Master Solvers Club, posts up to June 2019

[bAbsG]

SOLVER: Babs Giesbrecht
       Qualicum Beach BC
       Canada

Your Solutions for the December 2018 Contest 
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 3 Spades        50
PROBLEM B: 3 Notrump      60
PROBLEM C: 2 Spades       100
PROBLEM D: 3 Spades        30
PROBLEM E: Double           100
PROBLEM F: 2 Clubs           100
PROBLEM G: Club Ace          60
PROBLEM H: Spade 10         60

                                        560

Well Done Todster!!!!

[Masse24]

FRESH START FOR EVERYONE!
January 2019 MSC responses are due December 10.

Link to THE BRIDGE WORLD MSC is here: https://www.bridgeworld.com/indexphp.php?page=/pages/msc/mastersolversmainpage.html

January problems are also attached for viewing.

Good luck!

[Masse24]

Just my pre-selection musings:

Problem A. Leaning towards 2 . Pass is my second choice.

Problem B. 2 -- 3 ? I’ll have to think on this one a bit more. Suit is too sparse to jump, and 3 , while focusing my values fairly well, gives up on the suit. If partner passes 2 , then we probably do not have game anyway. Though the 2 rebid could be 12 HCP, it can also be 17-18. It is "wide-ranging," and is the most flexible.

Problem C. Yikes! A tough one. A probable misfit. But could we still make slam on sheer strength? My initial rebid of 2 should limit my hand to 17 or a “bad” 18, which is what I have. But I have not come anywhere near showing my strength. The lack of a source of tricks concerns me, but at IMPs, this is worth a stab at slam. So I’ll try 4 to show the shape of my hand, 3=5=1=4 (I denied four earlier), narrowly focus my values (basically a quantitative slam try, but shape-showing) to the aforementioned range, and bring partner into the decision. If partner subsequently bids 4NT, it should be, in my opinion, regressive and not RKCB.

Problem D. Although 3 will likely be the majority choice, the quality of the suit is questionable. I sorta like 3 as a possibility. It’s a card short, and I’ll never catch up on the suit if partner has help, so it’s a gamble.

Problem E. 3 seems best. This will be very popular, I think. Second choice, an exploratory 2 ?

Problem F. 1 . Second choice, 1NT. I contemplated double, intending to rebid, but just because I have 17 is not an “auto double and correct” for me.

Problem G. I would bid 4 without the Ace. Not sure which direction I will go here. 4 would be interesting, as well as a double intending a later bid. But I am leaning toward a simple 4NT. I usually hate the red herrings the MSC throws out, but it seems it may work on me this time. 

Problem H. Partner has nothing. A “safe” lead (probably T) will be popular. But I’m seriously contemplating the Ace. They Wooded, so there should not be a void. Can partner have the stiff ? [Added]: I also contemplated an extremely brave  K, attempting to hit partner's  Q. But I'm not that brave.

Must pull the trigger this weekend, so will look once more before submitting my guesses.

[jcreech]

These are my preliminary thoughts (with what I am leaning toward at the start of each).  Like Todd, I am still mulling over my final answer, and will submit by Sunday night).  This is the first time I have used the specific agreements mentioned by BW, and I hate thinking that I like the suggestions - so I will be trying hard to find something I like better for problems A and G.

Problem A:  2   The bid is non-forcing, it provides a reasonable lead director, I have 9 HCPs, and with Jx in I can tolerate a return to partner’s suit.

Problem B:  3 Part of my problem is that I anticipate partner rebid to show a weak hand with long s.  That means that a jump shift into is likely an overbid.  Similarly, 3 feels like an underbid until considering the anticipation.   

Problem C: 4   Having bid over 3NT, I consider this to be a slam try still looking for the best strain.  This completes my pattern with an inference of extras.   

Problem D:  2   I have working cards in both of partner’s suits, the ace of my suit, and a stiff .  I may not have the HCPs, but I do have the playing points.  Partner’s bid over 4SF may clarify everything or continue to muddy the water. also caters to the 4-5 opening to avoid a reverse without enough value.  Partner may give me a belated raise, though I think partner is much more likely to have a stiff on this auction (and given my hand) than three.  Perhaps pard will clarify which minor is longer.

Problem E:  Pass  I assume that 2 is non-forcing because partner is a passed hand and Problem A.  Partner should not introduce a new suit under these circumstances without five.  Although the suit or hand was not good enough to overcall directly, it should play reasonably opposite my hand.

Problem F:  1NT Choice between 1NT, double and 1 .  1 NT  tends to show more of my hand than the other bids – it shows my values and stopper, where 1 undervalues the hand and make it hard to recover and dbl may end up overvaluing my hand, particularly if I bid my over the anticipated call from partner.

Problem G:  4 NT  With partner bidding and RHO pre-empting in my stiff, I think partner has a real suit and asking for keycards will answer a lot of questions that can be answered.  I already know that we have a combined holding of 30+ HCPs, and the vulnerability suggests that most of partner’s HCP’s will not be in .  Let’s go with the known fit, and not worry about the s.

Problem H:  10   I often like leading aces against slams – read that it was a winning proposition most of the time.  This time, it is at best a 50% shot that the trick will not be ruffed, and could easily set up a couple of pitches for declarer at the same time. 

[Masse24]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Todd Holes
Glen Ellyn IL
U.S.A.

PROBLEM A: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM C: 4 Spades
PROBLEM D: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 1 Spade
PROBLEM G: 4 Notrump
PROBLEM H: Spade Ace

Trigger pulled. Wait for the news. Maybe good  , maybe not! 

[jcreech]

Also pulled trigger:  No change from where I last was at, so let the chips fall where they may.

SOLVER: James Creech
        Gen Allen VA
        U.S.A.

Your Solutions for the January 2019 Contest 
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 4 Spades
PROBLEM D: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM E: Pass
PROBLEM F: 1 Notrump
PROBLEM G: 4 Notrump
PROBLEM H: Diamond 10

[drac]

SOLVER: Wladislaus Dragwlya
        Castrum Sex
        Romania

Your Solutions for the January 2019 Contest
-------------------
PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: 2 Spades
PROBLEM C: Pass
PROBLEM D: 2 Spades
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 1 Notrump
PROBLEM G: Double
PROBLEM H: Spade Ace

[kenberg]

Ken Berg
Eldersburg MD
U.S.A.

PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: Pass
PROBLEM D: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 1 Notrump
PROBLEM G: Double
PROBLEM H: Heart King

We shall see. On everything except the lead problem I think of my answers as conservative. With the lead, I fret about just what I am going to pitch on the run of a bunch of diamonds. It's nice that I have the spade J to keep declarer from establishing the suit, but if I pitch spades then...? I agree that pard is not going to have much and that argues against the heart K, but I did it anyway.

[kenberg]

Ken Berg
Eldersburg MD
U.S.A.

PROBLEM A: Pass                     80
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts               70
PROBLEM C: Pass                     50
PROBLEM D: 2 Diamonds          10
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs                 100
PROBLEM F: 1 Notrump             50
PROBLEM G: Double                  90
PROBLEM H: Heart King             30


That totals 480 or thereabouts. And I can't even say I have changed my mind. Oh well.

[jcreech]

SOLVER: James Creech
        Gen Allen VA
        U.S.A.

Your Solutions for the January 2019 Contest 
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 2 Diamonds 100
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts 70
PROBLEM C: 4 Spades 100
PROBLEM D: 2 Hearts 60
PROBLEM E: Pass 40
PROBLEM F: 1 Notrump 60
PROBLEM G: 4 Notrump 50
PROBLEM H: Diamond 10  70


550 - Wow, my choices were brutalized all over the place.  Problem E was my biggest disappointment.  I really do not see my hand improving enough to bid 3 when partner did not overcall directly.  Compete to that level, yes, but not directly.  Like Ken, I really haven't changed my mind (except maybe the A in the lead problem).

Congratultions to Todd.  His 740 was the third highest score on the honor roll (tied 5-7 in terms of placing).  Well done!

[Masse24]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Todd Holes
Glen Ellyn IL
U.S.A.

PROBLEM A: 2 Diamonds       100
PROBLEM B: 2 Diamonds         80
PROBLEM C: 4 Spades           100
PROBLEM D: 3 Diamonds       100
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs              100
PROBLEM F: 1 Spade             100
PROBLEM G: 4 Notrump          60
PROBLEM H: Spade Ace         100
                                             740

Good month.

Like Ken, I am not always swayed by the expert picks as shown in the Scores for the Month page. I need to be convinced by the commentary provided in The Bridge World. One "best" answer, for PROBLEM G, barely occurred to me--5  . I'm curious what the thinking was on that one. 

[kenberg]

Although I maybe do not go gentle, I do like hearing how the choices were arrived at. I like this thread a lot. I seem to be on a bad run, but there will be a brighter day tomorrow. Or at least there will be another day tomorrow.

g'night all.

[jcreech]

I thought about the 5 call, but decided that it was telling only part of the right story.  I thought the bid was looking for tolerance for , asking for a control and assuming partner had controls.  At the table, with something like xx Qx AKxxxx Kxx, I would be happy to pass with a good minimum and two losers, when it would be virtually a laydown slam in either red suit.  With something like xx xx AKJxxx KJx, I still have chances to set up the suit, but would need the queen onside no worse than 4-1 to be successful in 6 .

I was thinking that one reason might be the form of scoring.  At matchpoints, s would be preferable to s.  If partner responds 5 , you cannot correct to 5 over 4 NT because that would be a queen ask. 

Alas, that is not the issue.  The scoring is IMPs, so getting the level right is far more important; which did figure into my thinking at the time.  4 NT was still not perfect, but I thought better than 5 (particularly since I thought partner was likely to have either 1 or 2 keycards).

• If partner has none, we are too high (but so would 5 );
• with 1 or 3, if you feel lucky, you can try asking for the fitting king, if not, then pass and live with the choice; or
• with two, it becomes an easy raise to 6.

[Masse24]

The "asking for a control" possibility crossed my mind, but that thinking did not seem appropriate. Obviously it's a killer suit, but 5 practically screams, "this is our suit." The magazine arrives soon, I'll be opening to PROBLEM G at once.

One answer, that I initially dismissed, now intrigues me. One single solitary panel solver chose 5NT. This should be Pick-A-Slam, which I knew at the time. But I dismissed it because I did not think it through completely. It must be the red suits. Since a 4 call is forcing, with great you just bid them below game to elicit more information from partner. You can later trot out 5NT if you want to force a minor suit slam. But introducing the suit at the 4 level is not forcing. Adding those pieces together leaves you with the inescapable conclusion that 5NT is for the reds. I love this choice.

[Added]: I'll make a wild guess the 5NT came from Zia.

Is it too late to change my answer?

[drac]

SOLVER: Wladislaus Dragwlya
        Castrum Sex
        Romania

Your Solutions for the January 2019 Contest
-------------------
PROBLEM A: Pass                    80
PROBLEM B: 2 Spades           60
PROBLEM C: Pass                   50
PROBLEM D: 2 Spades          70
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump        80
PROBLEM F: 1 Notrump        50
PROBLEM G: Double             90
PROBLEM H: Spade Ace     100
                                           ---------------
                                                   580