IAC Forums
Chew the Fat! => IAC & Master Solvers Club => Topic started by: Masse24 on November 14, 2020, 12:31:29 PM
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JANUARY 2021 MSC
Deadline: DECEMBER 10 at 9:00 a.m. (ET)
Submit your JANUARY MSC responses here: The Bridge World - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB (https://www.bridgeworld.com/pages/msc/mscentercontest.html)
BWS 2017 System: BWS 2017 (https://www.bridgeworld.com/indexphp.php?page=/pages/readingroom/bws/bwscompletesystem.html)
BWS 2017 POLLS, CHANGES AND ADDITIONS: BWS 2017 - Polls, Changes, and Additions (https://www.bridgeworld.com/indexphp.php?page=/pages/readingroom/bws/bwspolls2017.html)
- 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 (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1whamPj4_SDF3cbYUdGL9dpMX23tpwzUJzUvNoVmip_w/edit?usp=sharing)
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An opening sally on G (which is just like the problems Eddie Kantar sets in his wizard books on defence!)
Partner’s C2 can hardly be encouraging – it must be a singleton – so the hand is about keeping declarer from 4 club tricks in dummy. We can do that if:
a) I lose the second club and take my Ace on the third (as declarer has Jxx);
b) Partner’s 3 HCP are the DK;
c) Declarer does not have AKxx(x) in !H. If he does, he can enter dummy via the J by leading one low heart (which I take with my Q), followed by another low one. It’s ok if he has AKx in !H: after I play my Q on the x, the J in dummy is worthless.
d) I don’t lead from my heart holding of QT2.
So for us to defeat this, declarer has AK(x, x, x) AKx AQ (x, x, x) Jxx, which (since he will make the DQ – partner will not cover that) adds up to 7 tricks (as I am ceding a C trick)
I’m tempted to lead a low club at T2. Declarer will win, play a third club which I have to win, but then I can safely exit with the SQ.
Exiting with the SQ at T2, I think creates a worse tempo for me. Declarer will put me in with another two rounds of clubs, and then my exit looks much less safe. I don’t want to lead a !S from 942 because if declarer’s holding is AKT8, I’m giving him 4 spade tricks, and that’s the contract (4 !S, 2 !H, 2 !D, 1 !C). I suppose the DT would be ok, though I might worry about AQ8x with declarer.
From this a low club at T2 looks better. Later, after I have exited with SQ and declarer leads a low !H, I win that with the Q and return a heart to his (now) AK (stiff). The C5 at T2 means he has to make all the running in !S and !D without any help from me.
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A postscript:
It's true I can't lead a !H from QT2 after declarer has knocked out my club winners. But, how about leading a low !H before he's done that - say at T2?
Doesn't that mean I can defeat a declarer who holds AKxx in !H?
OK, I'm giving him a third !H trick, so he's up to 8 tricks, but this way I am certain that I can defeat declarer with AKx or AKxx in !H.
So perhaps at T2 I should be leading the HT.
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You rascal, DickH! I was all comfortable hoping pard's gotta-be King was (1:) in spades, WITH the ten or two top middle ones -- for the quick kill) or (2: in hearts but with nice major spots and 3 diamonds, so the thirteener diamond might die. And you bring up the evil thought that opener may have both major kings and AQ[x,x,x) diamonds:(
Can we really suffocate him into giving up 5 loosers if h has both major queens (kings)--by giving dummy the diamond jack. That would be so elegant. And will take about 2 1/2 weeks to fuss over. Back to the proverbial salt mine, and Kudos for jumping straight to the meatiest problem in the set, if not the one with the most possible guesses. 8)
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I see what you mean, Jock. If partner’s got KTxx(x) or K87x(x) in !S, it's imperative we knock out the A to create our 3 (4) spade tricks before I take our second !C trick. Declarer might easily have Ax(x, x) AK(x, x) AKQx Jxx which means my idea of leading a low club is fatal.
So perhaps back to SQ at T2, looking for an encouraging card from partner?
Suppose partner discourages, showing his K is red. He will be able to tell me which red K he has when discarding on the two rounds of clubs. If he has the DK we're still alive, and I can exit after two rounds of clubs with the DT. If he has the HK we're dead unless declarer is blocked from the clubs in dummy with a D holding of exactly AKQ (in which case with AKxx Axx AKQ Jxx, say, he's down anyway - I think).
Alternately, if partner has K9xx in H, a HT at T2 would work.
Does this mean we have to choose one of the majors at T2, knowing that if it turns out partner has the DK we still have chances later? There doesn't seem to be any reason to prefer one over the other, as we can see 5 cards in each suit between our hand and dummy.
Back to more thinking. My consolation is that at least I now know the C5 at T2 is a bad idea.
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Some initial thoughts:
Problem A: 5 !S - The opponents preempted in 4 !S and partner has made a two-suit takeout, and I have two doubletons with 12 HCPs. If partner can commit to the 5-level with me as a passed hand, I am willing to be in his best suit in slam. He surely only has at most one spade, I have two rounds of control in hearts and a good honor in one of his suits, time to go slamming.
Problem B: Pass - If the suits were reversed, I'd have no problem preempting in spades and backing in with hearts. With my length in hearts, I think I will simply back into the auction later or see it go quietly into the night.
Problem C: Pass - I am torn between bidding 2 !H and passing. Partner is saying that he has at least one stopper in spades, some values and implies a lack of a heart fit. My sixth heart may be enough, but it might also be useful in NT. We also could be down one to making four - where in that spectrum do we belong. Today, my willingness to risk is not many tricks, but in NT.
Problem D: 3 !S - I presume that the 3 !D overcall is preemptive, but there is no note. After all, we are in a game forcing auction and they jumped to eat our space. This does not sound like a penalty double to me today, so I bid my spades. By the time I make a final decision, I may be ready to pass the double.
Problem E: 6 !S - This feels like a slam despite the opponents doing all of the bidding. All I need from partner is four points (!C A or the two round queens) and may be gin with just the !H Q if I right side this. If I try 6 !D to get partner to choose a major, I would wrong side this hand, so I pick the more secure major.
Problem F: 1 !S - If 2 !S is preemptive, I would prefer that bid. This hand will be worth so much more in spades than anything else, but if partner rebids 2 !H, I would subside. 2 !H and pass are also possibilities.
Problem G: !D 10 - I have two reasons to try the diamond shift. One is that if clubs can be set up, then diamonds may be the outside entry. The other is partner's card to my lead could be suit preference - then again it could be a singleton.
Problem H: !S 10 - At best, declarer is looking at 7 spades, but may have less. I have two probable entries, but really no suit to set up myself, I so will try to hit partner, and use one of my entries to continue the spade attack.
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Enter the mastermind.....
PROBLEM A:>> I am not trusting EITHER 5-2 [or6-2] fit to be slamworthy, even if I can ask for preff via a cuebid. But i WILL bet on 8 fast minors joining my 2 top hearts for a make at 4NT. PLEASE do not refer me to that note at the bottom saying pard may have one minor plus hearts---we cannot seriously cope with that possibility, can we? (partner' eight "helpers" dont even have to be THAT fast-- just "reachable" )
---PASS :-\
PROBLEM B:>> My family/close friends convention card opens 4 !C with this exact hand. Honest! We had enough of this MSC torture deal 35 years ago!...Since that won't fly for the quizz, there is nothing in the world to do but wait. How disgusting.
---PASS :(
PROBLEM C:>> I THINK I want to prevent overcaller from reopening with 2 of a minor. Of course we could leave 1NT alone and bid 2H after advancer leaves his pard there, but if instead, he goes back to 2S, I will have left partner out to dry regarding the 6 good hearts. Same sad situation if overcaller raises himself after my pass. But frankly, my first thought was that this is the KING of "WTP" problems , anyway!
---2Hearts ???
PROBLEM D:>> Partner doesn't need to make MY penalty double for me here, so I leave his double in, without any case of nerves. We can examine which vulnerable game we have afterwards , but I see only non-fits except very possibly 6-2 in clubs. Belated add-on: we have zero interest in spades as a game trump suit if partner didn't rebid them in this passout position.. so where is our cold game? --Notrump? Hearts? Clubs--and if so how do we get THERE? ...take the theoretically infirior plus! :P
---PASS
PROBLEM E:>> Jim jumped right onto the trap here. If we force partner to choose our slam suit, a club is coming out like a shot through my foolish dummy, and $10 will win you $11 we are down right there.
--- 6 Spades
PROBLEM F:>> The usual objection to changing suit with bad cards but a fit for partner do no apply this time, I am betting. There will be some noise from LHO, or partner will bid something other than the troubling 1NT, or both. Then we can comfortably give the "misery-preference" lowest level in hearts. If it really DOES go 1H, 1S; 1NT, __?" be careful to rebid those spades, or apologize when partner takes you for limit raise cards, should you 'correct to hearts". Anybody in for the constructive major raise today?
--- 1 Spade
PROBLEM G:>> My mind is almost made up to pray for partner to have the spade king, plus the 10 or 7-6-x. IF opener has four diamonds we can't lollygag as we can never shut off dummy's clubs, but must get up 3 spade tricks asap. If my spade queen goes to opp's ace-king, there is still the hail-Mary that the diamond jack is not an ENTRY, but merely a trick then there are some chances left that declarer cannot get to 9 with only one club queen in his bag, but it takes some key spots in pard's hand for this to happen. --- Spade QUEEN
PROBLEM H:>> so sad to weigh in that this is another "WTP". spade ten is both passive and constructive. Who can ask for more on the road to the podium?
(By the way, those podiums may be pretty high this month--starting with 800s tied for first! )
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My thoughts so far:
A 6H - and hoping its partner that is void in spade and not the op
B 1S - Starting there, don't feel comfortable reversing with this, although my gut says that's the way the panel will call it. so considering 1h
C 2H - What else?
D 3S - BUT, can someone confirm that in BWS they would bypass 4 spades and bid 2 clubs to show the GF hand?
E 6S - not enough methods for anything else. will p take 6D as pick your major slam, I'm not sure.
F 2S WJS or 1nt (forcing for 2h followup). I think I am going 1nt forcing.
G 10H - This one is fun, I first wrote down the 10 of hearts, but I can also see that we might set this hand if p has king of diamonds. so maybe its 10 of diamonds, but I haven't worked out yet if that works for op having AQ of diamonds. think I don't have enough time to set up the diamond. At the table, I would play 10 of hearts, I know in real life I wouldn't have the focus to figure out how the diamonds would play out in tempo.
F 10 of S
(and yes, I see that Blu and I appear to be playing different hands!)
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PROBLEM F:>> The usual objection to changing suit with bad cards but a fit for partner do no apply this time, I am betting. There will be some noise from LHO, or partner will bid something other than the troubling 1NT, or both. Then we can comfortably give the "misery-preference" lowest level in hearts. If it really DOES go 1H, 1S; 1NT, __?" be careful to rebid those spades, or apologize when partner takes you for limit raise cards, should you 'correct to hearts". Anybody in for the constructive major raise today?
--- 1 Spade
Bluuuuuuuuuuuu!
Why would partner ever assume "limit raise cards" when you "correct to hearts" in the auction 1 !H - 1 !S - 1NT - 2 !H ??
That sure smells like a very weak three-card raise.
With "limit raise" cards, I usually jump to 3 !H.
Regardless, I agree with responding 1 !S.
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PROBLEM A: 5 Clubs
PROBLEM B: 1 Spade
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 3 Spades
PROBLEM E: 5 Spades
PROBLEM F: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM G: Diamond 10
PROBLEM H: Club 2
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-----Update on bonus-lead problem G:>>
Declarer has C Jxx, 3 aces 2 kings and the diamond queen, equaling 21 count. He might have the 3rd king instead of the third ace for 20, but the puzzle usually works out to the same analysis, strangely. Today, we study the case where she is missing the DIAMOND king(ace).
If he has AK?, AK? AQxx, Jxx there is no defense –he will bring in all diamonds and reach the set-up clubs with the D J. If she has TWO diamonds, then surely(?) 4 hearts, so the only thing that keeps us alive is to get dummy’s heart jack neutralized at trick two. If he has D AQ8 or AQ2, plus only AKx hearts, giving up the 3rd heart will not go so well though. He can split out the diamonds and build his one club trick, reaching the thirteener diamond in the process for 2+3+3+1 winners. In fact he can do this even when HOLDING the feared AKxx hearts UNLESS having only AQ tight in diamonds. So shifting to heart ten at trick 2 saves the day when partner has: S 10xxx, H 9xxx, K8xx, C x, PROVIDED he discards brilliantly on the two leads of clubs that are coming very soon.
When declarer has S AK?? H AKx, D AQx (KQx), C Jxx—the play at trick 2 must be giving the dummy her queen of clubs. This strands the thirteener diamond. Now we will get 2 clubs, a diamond a heart and at least one spade, unless declarer comes up with the miracle-play of jamming the diamond jack through partner+ throwing us in with 3rd diamond for multiple endplays on my majors (partner failing to have ANY helping spot cards.)
Only 6 days left to see which of these two plans also caters to partner's solitary king being either of the majors, or will another possibility show its face?
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SOLVER: Jock McQuade, 3180 NW Division st Gresham OR 97030, U.S.A.Your Solutions for the January 2021 Contest -----
PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: Pass; Some of our IAC royalty throw gasoline on the RULE OF 20-- then set it alight using an RPG! not just here in the MSC, but in mentor sessions, too... I say this even as I admitted above that my family opens this one at the 4-level :>!
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: Pass
PROBLEM E: 6 Spades
PROBLEM F: 1 Spad
PROBLEM G: Spade Queen: Ducking a club, and bumping dummy's !H jack both have winning layouts but I am going for setting up 3+ tricks RIGHT NOW to go with the club A,K in case declarer has either of the two easy makes we have noticed--if given a breather.
PROBLEM H: Spade 10: :
Predicting--> 100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 80, unknown, 100,
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A. P
B. 2 !H
C. 2 !H
D. 3 !S
E. 6 !S
F. 1 !S
G. 5 !C
H. 10 !S
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PROBLEM F
Matchpoints - Nil Vul.
!S J98642 - !H Q42 - !D – J62 - !C 7
| SOUTH | WEST | NORTH | EAST |
| — | — | 1 !H | Pass |
| ??* | | | |
What call do you make?
In May of 2020, in the same auction (however at IMPs) holding this:
!S QJT52 - !H 874 - !D T543 - !C 6
The consensus choice was 1 !S, which scored 100.
I chose the less popular 1NT, which scored 90.
Although the scoring is different, I see no reason to buck the rationale of that recent panel. So 1 !S
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Great Todd,
One down, seven to go. At this rate, you will have this set ready for submission by late April or early May. I remember the days when you were among the first to have some preliminary thoughts to share. I guess when you make the national list two years in a row, the thoughts can't get past the accolades - lol.
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Oh, the New Year. Many congratulations to those who made the 2019 Honour Roll -- excellent work!
A) 5H. This is such a nasty situation. In my (admittedly meagre) experience, 4N shows two 5(+)-card suits. Chances are slim that p has 5c H (I will leave Ken to tell me exactly what they are) but they are not negligible and if he does we ought to be in 6H. We might also have 6H if p is 0355. But I can’t bid 6H because the likelihood is that p is 1255. Nightmare #1: p has a 5c H suit but believes he can’t raise 5H to 6H. Nightmare #2: He is 1255/2155 so my 5H bid puts him in an uncomfortable position. I suppose he can bid 5S which I can convert to 5N. If he is 0166 or 0265, he can bid his 6c m at the 6-level. I’m damned one way or the other. Actually, that sentence is five words too long, so 5H.
B) 1H. Without looking at anything else, my partners will tell you that this is the sort of hand on which I go totally crazy (as opposed to my default moderate setting). We’re white, West looks to have about 16 so they could have game. I want to get in the way … I’m not sure why I’m bothering trying to rationalise this cos I’m gonna bid 1H, even as y’all throw excellent criticisms and chapters on reverses at my head. We should all be allowed our foibles.
However … here’s what Bridge World Standard says under B. Choice of Suit, “With a minimum-range five-six hand, open in the higher and shorter suit only when the long suits are adjacent.” Returning to a point made earlier in the year, if we choose our answers based on predicting what pros will bid (rather than airing our own preferences) should we be opening 1S?
C) 2H/3N. OK, I’ve not quite settled back to moderately-crazy; the jitterbug in me can see 6H tricks, 1D, and two black suit tricks from partner, just like that. So, let’s just bang out 3N before someone force-feeds me tranks. Back in the straitjacket, I’d count 12 working HCP and meekly slip the 2H card onto the bidding-tray.
D) 3S. I’m with Joe here – partner with 4c S and 5c C and a game-forcing hand will bid 2C first. I know that’s right ‘cos it’s in the IAC 2/1 spreadsheet, and we need to be loyal. Of course, GF p with 2335 or 2236 would also bid 2C, but let’s show the 4c S suit – why not, we’ve got the space.
E) 5S/6S. As Jim and Jock say, 6D might be a successful operation in finding the right major, but the patient will be dead barely after the cutting starts. They must have the 10 HCP in D between them, and probably E has half of those (KQ at the top of 8, possibly, 9 diamonds). That leaves 9 more and surely W must have almost all of those, perhaps at best (for us) except for a Q. Does 6S have much of a chance? Even if I can ruff a H to get them going, I’m still faced with an ugly Kx in C. Which is where the best case for us comes in and p holds the club Q. Now the tranks are biting, I’m tempting to bid a sober 5S and hope partner will raise with a Q outside D.
F) 1S. I’ve got a nice hand for partner in 2H, offering a couple of club ruffs and a trump honour. I become much prettier if he has spade support, so let’s show them knowing that 2H is the safe-haven. Will partner raise S with three-card support? Can’t see that on BWS.
G) QS/HT. Undecided still.
H) ST. Oh, a lead problem that I might not cock up completely. W is 5(332)* and N has denied a 4c spade suit, suggesting p has 5+ spades and, from the auction, 7 HCP. However, his spades aren’t that solid because he spurned the chance to overcall 1S – maybe at best KJxxx, then and an outside entry he can tell me about later. Should I be leading the S8 to show no interest in the suit (a la Eddie Kantar)? Nah, with KJxxx, partner’s life is much easier if I play the T.
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There might have been times in the past when I have overthought some of these problems. That will not be the excuse this time, I was in a hurry.
Ken Berg
PROBLEM A: 5 Clubs
PROBLEM B: 1 Spade
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM E: 5 Spades
PROBLEM F: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM G: Spade Queen
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
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The low-ball players may be right on the slam deal (Problem F). A bit of good luck in the majors probably won't solve the club K-x problem . Sigh :(
IN fact, I hereby change my IAC vote to the measly FIVE SPADES.
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Can anyone confirm that BWS uses the 1nt FORCING, then 2h bid as way to show low point fit hand? I am wondering if they are only semi forcing
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SOLUTIONS FOR:
Todd Holes
Glen Ellyn IL 60137
U.S.A.
PROBLEM A: 5 Hearts
PROBLEM B: 1 Heart
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM E: 6 Spades
PROBLEM F: 1 Spade
PROBLEM G: Spade Queen
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
PROBLEM A: 5 !H
If I wanted to go low, I would bid 5 !D showing the red suits. Partner undoubtedly has the minors. But I have a monster opposite a partner willing to play at the 5 level with potentially very little help. I sure hope it’s partner with the spade void.
5 !H should show a good hand with length in hearts. If partner has the massive 0=1=6=6 he can pull to 6 of a minor.
PROBLEM B: 1 !H. My best suit.
PROBLEM C: 2 !H. At the table I would always bid this. It bothers me that I am not seeing the problem and the allure of other choices. 3 !H is a mild overbid. 3NT too speculative with that hole in my suit. Going to stick with simple.
PROBLEM D: 3NT. I hate this. 3 !S, however, smells fishy.
PROBLEM E: 6 !S. Another WTP?
PROBLEM F: 1 !S. Going with May 2020 panel. I don’t see how the scoring difference would change my mind.
PROBLEM G: !S Q. I’d like to attack a red suit. But which one? This is safe; maybe partner can chime in with a sign?
PROBLEM H: !S T. The first unanimous MSC lead problem?
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Can anyone confirm that BWS uses the 1nt FORCING, then 2h bid as way to show low point fit hand? I am wondering if they are only semi forcing
1NT is SEMI-FORCING.
BWS2017: "a one-notrump response is semiforcing (limited to at most game-invitational strength; opener may pass with 5-3-3-2 or 4=5=2=2 and a hand deemed no stronger than 12 high-card points."
"a single raise is moderately constructive (when responding with a weaker fitting hand, bid one notrump planning to rebid two of the major, a sequence that could also show 6-9 HCP and a doubleton fit)."
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SOLVER: Babs Giesbrecht
Your Solutions for the January 2021 Contest
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PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: 1 Heart
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 3 Spades
PROBLEM E: 6 Diamonds
PROBLEM F: 1 Spade
PROBLEM G: Diamond 10
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
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SOLUTIONS FOR:
James Creech
5107 SEWELLS POINTE DR
FREDERICKSBURG VA 22407-9355
U.S.A.
PROBLEM A: 5 Spades
PROBLEM B: Pass
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts - I made a clear error on my initial choice - this makes that correction
PROBLEM D: 3 Spades
PROBLEM E: 6 Spades
PROBLEM F: 1 Spade
PROBLEM G: Diamond 10
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
Upon review, I still like most of my initial thoughts with one exception. A clear error that is now changed.
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PROBLEM A: Pass (is this 4N any 2 suit or minors?)
PROBLEM B: 1H
PROBLEM C: 2H
PROBLEM D: 4S
PROBLEM E: 5S (chicken here, but we lose 2 clubs!)
PROBLEM F: 2H
PROBLEM G: dT
PROBLEM H: sT
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The chance of "buying it" at a poor 1NT bid with our four + pard's twelve is vanishing small, so I wouldn't bother to research what BWS says about it on this one :) "1NT" may win the 100, though it lost slightly to "1 !S " this May.
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My thoughts so far:
A 6H - and hoping its partner that is void in spade and not the op
I'm trying to allow my better angels to win me over and not go to 6H. I hate to make a bid I might make with zero points if all I had is hearts. I would be more comfortable with 5H if I truly knew if that meant I had something. Maybe if going low is 5c or 5d ,then 5H is ok.....I'm not going to know what I'm submitting until I do it. 5h or 6h
B 1S - Starting there, don't feel comfortable reversing with this, although my gut says that's the way the panel will call it. so considering 1h
Someone quoted a BWS item that makes my 1S the correct system bid. However, I suspect the panel will do their own thing and 1h. I'm sticking with 1s
C 2H - What else?
D 3S - BUT, can someone confirm that in BWS they would bypass 4 spades and bid 2 clubs to show the GF hand?
going low with 3s, and allowing for our possible 8 card spade fit, or at least half stopper showing so we can get to 3nt. we are in GF so I don't have to decide our strain yet
E 6S - not enough methods for anything else. will p take 6D as pick your major slam, I'm not sure.
F 2S WJS or 1nt (forcing for 2h followup). I think I am going 1nt forcing.
going 1nt, because that's what I would do in real life. but I strongly suspect system and panel will go 1s
G 10H - This one is fun, I first wrote down the 10 of hearts, but I can also see that we might set this hand if p has king of diamonds. so maybe its 10 of diamonds, but I haven't worked out yet if that works for op having AQ of diamonds. think I don't have enough time to set up the diamond. At the table, I would play 10 of hearts, I know in real life I wouldn't have the focus to figure out how the diamonds would play out in tempo.
F 10 of S
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I went 5H on the first problem. I decided 6h was too one sided, not letting my p really show what he has.
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A. Pass
This is a pure guess.
B 2 !H
I prefer 2 !H the 6 card suit rather than pass and come in with a Michaels
C 2 !H
Tempted to bid 3 !H with this hand worth about 16, but I don't like my 2 doubletons.
D 3 !S
What does partner's double mean? It must be a waiting bid saying "over to you" So the feature of my hand not expressed is my 4 card spade suit. So I will bid 3 !S
E 6 !S
It looks unlikely that partner has a !D trick. So we want partner to have Q !H and Q !C. If partner does not have anything in clubs then I cannot see any right siding unless partner has an unlikely A !D. Nevertheless since I am an optimist I will bid 6 !S.
F 2 !H
get in there with the known fit it may be your only chance
G Q !S
Partner has 2 !C singleton. 10 !D or Q !S to stop declarer from getting into dummy to set up clubs? 10 !D looks more dangerous than the Q !S to set up dummy.
H 10 !S
Time to be passive and this looks least likley to give a trick
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SOLUTIONS FOR:
Jack Goody
England
PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 3 Spades
PROBLEM E: 6 Spades
PROBLEM F: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM G: Spade Queen
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
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SOLUTIONS FOR:
Richard Harvey
Netley Abbey
Southampton SO31 5EL
U.K.
PROBLEM A: 5 Hearts
PROBLEM B: 1 Spade
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 3 Spades
PROBLEM E: 5 Spades
PROBLEM F: 1 Spade
PROBLEM G: Spade Queen
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
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I dont want to be "debbie Downer", but am forced to hope all of us that OPENED ONE ANYTHING on problEM B get their heads handed to them on a sterling silver platter, -- for the sake of......... [ fill in the blank] You ALL know it is not a one-bid of any sort, and just because you can't decide what two- or three- (or four- ) bid it is will not MAKE it into a one-bid!
I get antsie when Jim and I stand alone against the IAC thoughtful folk, but this time at least we have MSPH and WACKO starting with something other than one-bid!
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Wladislaus Dragwlya
Tin Street No.1
Castrum Sex 545400
Romania
PROBLEM A: 5 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM E: 6 Spades
PROBLEM F: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM G: Spade Queen
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
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SOLVER: PATRICIA MCDERMOTT
8015 Buford Cmns
Richmond, VA 23235-5258
U.S.A.
Your Solutions for the January 2021 Contest
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PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: Pass
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: Pass
PROBLEM E: 6 Spades
PROBLEM F: 1 Spade
PROBLEM G: Diamond 10
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
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January Results
All three of our leaders this month made the BW Honor roll. Jock McQuade (BluBayou) led the way with a score that was good for a tie for 3rd in the honor roll list (ased on his submission to BW) . Also making the Honor Roll were Wladislaus Dragwlya (DrAculea) and Pat McDermott (CCR3). Congratulations to all!!!
| NAME | BW-SCORE | RANK | MPs |
| Blubayou | 720 | 1 | 30 |
| DrArculea | 700 | 2 | 25 |
| CCR3 | 690 | 3 | 20 |
| . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . | . . . . |
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Also participating: BabsG, Curls77, DickHy, Jcreech, KenBerg, Masse24, Msphola, Thornbury, WackoJack, Yleexotee.
This is two months in a row for Blu to win the MSC within IAC - give the man a class to teach!!
Note: IAC score for BluBayou has been adjusted because he changed his submission for F. That does not affect his getting a tie for third on their Honor Roll, and it does not change his placing within IAC, but does reduce his score for the IAC contest).
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Nice one Blu, arcu and pat!
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be sure to mark me down 20 less on the IAC spreadsheet Jim. I am on record for chickening out late in the month from the winning leap to spade slam, back to bidding only five ::)
P.S.: surely looking forward to why 57% of us solvers (80% of us IAC) got 50 on the no-brainer lead problem!!!
PPS: I bet at least one of the folks wit 750 score had their PERFECT GAME wiped out by the idiotic 50 score on problem H..?
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Wahoo blu!!!
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Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
(https://i.ibb.co/82Tm9Rx/blu.png)
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This is two months in a row for Blu to win the MSC within IAC - give the man a class to teach!!
APPLAUSE Blu!! :-*
LOL I adore Todd's comic : )))))
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So Cooooooooool Todd
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Please, Todd or Jim report in with the usual wonderful postmortem! I am going to try one
in sad brevity, as i cannot copy/paste the good stuff on the Bridge World's PDF:( Also the spreadsheet for Jan has been put in mothballs, so we have only a partial reference for our club's complete vote list:( [WHY must the spreadsheets from the RECENT past be hidden, O, masters??...]
OK here we go: On problem A, bidding SOMETHING outnumbered passing 4NT in the panel by 19 to 8 [!] so we practical folks were lucky to get the 100 for dropping pard's UNT. Granted, 7 of the BIDDERS made a bid that drives to slam just to improve their chances at locating the insanely unlikely 10-11 card heart fit--that still leaves 12 panelists + a similar fraction of the IAC that commented "I am following orders" with 5C or 5D--which mercifully scored 80 or90. one quote from the panel will nail the dillemmas we faced here perhaps: Larry Cohen: PASS...guessing to bid 5 of a minor is only 50/50 to find hearts anyway (I would need to guess his non-suit).....PLEASE TELL ME NOBODY CONSIDERED SLAM!-- THE ULTIMATE HANG JOB. <my capps>
PROBLEM B:>> Once again bidding SOMETHING outnumberd PASSING , this time by 17 to 10, so we few IAC passers again are lucky to get the 100. That can only mean the host looked at things this way: "This is NOT A ONE-BID" scored 16 times, while "This IS a one-bid" scored 4+7 = 11 times only. There were lots of one-bidders among the solvers as well as our club (66%). The panel comments for one or two spades or hearts all touch the expected bases similar to the [rare] comments from IAC voters ,but there are these 1 1/2 votes for the FOUR level :) : Steve Garner actually opens 4 Hearts, and (my MAN Ron Gerard bids a spade but gives us this: "When I was younger, we had a convention for exactly this hand, but I had my jump-shot 40 years ago, too." This can ONLY be BLU's 4 Club "Instant-Michaels" opener -- true?
PROBLEM C:>> Flipping the pattern of #A and #B, the 12 panel votes --and HUGE favorite of solvers [78%] --the simple 2 Heart rebid got pipped for the 100%. Fair enough since the remaining 15 votes all moved toward game, or even WENT to game. Every single one of US rebid the "WTP??" 2 Hearts--for the 90%, but let's but give DickHY a 95% for stating clearly that if off his meds, bombing away to the notrump game looked good to him! For the panel, Bruce Rogoff hit the short-and-sweet button with : "Were we missing the heart ten, we would NOT BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION." Most of the game-tryers and the seven game BIDDERS clearly felt the same about the likelihood of running those hearts, or that pard would provide 3 more tricks in time should the HQ score against us..
PROBLEM D:>> Three fouths of our club got butchered here with 60% for their 3 spade choice, so we need some advice about how pard's double is NOT STAYMAN--ie he can bid his own spades on the rebid. If we prefer to carry on to our supposed vulnerable game -- in hearts, notrump or CLUBS?! 3 spades is not helping this --3 hearts is better and 3NT now, ourselves is likely as good as it gets. But let the panel teach:....Rodwell the lone quoted 3S bidder [HALF the solvers joined our thundering herd with this?!] spoke of club slams and cold nt games --as well as offering THIS quote: "It seems partner may have AQJx, xx, xxx, KQJx". Does anybody buy this? Not me . Mainly, the passers did not expect to make up for the vulnerable game bonus but were willing to 'gamble' that 3NT would come up short, and not willing to punt with "3 hearts" hoping to reach making heart or club bids. ...Danny Kleinman types: "Pass. Partner forced to game, and without interference we would be bidding game. But that doesn't mean the game we bid would be a lock....i will settle for the likely 300 in imps." Woolsey on the other hand expects pard to provide a massacre seeing the vulnerability.
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PROBLEM E:>> JcREECH SAYS " All I need from partner is four points ( A or the two round queens) and may be gin with just the Q if I right side this. as he chooses 6 spades. That makes 21 + 4 WORKING points for our side leaving the opening side with 15 or less. Hmmm. Almost half the solvers and a good minority of us IAC decided that was a bit rich...eventually. But this month's highest single vote from the panels WAS to follow Jim's advice--15!. Throw in 4 more votes for other slam-forcing bids [5NT or 6D] and the moderator had a hard time restraining himself. Zia even had a plan in mind to make a forcing pass if RHO went to 7D, expecting partner to bid the Grand if he had the club ACE. One plan none of us thought of came from Alan Sontag (not the OTHER Sontag) to get himself to hearts from the right side: "(1D) p (5D) 5NT; [p] 6C [p] 6H!. We guess he is hoping for something like xx, Qxxx, xx, xxxxx? where most of dummy's clubs will go off on his spades, and one of the worrysome clubs can be ruffed at trick 12 or 13. Sweet.
v
PROBLEM F:>> By the ranking rules used for problems A, and B, the the 9 + 6 + 1 = 16 panel votes saying "This is NOT a constructive heart raise" versus the eleven votes FOR 2 hearts, the 100 should go to the 9 spade bidders. Kokish, a 2 H bidder offered this "While 2H is an overbid or sorts, it has some preemption going for it and North might need to know of the 3rd trump to re-evaluate". Not one other heart raiser claimed they HAD a constructive raise or "apologized" for raising anyway! Are we going to see the constructive-raise item in BWS2017 put in the trash when BWS2026 comes out? IMO, that would be an honest thing to do.
There were 6 votes for the classic way of showing a substandard raise --by way of the forcing notrump but in IAC only blu and Joe gave this a thought. I think joe yleexotee ended up going that route. Most of the 9 spade bidders figured there is no reason that 1Spade first/then a heart preff. doesn't send the same message but some bid a spade simply because they wanted to.
PROBLEM G:>> The spade Queen got a STUNNING 15 votes!? Also-rans were other spades and the beautiful heart 10 with a disappointing 4 votes. Playing cozy via the diamond shift was all but ignored by the PANEL, though it had plenty of fans among both IAC and Solvers. This forum beat problem G to death on the first two pages--and the panel just copied our hard work is what it looks like in the magazine -- so look upthread for the best opinion-offering of this month, and off we go to.....
PROBLEM H:>> ,HOORAY!! a unanimous vote for the spade ten! Unfortunately only true in the IAC:( The panelists HATED wasting the spade ten, whether they were in favor of passive defense or 'getting busy'! Many of them refused to credit North with 5+ spades just because he passed over 1H holding 7-9 points!!! A few were so committed to passive defense that they chose the heart QJT--opener's 5-bagger. high diamond leaders looked to combine active and passive imagining partner winning and starting clubs perhaps after seeing dummy. most lead bridge-101 4th in L & S -- which horrified the other half as much as our dear spade ten lead would have.
hope this has been a tolerable read, friends, but like it or not please help us get Masse and/or Creech back where they belongin 2+ weeks. This has been HARD
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Well done Blu!!Yes it's HARD!
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Thanks, Blu!
To be honest, I wasn't in the mood to do another recap. As you discovered, it's a lot of work. Jim, thankfully, had just "done it" the last few months, which I am grateful for. Jim has done a fine job with the recaps--his writing is superb.
The MSC has morphed into a nice little monthly diversion. Unfortunately, we could never get more than 15 or 20 people to participate. Of those we get what . . . maybe a half dozen chiming in with comments? I'm not so sure it warrants the effort. Even the first month of the new year saw reduced numbers with a few regulars falling away. Will they return and chime in with a February MSC submission?
I have no suggestions for increasing our participation.
For now, I'm just thankful for the help!
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Thank you, Jock, for doing this. I was actually glad when you complained because when someone works as hard as Todd (and more recently me) to pull together a recap, with this group, it is sometimes unclear if it is appreciated.
One thing that does make the recap process easier is to see articulated reasons for choices. I noticed in the February that one who has participated, has finally started to do exactly that - thank you ccr3. In addition, new participant, peuco1, is also providing his thoughts behind the choices. Thank you.
As much as I find the expert's opinions on these problems, I also enjoy hearing from IAC. Within IAC, we can discuss, argue, and even change minds, where all we can get from the experts is what they were thinking at the time the problem was posed. We can't tell them that something was truly insightful from our viewpoint, or ask them why one of our answers was wrong headed, but we can do that with each other.
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I did do some of the last, when things were not moving more quickly. So for whatever entertainment/educational purpose below are writeups for Problems G and H
Problem G: !S Q
In a moment of perverseness, BW MSC gave us a second lead problem, but with the added information of seeing the dummy for a second trick lead. I almost wish that it had been the opening lead problem, and that the !S Q would be the killing opening lead. Now at the second trick, the consensus is to shift to that very card. 55% of the panel and more than 40% of the solvers (both IAC and BW) made this their shift. The rationale for the IAC solvers differed widely. BluBayou: "Spade Queen: Ducking a club, and bumping dummy's !H jack both have winning layouts but I am going for setting up 3+ tricks RIGHT NOW" Masse24: "!S Q. I’d like to attack a red suit. But which one? This is safe; maybe partner can chime in with a sign?" WackoJack: "Q !S Partner has 2 !C singleton. 10 !D or Q !S to stop declarer from getting into dummy to set up clubs? 10 !D looks more dangerous than the Q !S to set up dummy." From the panel, Zia smells a red herring in the explanations: "Spade queen. What is the club count? I presume a stiff. Don't understand encouraging." Steve Garner argues more completely "Spade queen. Catering to many spade layouts that are favorable to us. I will duck a second round of clubs and hope that declarer has no quick entry (or no entry at all to dummy)."
Second choice for IAC was the !D 10. 38% of the IAC solvers went with this switch compared to 24% of the BW solvers and only one panelist. But the panelist is world champion and former Ace, Billy Eisenberg who writes "Diamond ten. Hoping the deuce is suit-preference." JCreech agrees, but an additional reason: "!D 10 - I have two reasons to try the diamond shift. One is that if clubs can be set up, then diamonds may be the outside entry. The other is partner's card to my lead could be suit preference - then again it could be a singleton."
Problem H: !C 2
Apparently Todd and I are not alone when it comes to hating lead problems. Virtually all of IAC did poorly this month. The exception, John Thornbury, who took all the marbles with his !C 2 choice of lead. He was silent on his logic, so we turn to some of the experts to explain why 44% of the panel and 23% of the BW solvers went this direction. Sami Kehela: "Club deuce. When in doubt, adhere to the established custom." Gary Cohler: "Club deuce. Fourth from longest and strongest. When anything could be right, I try to be consistent absent a compelling reason to stab them with something else." Harry Steiner gives it a bit more thought saying "Attack seems in order, with hearts likely 5-3-3-2 around the table, and the diamond lead requires a huge diamond holding in partner's hand. Partner's failure to overcall in spades rules out that suit."
However, the rest of IAC did lead a spade. As the moderator asks, "Can we ignore parnter's silence?" Four from the panel says yes and leads the spade 10. Eric Rodwell: "Spade ten. Vulnerable partner could easily have 7-8 HCP and five spades. If declarer could systemically have four spades, this would be less appealing. If I lead a minor, the diamond six might not be readable in time. A club from this holding would be very hit-or-miss." Danny Kleinman: "Spade ten. A rare occasion for trying to hit partner's suit, as my second choice, the deuce of clubs, is singularly unattractive." Bart Bramley: "SPade ten. Partner is likely to have at least five spades. He didn't bid, so they must be weak, but we still might be able to set up the suit. Nothing else looks better. Second choice: Heart queen." In the IAC, everyone chose this answer, some with overconfidence. For example, Masse24 wrote "!S T. The first unanimous MSC lead problem?" While Blu Bayou "so sad to weigh in that this is another "WTP". spade ten is both passive and constructive. Who can ask for more on the road to the podium?" Every one else expressing an opinion were looking for a safe lead that might hit partner. DickHy: "ST. Oh, a lead problem that I might not cock up completely. W is 5(332)* and N has denied a 4c spade suit, suggesting p has 5+ spades and, from the auction, 7 HCP. However, his spades aren’t that solid because he spurned the chance to overcall 1S – maybe at best KJxxx, then and an outside entry he can tell me about later. Should I be leading the S8 to show no interest in the suit (a la Eddie Kantar)? Nah, with KJxxx, partner’s life is much easier if I play the T." JCreech: "!S 10 - At best, declarer is looking at 7 spades, but may have less. I have two probable entries, but really no suit to set up myself, I so will try to hit partner, and use one of my entries to continue the spade attack." WackoJack: "10 !S Time to be passive and this looks least likley to give a trick" But Arthur Robinson, from the BW panel, may have summed it up best: "Spade ten. Ugh! Thank goodness I gave up playing this game."
The diamond 5 or 6 was the second highest score on this problem. No one from IAC went this direction, so we are left with the BW panel for enlightenment. The reasons vary. Carl Hudecek wants "... a passive defense ... If the spades were two low, I would lead one. But as it is, I don't want to waste the ten." Sue Picus wants "... to try to concede the fewest tricks and tempos that I can."