Problem H:>>  Hang on to your seat, folks!  Opener MUST HAVE 8 running spades (even all nine of them)  and the other 4 or 5  are all aces and king(s).  Hence,  he has the SINGLETON diamond ace.   Leading either QJ10  is liable to let him excape for down one, but underleading the diamond king will at least build us a 2nd setting trick, and may put him down five, if partner has Q9xxx.
                                     ---Diamond Jack---[/font]

I agree, Blu. Diamond Jack.
But I see a different construction. Ten hearts to the AKxxxxxxxx And a bevy of stiff aces! 
No lead can give this away. We have them set. But the J keeps partner's Q in his hand, and when I get in with the Q we are off to the races.
I hope.

FEBRUARY 2024 MSC
Deadline: DECEMBER 31 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

Submit your FEBRUARY 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.

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IAC Forum MSC Scores

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Also, if you post to The Bridge World those will be your official bids. If you make a mistake (try not to as it has happened), you must live with it.

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January Results

masse24 led the IAC solvers with 660. BluBayou came in second with 650. And in third was ccr3 with 630. The Bridge World Honor Roll required a minimum of 710.

NAME	BW-SCORE
masse24	660
BluBayou	650
ccr3	630

There were only 5 participants this month.

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JANUARY 2024 MSC
Deadline: NOVEMBER 30 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

Submit your JANUARY 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.

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IAC Forum MSC Scores

If you post to The Bridge World you will receive a confirmation immediately and by email. It is preferred that you copy/paste that confirmation as it is easy to read due to the formatting. (Thanks!)

Also, if you post to The Bridge World those will be your official bids. If you make a mistake (try not to as it has happened), you must live with it.

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2023 MSC Honor Roll
The Bridge World publishes a yearly honor roll. IAC members making the published list are below.

BBO NAME	NAME	RANK	YEARLY-TOTAL
Masse24	Todd Holes	10	8330
CCR3	Pat McDermott	48	7920
YleeXotee	Joe Albert Garcia	51	7910
JCreech	Jim Creech	63	7800
BluBayou	Jock McQuade	82	7630
. . . . . . . .	. . . . . . . . . . . .	. . . . . . . . . . .	. . . . . . . . .

Good job! On to the new year. May it be a good deal better than 2023.

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SOLUTIONS FOR:
todd holes


PROBLEM A: 3 Notrump
2 should be construed as a game try. it would be nice if partner bid 2nt in response to 2 as 3nt is likely better from his side. but i worry that partner accepts by bidding 4  and i would lose the opportunity to describe the nature of my hand. but maybe that is unwise. blasting to 4 may be the best route, keeping the opps in the dark.

PROBLEM B: 4 Clubs
although i would like to bid 3 to show my control, hoping to hear partner show his spade control, i worry that partner may rebid 3nt or something else to make my slam aspirations unclear. this 4 makes it clear we are slamming in diamonds.

PROBLEM C: Double
at first glance i thought it an auto-double. then i upgraded due to the club bid on my right--and i upgraded the club king. but the suit quality of the spades brought me back to reality. partner expects better than this for a 2  bid.

PROBLEM D: (a)
the book bid is 1 then 2 if partner responds 1nt. but if i do so i will be bidding TWO suits with a combined total of ONE HCP. i've never opened 1nt with a 4=5=2=2. today is the day.

PROBLEM E: Pass
not enough for 2nt--though it's close. not enough or good enough hearts for 3 . so pass and await developments. if partner doubles then it becomes more difficult.

PROBLEM F: 2 Diamonds
the best description of my hand. it's a one bid hand.

PROBLEM G: 4 Clubs
one bid hand. this is pretty descriptive. and disruptive.

PROBLEM H: Spade 8
the most passive. also considered both red 8's.

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Jim,
On "C," are you suggesting that 3 is a game-force?
I do agree that 3 is most flexible, but believe it to be only a game-try.

Nothing especially shocking.
But I thought the second choice on the lead problem was weird. Underleading the K5? That would never cross my mind. Are we banking on partner to have, specifically, the Q?