Author Topic: Master Solvers Club - November 2019  (Read 17930 times)

Masse24

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Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« on: September 11, 2019, 06:40:15 PM »
NOVEMBER MSC

Deadline: October 10 at 9:00 a.m. (ET)

Submit your November responses here: https://www.bridgeworld.com/indexphp.php?page=/pages/msc/mastersolversmainpage.html

BWS 2017 System: https://www.bridgeworld.com/indexphp.php?page=/pages/readingroom/bws/bwscompletesystem.html

BWS 2017 POLLS, CHANGES AND ADDITIONS: https://www.bridgeworld.com/indexphp.php?page=/pages/readingroom/bws/bwspolls2017.html 
  • (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
    .)


PROBLEM A: Matchpoints. Nil Vul. You hold:
!S J94 !H AKT642 !D 9 !C AK8
Auction to you:
(P) – P – (P) – 1 !H
(P) – 1 !S – (P) - ??
What call do you make?

PROBLEM B: IMPs. E/W Vul. You hold:
!S Q3 !H Q4 !D QJ98 !C KQ743
Auction to you:
(1 !H) – 1 !S – (P) - ??
What call do you make?

PROBLEM C: IMPs. N/S Vul. You hold:
!S J52 !H J84 !D AKQ !C AKT9
Auction to you:
1 !C – (1 !H) – 1 !S – (P)
??
What call do you make?

PROBLEM D: Matchpoints. E/W Vul. You hold:
!S 2 !H KT876 !D 8 !C KT8642
Auction to you:
1NT – (2 !S) - ??
What call do you make?
(a) double
(b) 4 !D (BWS: Texas)
(c) 3 !H (BWS: forcing)
(d) 3 !C (BWS: forcing)
(e) 2 NT (BWS: lebensohl), then, after (Pass) - 3 !C - (Pass) - ?
     (e1) Pass
     (e2) 3 !H

PROBLEM E: IMPs. Nil Vul. You hold:
!S K2 !H 743 !D 93 !C AK9876
Auction to you:
1 !D – (P) - ??
*BWS: 2 !C = GF. 3 !C = Invitational
What call do you make?

PROBLEM F: IMPs. N/S Vul. You hold:
!S K52 !H 63 !D J87 !C AQT72
Auction to you:
— (—) — (P)
P – (1 !D) – 1 !H – (1 !S)
X* – (XX)! – 2 !D§ – (P)
??
What call do you make?
Note: * !C with !H tolerance
! Support = three !S
§ Natural by agreement

PROBLEM G: IMPs. E/W Vul. You hold:
!S AT92 !H 9 !D KQT52 !C T54
Auction to you:
P – (1 !C) – 1 !H – (P)
??
What call do you make?

PROBLEM H: Matchpoints. Both Vul. You hold:
!S 2 !H KJ95 !D K765432 !C 2
Auction:
P  –  (1 !C) – 1 !H – (4 !S)
5 !H – (X)  –   P  –  (5 !S)
P   –   (P)   –  X  – All pass
What is your opening lead?


Good Luck!

P.S. Panel answers and scores are usually published the same day as the deadline.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2019, 05:58:02 PM by Masse24 »
“Kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out. It will wear well and will be remembered long after the prism of politeness or the complexion of courtesy has faded away.” Abraham Lincoln

blubayou

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2019, 07:03:08 PM »
First:  Thanks Todd for copying the problems  (by hand?)  to this department-- saves the casual reader from wondering what we will be talking about.        problem A -  I had a jump rebid penciled in  for two weeks -- tiny stretch.     Then it sunk in  that i was 4th seat, and have hardly any mor that a 4th  "1H" lacking spades should have,   so,  my vote will be simple 2!H rebid.   it still looks like potential magic, though.
often it is better to beg forgiveness, than ask permission

blubayou

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2019, 06:27:58 PM »
A>  2 hearts    see post above                                                                                                   (80) 
B>  2 hearts --  invite+ in spades.  but what to do when partner bids 3S over pass OR opp's 3H?    (70)
C>  3 spades-- i found no reference in BWS  to negative double NOT SHOWING 4 spades,  so       
          jump raise should not be getting us too high in a 4-3 fit. 
         "I like my hand--guess why" cue-bid  not today.                                                                 (80)
D>   lebensohl to 3 clubs, and pass   ( e-1)                                                                                 (90)
E>   3 clubs--natural invitation.   if this isn't that hand  i resign                                                     (100)
F>   pass-- is this so much extras to bid up?    otherwise, what's the problem??                             (100)
G>   pass                                                                                                                                 (100)
H>   low diamond    Heart king seems a fun mastermind and probly gets the 100 :(                        (70)
                                                                                                                                                ____
                                                                                                                                                <690>
« Last Edit: September 26, 2019, 11:33:59 AM by blubayou »
often it is better to beg forgiveness, than ask permission

Masse24

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2019, 06:02:49 PM »
PROBLEM H: !C 2

Garozzo's rule.
“Kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out. It will wear well and will be remembered long after the prism of politeness or the complexion of courtesy has faded away.” Abraham Lincoln

bAbsG

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2019, 07:52:24 PM »
Problem H:   !D4   !C2 was my first thought but BWS mentions 'alarm clock' leads to suggest an unusual situation - so I'm thinking 5th highest from 7 diamonds (also unbid suit).  Maybe I am understanding it wrong?

kenberg

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2019, 01:10:33 PM »
If I were to lead a !D, and I might, I think I would lead the 7.

My intention in leading any !D would be that I am hoping that partner can ruff. If so, then he will realize. perhaps, that my 7 was intended to encourage him to underlead his !H A back to my hand for another ruff. Given that I am holding five spot cards lower than the 7, it is reasonable that he can read the 7 as a high spot.

Now is he void? Or, to put it differently, what can we make of the auction in general and his X in particular?

I would expect North's double of my 5 !H to be mostly based on a couple of small hearts, warning partner off of bidding 5 !S. He can expect 5 !H to go down, but if he passes partner might go on to 5 !S and he has a hand where this doesn't sound so good. But his partner overrules him and bids 5 !S anyway. Surely he has at most one !H.

So: If partner has a !D void and declarer has one !H, then we can beat this by !D ruff, !H back to my K, another !D ruff.

Is that our best bet? Beats me. It's asking a lot.
Ken

kenberg

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2019, 02:10:02 AM »
My thinking right now:

A: 2S
B: 2C
C: 2H
D: 3C
E: 3C
F: Pass
G: 2D
H: D7

As always, I regard the choices as pretty tough.

On A: I think 2 !S is a bit wimpy. But with my stiff !D I like the idea of playing in spades and 3 !S is too aggressive. Maybe I would bid 3 !S with  Axx and a stiff, and decent values,  but not with Jxx.

On B: 2 !C shows clubs and decent values, that's what I have.  If the auction continues I might get a chance to bid 2 !S, I assume such a call would show something like Qx in support.

I will try to post some other thoughts later.
Ken

jcreech

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2019, 11:24:17 AM »
Here are my initial thoughts.

A.   2 !S  Show support and have the right sort of hand for a Moysian fit if partner only has 4
B.   2 !C  Options are not great, but I do have 5 with good values. Places me well if partner rebids !H or cue bids !S
C.   2 !H  Making a general force – willing to treat as a game force – I hope to be in a better position to know where we are headed after partner describes a bit more of their hand.
D.   3 !C I intend to show !H next – I wish I had more HCPs, but with the proper minimum from partner, this could be a slam going, and I am not ashamed to have force game opposite any NT opener.
E.   3 !C As loath as I am to take one of the BWS suggested bids, the suit and values are right for an invitational club bid.
F.   2NT Thought about pass because if partner is going to play in a suit that breaks badly, the extra values and lower level may be best, but partner has taken shown two suits and I have both a stopper and invitational values, so this seems to be my best description
G.   1NT I hate this call the most.  If partner had four spades, there would have probably been a double, so diamonds seem like our most likely fit.  But with only 9 HCPs I am unwilling to pass and hesitant to bid 2 !D.  This seems like it may be the least lie, but I may change my mind and go with 2 !D because it my next closest least lie.  I am trying to decide which least lie is the nearest neighbor to the center of what I consider to be a true reflection of my hand.
H.   !D 7 This feels like a lightener double, so I’m treating it that way.  The 7 is my best spot card to imply a heart entry, so that is the card I am leading.  If I am certain that partner has the CA, would lead it first, and then continue, I would lead the 2 – but I think that would take a mind reader.  Better to try the 2 on the second lead, still suggesting an entry, but one that takes work. If I don't lead a diamond, I think it is a severe breach of partnership trust.

A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

kenberg

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2019, 11:56:56 AM »
A couple of add-on thoughts about the lead on H:

Regardless of any Lightner meaning (and I agree that it is Lightner-like), partner has to think that there are three tricks somewhere. Surely he is not expecting us to take a bunch of heart tricks so he has tricks elsewhere. Where? Shortness in diamonds seems like a good bet and the auction is reasonably supportive of that. Rho has a lot of spades bur surely at most one heart so there is room in his hand for a few diamonds. Lho has a couple of hearts but not many spades I would think (since he doubled my 5 !H instead of passing or bidding 5 !S)  so there is room in his hand for some diamonds. And I have seven of them. So a !D void seems like a good explanation for partner's double, both on Lightner grounds and on where does he think three tricks are coming from grounds.

One worry I had was that declarer might have no hearts. This is possible. But I only have four. Partner will see the dummy, he can look at his own hand, he can figure I have (at least) four hearts for my 5 !H call, so if declarer is going to ruff the first round of hearts I think partner can figure that out. Hopefully, in that case he has the A of clubs or else two other tricks somewhere. At any rate, after the !D ruff, if declarer has a heart void partner can figure it out and look elsewhere for two more tricks.


Ken

Masse24

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2019, 12:03:13 PM »
Initial thoughts:

PROBLEM A: 3 !H . I see this as a slight variation on The Bridge World Death Hand. Six of my suit, three of partner’s major. Extras. My support for partner’s major, however, is so poor that the space eating 3 !H gets my vote. It’s descriptive of my length. It nails my point range. My second choice would be a flexible 2 !C .
[Added] Now that I think of it, 2 !H (admittedly a super-max) has merit. A distant third fourth choice is 2 !S .

PROBLEM B: 2 !C . Too much to pass. Not enough to force. Raising partner on !S Qx does not interest me.

PROBLEM C: 3 !S . I would not have objected to a downgraded opening of 1NT, but we’re past that. Obviously, I intended to rebid 2NT over any 1-level response. It is a very notrumpy hand. Do I continue with my original plan to rebid 2NT despite the lack of a full heart stopper? I think not. I’m not going to stay wedded to my original plan if the auction steers me in another direction.

What about the spades? Partner’s 1 !S should promise at least five. Do I ignore the “fit”? Although a jump rebid somewhat implies four card support, since partner now promises five, does that still hold?

Another option, and the most flexible, would be to cuebid 2 !H , however, subsequent bids (like delayed spade support to show 3 rather than 4) are game-forcing. Does this hand merit a game force? Is the added flexibility of 2 !H worth the overbid?

PROBLEM D: 3 !C . This one really stumps me. These two-part questions get me every time. First question, how strong am I? 6-5 come alive? Maybe. An immediate 3 !H is pushing it. If I were to bid hearts, I’d go through 2NT first. But an immediate 3 !C , while very pushy, is flexible. It’s forcing and has the added benefit that it may uncover a !H fit, so 3 !C it is. Anyway, that’s my thinking.

PROBLEM E: 3 !C . Systemic. Part of BWS. What else? (Every time I think this I'm wrong.)

PROBLEM F: Pass. I think partner is probably 5-5 for this 2 !D rebid. I’m banking on it with this pass.

PROBLEM G: 2 !D . I could just as easily go with Pass. This is a coin flip for me.

PROBLEM H: !C 2 . Garozzo.

I’ve not pulled the trigger yet. Will probably do so this evening if I have the opportunity to review once more.

Submitted. Stayed with my initial choices above.

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

PROBLEM A: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM B: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 3 Spades
PROBLEM D: (d)
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: Pass
PROBLEM G: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Club 2

« Last Edit: October 09, 2019, 02:53:39 AM by Masse24 »
“Kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out. It will wear well and will be remembered long after the prism of politeness or the complexion of courtesy has faded away.” Abraham Lincoln

Masse24

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2019, 01:59:46 PM »

E.   3 !C As loath as I am to take one of the BWS suggested bids, the suit and values are right for an invitational club bid.

Funny!  ;D Exactly my thinking.

Every time I read the little notation explaining options below the auction, I get sucked in and bid it. Well, maybe not every time, but every time I do, it turns out poorly.
“Kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out. It will wear well and will be remembered long after the prism of politeness or the complexion of courtesy has faded away.” Abraham Lincoln

bAbsG

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2019, 02:18:38 AM »
SOLVER: Babs Giesbrecht
       Qualicum Beach BC
       Canada

Your Solutions for the November 2019 Contest 
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM B: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM D: (d)
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM G: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Diamond 4

drac

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2019, 07:03:13 AM »
Wladislaus Dragwlya
Castrum Sex
Romania

PROBLEM A: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM B: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: (d)
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: Pass
PROBLEM G: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Heart 9

wackojack

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2019, 08:27:32 AM »
Took the same time as I would have at the table . Well almost.
SOLUTIONS FOR:
Jack Goody
Guildford
England

PROBLEM A: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM B: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: (e2)
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: Pass
PROBLEM G: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Club 2

jcreech

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Re: Master Solvers Club - November 2019
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2019, 10:53:53 AM »
I made one change from my original thoughts - I decided that 2 !D was a better description on G than 1NT. 

SOLUTIONS FOR:
James Creech
Fredericksburg VA
U.S.A.

PROBLEM A: 2 Spades
PROBLEM B: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: (d)
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM G: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Diamond 7

Added (but consistent with last month): I declare kenberg as a partner for contest purposes.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2019, 04:36:06 PM by jcreech »
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran