass.  Am I likely to improve the situation by bidding?  I have three tricks for partner and he might find the club 9 useful.  I could speculate in spades but partner’s Hxx (supposing he’s that good) is going to be under East.  Shame there’s not a negative x available – can we change the rules?

D.  4 .  Suppose N is 40(54) and 13 HCP, that leaves E with 13.  If he has AQ in one black suit, A in the other, QJT in diamonds and three hearts, 3N will make.  Should I be bidding 4 as a sacrifice, white v red?  Of course, folks don’t always have what they bid …

E.  2 /3 .  BWS: a one-notrump response [to a 1m opening] shows 6-10 points.  In response to one diamond: two clubs is forcing to game; three clubs is invitational.  Will the MSC panel really stick to this scheme and bid 3 ?  If I would have opened this hand, I should bid 2 .  I’m a sucker for paired jack-tens, so probably would have opened white v red.

F.  3 .  At the table I’d bid 3 without much hesitation.  A more measured approach (2 – 3 /2N) is probably going to involve a 3 bid from me next, so why give information away?

G.  Pass.  Partner is a passed hand, looks short in hearts and probably has a club trick.  Defending for a penalty seems more likely to produce a positive score than declaring in hearts.  I’m not sure about partner’s double tho’ – could it show spades and diamonds?  Does it matter: if it’s a 20/20 (ish) hand – looking for a penalty still seems best.

H.  Spade Q.  I’d play this at the table pretty briskly (Kantar’s happy to lead that from a near-perfect sequence).  Will a diamond really help partner more?  Showing my suit ought to help the defence and might convince declarer that the club king is with N.

[blubayou]

Dick!  Glad to hear from you as always,  but you have missed the nasty little points of the hints in both A and B  .  in A passing 3H means you were uaing t convention to bail out in club partial...So a disciplined partner will never act again except possibly to raise your phantom club suit to four  with AQx.  Not many imps to be won there even if you make it  .
   On B, you tortured yourself, hopefully briefly wondering if X of 3   was game-invitational!  The hint was entirely dedicated to letting us know that this is not the case.....But all's well as we chose 3   as the quiz answer anyway
  On C, Iam with you --chapter and-verse.
  As for #D! I cannot wrap my head around having a spade void here!!  This could be very very bad for our chances on defense, or it could mean we can BUThCER his 3NT noise running minors. more news on about April 30th
.........On April 19th, I am doubling.  Cannot sit this out and let partner reopen four spades wit a 5-card stack behind him.  We may need to run a bunch of minors or have dummy's hearts be not-running whic is not that desperate.
..
...
....
On the lead problem Dick-- I couldn't have said it better!  hope we get the 100 here. 

[blubayou]

part two.... 
   PROBLEM E:>>  The "1 , 2 " auction should NOT  be part of the TwoOverOneGameForce agreement.  That was true for many of us when 2/1GF was very young, but rare now.  Since that is the case, I will stubbornly refuse to pretend this IS a game forcing hand and bid instead...
                                            --- Two NOTRUMP---  (98x, JTx, Ax, AQ9xx)

PROBLEM F:>> ( K9x, AJT222, x, Kxx  1 , 1 ;  1 , ---?)  I am not researcing whether "three hearts "is passable or not--This is textbook 4thSuitForce item--especially with King-third in both of partner's suits.
                                             ---Two Diamonds--,   unanimously

PROBLEM G:>> why is this problem here??  Am I supposed to override partner with three and a half quicks,,on the slim excuse of having six hearts (which is not even really "extra length"!!)??   Stupidest quiz offering in 15 years!!

SOLUTIONS FOR Thomas McQuade, 3180 NW Division, #106,Hobbiton OR 97030U.S.A
PROBLEM A: 3 Spades     t00 fancy--counting on SOME BID being better than defending?
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: Pass      disgusting to not take a bid,  but which?
PROBLEM D: Double  ..and lead high diamond, defending as if opps are in a gambling 3NT situation  April 30t and STILL cant decide  how  north and east's 10 or 111 spades are split,  but "let there be BLOOD"
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM G: Pass
PROBLEM H: Spade Queen  a vote in solidarity with DickHY

[Masse24]

CONFIRMATION# 240619220HOLE

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Todd Holes


PROBLEM A: Double
Can't pass--that would show the weak with long clubs hand. Partner showed a max so I need to tell him we have the values for game. If I had hearts handled, I'd bid 3NT. That leaves Double as showing the game values hand without hearts stopped.

PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
Unanimous?

PROBLEM C: 3 Spades
I hate this. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.

PROBLEM D: Pass
East must have a bunch of spades. Well placed honors so that every finesse works.

PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
Although I contemplated 1 , I'll stick with the vanilla 2NT. If not popular with the panel, it will at least be popular with the hoi polloi.

PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts
At IMPs I would force game. But since it's Matchpoints . . .
This one is very close.

PROBLEM G: 4 Hearts
Suit just good enough to rebid. Bidding 4 is a red herring. Partner is simply showing "cards" with the double.

PROBLEM H: Diamond 5
The HCP do not add up properly. If they have 3NT values, what does that leave partner with? Maybe 9 HCP? He opened in third seat with a non-obstructive 1 . Surely it's for the lead. When I get in again, I'll continue with the 9.

[yleexotee]

A - X. I think I have to make it clear I don't have the club hand, so X give p flexibility while saying I was going to bid 3nt. If I pass, partner might think I have the weaker club hand, and they have no way to carry on with confidence.
B - 3h - Which is never an invitation to game hand, so p will know not to carry on. This should be even weaker than X, but we have a 9 card fit so should be safe.
C - 3nt - this is a gamble. I considered 3s, but p will never bid 3nt when they don't have a spade fit, so it might encourage a club raise!? I wish there was a way to bid 3d as a "tell me more" bid, but it looks too much like a club raise.
D - 4C I am not letting E-W make a long suited 3nt vulnerable here, so I am going to bite the bullet and bid 4c
E - 2nt - this seems standard, I must be missing something
F - 3H - only two hearts is selling the hand short, 3h is less than 4th suit forcing, so this describes the hand pretty well.
G - 4D - boy do I hate this bid. p can't be X for penalty right? right? so they must have only 2 hearts or less and the other suits. They are passed hand or I would blast to 5d, but just in case I'm leaving room for them to bid 4h.
H - 5d keeping it simple and leading pards opened suit and giving some count hints so that I am not sent to partnership hell if the diamond lead was the correct one all along.

[wackojack]

A: 3NT
Tricks are 6 + 1 + 1 and surely a quick spade or K

B: 4
Unanimous? Give partner just 6 highs  Kxx  Kxx and it is a decent game.

C: Pass
Don't punish partner with 3

D: Double
Blood

E: 2NT
I need 6 clubs to respond 3 .  Tempted to bid 2 and I know how much experts loath 2NT invite, but this time maybe the panel will make this the exception.

F: 3
Who has the  s?  Surely opps dont have a 12 card  fit?  Even with 11  !Ds that would give partner 4-1-2-6 distribution.  So I will tell partner I have 3 card  support.  He will not want to hear about my 6 card  suit.

G: pass
 I have 3 or 4 trick outside clubs and partner has doubled for penalties.  So what else?

H Q
Looks normal

[wackojack]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Jack Goody
England

PROBLEM A: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM B: 4 Hearts
PROBLEM C: Pass
PROBLEM D: Double
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM G: Pass
PROBLEM H: Spade Queen

[ccr3]

PROBLEM A: Double
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM D: Pass
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM G: 4 Hearts
PROBLEM H: Diamond 5

[Masse24]

Very hard month I think!

Two IAC members made the Bridge World Honor Roll:

Yleexotee with a 710 and CCR3 with 680.

[blubayou]

Help!
  I really need a moderator to enlighten us why on problem G,, partner's double is "negative" or whatever the panel is deciding to call it--rather than "for blood. 
My other 2 or 3 fiascos I can live with, but I
have put 'leaving in pard's double'  IN THE BANK on G

   Too bad there are too few of us to work up a full post-mortem.
(
i do understand, as i attempted one of those a couple years ago but please quote some of these bridge-world guys on this  and I will have learned a new bridge thing in the 21st century...[or not]

[Masse24]

Help!
  I really need a moderator to enlighten us why on problem G,, partner's double is "negative" or whatever the panel is deciding to call it--rather than "for blood. 
My other 2 or 3 fiascos I can live with, but I
have put 'leaving in pard's double'  IN THE BANK on G

Blu, I don't think I would classify it as "negative." Instead, because we have overcalled at the 3-level, clearly we have a good hand. So the double is merely "card showing," allowing us to bid on (as I chose to do), or convert for penalty. I would expect some sort of 4=2=4=3 or 4=1=5=3 or similar---and about 9-10 HCP?

[Masse24]

I'm bummed that I chose not to shoot for the stars on "C."

Like Joe, I wanted to bid 3 as a "waiting-pick a major if you have one" bid. But I was not convinced it would be construed as such.
I still am unsure whether partner's subsequent 3M bid would promise four. Does it? Or does it simply show the suit under control?

[blubayou]

you hit the  WTF comment  box  pretty well, Todd--thanks!  3 diams on Problem C  is at least as  "out of the box grope"  As the "partner doubles for penalty and  I run away with 3 1/2   quicks, and a suit barely better than what i have shown already"