Author Topic: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB  (Read 14838 times)

hoki

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #15 on: March 01, 2020, 11:15:38 AM »
A - 1NT - not prepared to force to game.

B - 1 - for me this is "automatic", especially opposite a partner like myself
who likes full values for an opening bid.

C - Pass - forced by the system, would normally bid 2♣ but am guessing
that in BWS that would be "inverted".

D - 4S - but I do like all those fancy alternatives which may work on a good day.

E - 2 - not 1NT with an unbalanced hand.

F - 4S - should make even if partner has only three spades.

G - 2S - with 1NT a close second choice.

H - H2 - a spade lead could help a declarer with three spades to an honour; partner only needs
one of the top four heart honours for a heart lead to get our side off to a racing start. Responder is not
promising much in the heart department for an initial 1 response on a weak hand (1NT rebid).

kenberg

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #16 on: March 01, 2020, 01:40:40 PM »
"bids that mean what they say".  Yes, some truth to that. I also wished to start with 1T and then bid 3 !H. Not with the agreements at hand.


Part of the fun is getting to see just what BWS conventions are.  We all use some conventions, even Goren used a version of the unusual notrump (Although he insisted that the basic one, (1M)-2NT should be a natural bid with a 21 or 22 count).

I played in the practice acbl tourney yesterday, that's a game where you and three bots are at the table. Red against white, matchpoints, Rho  deals and passes. I hold:

Q2
Q3
AKJ76
KQ85


I suppose 1NT is possible but I opened i !D

Pass     1 !D   Pass  1 !S
3 !D

Huh? That's my suit, and Rho is a passed hand.  So I looked. It's an aggressive "weak jump overcall"
How wrong can it be to double?

Pass     1 !D   Pass  1 !S
3 !D        X    Pass   3 !H.

Now what? Probably 3 !S but I think I will check to see what it means (the bots show you what your bid means to them). Well, 3 !S shows exactly one spade. So I looked back, too late, and saw that my double of 3 !D showed at most one spade, so now 3 !S would confirm that I have one. Also 4 !S would show one spade. Good grief. Well Qx is a lot better than x, so this must belong in spades, or so I hope. I bid 4 !S. Partner passed. That's probably good, but I have no idea if this is where we belong.

Partner is 5=5=0=3, Rho is 2=4=7=0  (maybe bots don't open 3 !D with a four card major, I dunno). Rho leads a small heart, the technology moves me across the table to be declarer, the play goes !H to opponent's A, then the !C A, then a !C ruff, I am getting worried but no more ruffs and I draw and claim. Probably not optimal but to my surprise a good board. Probably nobody else understood what was going on either.

https://tinyurl.com/s8t7dav

Anyway, conventional meanings vary with the person. I am a (retired) mathematician. When I am working in Euclidean Geometry, the parallel axiom holds. When I am working in non-Euclidean Geometry the parallel axiom doesn't hold. I believe Kant claimed that the parallel axiom had to be true on philosophical grounds. Nope. So we go with the rules as they are today.



PS I played in the second day of the acbl thing yesterday. I got a bad score for 3NT making 6 when I am off the !H AK. Apparently they also did not lead a heart against those in 6NT. We need a convention for that.


« Last Edit: March 02, 2020, 11:50:57 AM by kenberg »
Ken

Masse24

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #17 on: March 02, 2020, 07:37:32 PM »

D - 4S - but I do like all those fancy alternatives which may work on a good day.


Yup.

It’s an MSC problem, so while raising partner’s overcall to the appropriate level (is four spades high enough?) is the obvious, in-your-face choice, fancy alternatives are also possible.

The “game-force; no long suit” note pertaining to responder, greatly increases the probability of a spade void in opener’s hand. But what kind of hand does opener have?

My !C void would point to a long !C suit with opener, but that is not necessarily so. Does a hand with !S shortness, a long !C suit and secondary red suit open 2 !C? Sometimes, but not as frequently if the suits were reversed since opening 1 !C followed by a reverse or jump-shift will often better describe the hand without the space-eating 2 !C open. Also, staring at a !S void (or stiff), opener knows it is highly unlikely for the auction to die with 1 !C. For the foregoing reasons, I’m banking on a long red suit with opener, probably hearts.

Yes, that’s a lot of supposin’.  ::)

Jim mentions bidding 3 !C to highlight our void. I'm not mentioning it now so that I can later via a Lightner double. So while I like the sexy alternatives, I’m hoping the opps bid all the way to a red-suit slam. Which I double.

In the meantime, I’ll make the pedestrian raise of partner’s bid.

This may be completely off the wall thinking. Help me out here --- is this nuts?
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kenberg

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #18 on: March 02, 2020, 11:04:49 PM »
I also just raise to 4 !S on D. And I am not at all sure I want to show a club void. Of course if Lho declares slam in a red suit that might (ok, would be) be good, but it would not surprise me if they landed in 6 !C. Let them figure out how to play their trump suit.
Ken

blubayou

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #19 on: March 04, 2020, 06:10:49 AM »




SOLVER: Jock McQuade
        Gresham OR

As i feared, no  "AH-HA" moments will come for me this month..I "know"  4 or 5 spades will score higher  on #F, than either 3NT or leave-in of double,   but I stick with my true at the table choice,  since i am screwed for good score this month anyway. :(
PROBLEM A: 2 Hearts   --( seriously,   no two-over-one???)
PROBLEM B: 1 Diamond
PROBLEM C: Pass  --- 26 of 27 panelists unless some just DEFY the system note
PROBLEM D: 4 Hearts   --   5 spades or mousey 4   will beat this score :(
PROBLEM E: 1 Notrump

PROBLEM F: 3 Notrump -- see top.
PROBLEM G: 2 Hearts not popular in our club--- we shall see how the big boys treat me  :)
PROBLEM H: Heart 4--  (only switch  in 3 weeks  --  From "punting' with spade ten )   


I KNOW one thing only about this month :  750 WILL NOT be the cut-off for getting on the honor-roll!  Thank you for participating in the Master Solvers Club.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2020, 07:10:45 PM by blubayou »
often it is better to beg forgiveness, than ask permission

kenberg

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #20 on: March 04, 2020, 02:16:53 PM »
I have been fretting about F. With 9 highs and a five card spades suit it is hard not to bid game, but the !D Q is of limited value, and spades probably split 3-1. Why? Well, the 3 !D is unlikely to be on 2=2=7=2 shape, partly because that's a very tight shape and partly because it is not a very attractive pre-empt. The death shape I think it is sometimes called. If Lho has a stiff, where is it? In spades if that suit splits 3-1, while in clubs or hearts , where we have lesser fits, the split would be more dramatic. So let's look at a retty good hand for partner:


AKxx
AKxx
x
Kxxx


JT532
432
AQ9
Q2

Can we make 4 !S? Maybe, maybe not, depending on how we play and how the cards lie. Suppose the opening lead is the !H J and suppose we win it and cash the !S AK, Lho throwing a !D on the second !S. Ruffing two diamonds could be a little tricky. Say we ruff a !D and then lead a !C from the board to get back to hand. Rho hops up with the A, plays the !S Q drawing dummy's last trump. Ok now we have two club tricks available but only if we can get to them. After cashing his !S Q now Rho shifts to a !H. If we take the A, that's dummy's last entry, stranding the !C K. Well, maybe !H are 3-3, so after ducking a !H we take the next one and pitch a !D on the last !H.

With a little planning we can handle this, and maybe the cards lie well, but my point is that I have given dummy pretty good cards and still 4 !S is not exactly a walk in the park. If the hearts are AQxx instead of AKxx, I doubt 4 !S is a make.

The defects of the had we hold are clear. The !D Q is at best a so-so value, the preempt suggests suits won't be breaking well, and transportation difficulties are easy to foresee.

Probably I am still bidding 4 !S but I am fretting. One reason for bidding 4 !S is that even if they can beat 4 !S it doesn't mean that they will beat 4 !S. Another reason is that if I settle for 3 !S and it is cold for 4, I will be getting a zero (this is mps and I think the field will be in 4 !S)  while if I am in 4 !S just like everyone else is, then I have a chance for a good board if I can play the hand better than they do. In the recent acbl sectional robot tourney I was in 6NT on a hand that was cold for 12 tricks in NT and 13 tricks in clubs. But few if any were in 7 !C and so, when 13 tricks came my way on a bot mis-defense, I got a very good score, despite the fact that 7 !C would of course been worth more. Ending in the same contract as the rest of the field can be ok.
Ken

jcreech

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #21 on: March 05, 2020, 01:06:59 PM »
I pulled the trigger.  I had hoped for a more complete discussion from Todd and Ken before doing so.  You cannot have everything your way.  The partnership bonus is no longer in effect, so I will no longer declare a partner (I was doing it more to advertise its existence than for the Monster Points anyway).

SOLUTIONS FOR:
James Creech
Fredericksburg VA
U.S.A.
 
PROBLEM A: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM B: Pass
PROBLEM C: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM D: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM E: 1 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 4 Spades
PROBLEM G: Pass
PROBLEM H: Spade 10

I made a couple of changes from my initial thoughts.  Ken's research on Problem A led me to steer clear of a forcing NT followed by 3H plan - it is better to show the invitational values and 6 hearts and feel a little bad about the quality of my heart suit than the other options.  I also changed Problem D's answer; I still want to make a lead director, but I think it likely they will end up in clubs, so why advertise the void and give them that information?  I make the heart bid partly in case partner has a tenace position and needs to have a lead through.  Good luck to all the participants!
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

EddyHaskel

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #22 on: March 05, 2020, 11:08:21 PM »
PROBLEM A: 1 Notrump
PROBLEM B: Pass
PROBLEM C: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM D: 4 Spades
PROBLEM E: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM F: 4 Spades
PROBLEM G: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM H: Spade 10
 

Masse24

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #23 on: March 07, 2020, 01:16:33 AM »
APRIL GUESSES (with some reasoning--such as it is)


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

PROBLEM A: 2 Hearts
An overbid. But 3 !H (for me) should have a better suit, not this collection of fluff. I have no source to cite for this, it just “feels” right. 2 !H also has the advantage of leaving more room to find our best strain. One additional reason I respond with a GF 2 !H: I would open this in first seat, which is often a deciding factor for me on hands like this.


PROBLEM B: Pass
Pass will be the popular answer, probably a majority. The red suits are too ugly to contemplate mentioning. Also worth mentioning, since I have only two spades they almost surely have the spades. So why open?
The only remotely viable option is to mention the clubs. That club suit has some “stuff,” and opening 1 !C intrigues me. But it would open a can of worms, so I pass. 


PROBLEM C: Pass
Looks like a textbook 3 !C. But the note: “*BWS: 3 ♣ weak, but values for 3NT opposite a balanced hand with 18-19 HCP” differs from my personal methods, and therefore, if I strictly adhere to the system notes, my hand is too weak.

So I pass.

But this “feels” wrong. Often, I feel a though the system notes added to these problems are trying to talk me into an action. Here, it feels as though they want to talk me out of a “normal” preempt. Do I ignore the note and risk partner going on? Or does the preemptive value of 3 !C outweigh the risk?


PROBLEM D: 4 Spades
I already expressed my thoughts in detail upthread. But this one really has me flummoxed. I see several answers as possible, including:
•   Pass
•   3 !H
•   3 !S
•   4 !S
•   3 !C
•   5 !C
•   5 !S --- I like this, but go with 4 !S, which is safe.


PROBLEM E: Pass
Both 2 !H and 1NT will be common. Both of them right on values. But it is quite possibly a misfit, in which case I want to “get out fast.” I can’t get out any faster than the one-level—so I pass.

Yes, it’s an underbid of sorts; I’m a queen too strong for this. But I overbid on “A,” so I’m compensating now. 😊 (Hey, I had to justify my decision with a reason and this is the best BS I could come up with!)

This one is definitely my “out there” decision this set.


PROBLEM F: 3 Notrump
Nine tricks is fewer than ten?
Second choice is 4 !S.
I am not brave enough to contemplate pass, but at these colors at Matchpoints it's a possibility.


PROBLEM G: 2 Hearts
I failed to preempt, therefore this should imply spade tolerance . . . yes? The K&R on this hand is over 10 (yes, even without the !D Jack), so I want to keep the auction alive.

My second choice is pass. It’s close.


PROBLEM H: Heart 4
In case I haven’t made it clear, I hate lead problems. Last month’s debacle should be proof!

I need partner to have any of the A or K or J for a low heart to work. With East rebidding 1NT, then 3NT over his partner’s 3 !D, my guess is he has a diamond filler. If so, it is impossible for East to have all of the missing heart honors.

My initial choice—a safe one—was the !S Ten.

I’m not brave enough to try the !C Ace, which is also a possibility.


« Last Edit: March 08, 2020, 05:26:53 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

bAbsG

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #24 on: March 07, 2020, 04:31:52 AM »

SOLVER: Babs Giesbrecht
       Qualicum Beach BC
       Canada

Your Solutions for the April 2020 Contest 
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM B: Pass
PROBLEM C: Pass
PROBLEM D: 4 Spades
PROBLEM E: Pass
PROBLEM F: 3 Spades
PROBLEM G: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM H: Spade 10

I think this is the only month when I haven't been swayed from my initial decisions.  Usually I change at least 1 answer at the last minute which usually results in a 0 score for that question.  ??? ???  We shall see.

wackojack

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #25 on: March 07, 2020, 10:32:14 AM »

A: 3♥
Initial thought was 1NT but after Ken’s BWS research I now go for 3♥
B: 1♦
Green light for 1♦
C: Pass
I don’t want partner to bid 3NT with 18-19
D:  4♠
E: 2♥
I would have liked the rebid of 1♠ to promise an unbalanced hand in which case I would next bid 1NT.  Sadly in BWS it does not so I rebid 2♥.
F: 3NT
Just gets the edge over 4♠
G: Pass
RANT: I just don’t know what to make of this when 2♥ in non forcing in BWS.  I would like advancer change of suit to be forcing as I would play it.  See my views in earlier forum discussions.  Sadly, under the BWS constraints I have to pass.
H: 10♠   

Masse24

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #26 on: March 07, 2020, 12:17:26 PM »
G: Pass
RANT: I just don’t know what to make of this when 2♥ in non forcing in BWS.  I would like advancer change of suit to be forcing as I would play it.  See my views in earlier forum discussions.  Sadly, under the BWS constraints I have to pass.

Forcing--by a passed hand?
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kenberg

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #27 on: March 07, 2020, 01:29:46 PM »
G: I think 2 !H probably does suggest a spade tolerance at Todd says. Otherwise, we have a hand where we did not choose to open 2 !H but now decide to bid 2 !H. Running from 1 !S? There is an old adage "Don't rescue a partner who has not been doubled". With, say, a 1=5=3=4 shape I could pass 1 !S.  If the unlike happens and this is passed out, pard may be able to scramble seven tricks. If, more likely, Lho doubles then we can see how it goes. If Rho passes the take-out double then I might want to rescue.

This hand, imo, is an advertisement in favor of 2 !H being non-forcing. 2 !H might well be the right contract. If pard has a 12 count and !H Axx he will raise hearts, and that should be fine, but on many other hands he can pass 2 !H or, if he must, he can return to 2 !S which I will pass. Note that if he returns to 2 !S I will know that he thought this was best. If 2 !H is forcing, a rebid of 2 !S means "Well, the 2 !H was forcing so I had to do something". Same thing if he raises hearts. I can regard that raise as more encouraging if passing was an option.

There was an amusing hand at the club along these general lines of forcing versus non-forcing.  I was dealt a 1=5=1=6 shape with a 12 count and, rightly or wrongly, decided to start with 1 !H. Lho doubled, pard bid 2 !D. Uh oh. First I had to recall whether we were playing this 2 !D as forcing.  I thought it was non-forcing but I still decided to bid 3 !C. A bad choice. Partner has a 5=1=6=1 shape.  And it gets more interesting. My Lho, the doubler, has a 4-1-6-2 shape with a strong diamond suit. However, even though partner would be playing in a 6-1 fit and getting a 6-0 trump split, the double dummy analysis has him off only one in 2 !D.
 

                        ♠KJT72
                        ♥K
                       ♦A87543
                       ♣2

♠AQ85                                   ♠963
♥9                                         ♥QT8642
♦KQJT96                                 void
♣QJ                                       ♣T965


                        ♠4
                        ♥AJ753
                        ♦2
                        ♣AK8743

Yes, passing is very often the right call. Mea culpa. Looking at the cards, I am not sure that partner meant 2 !D as non-forcing but our cc says that it is, and passing would have been good.

Anyway, I am liking 2 !H for G.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2020, 06:40:25 PM by kenberg »
Ken

wackojack

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #28 on: March 07, 2020, 05:41:44 PM »
Ah thank you Todd and Ken for pointing that out.  So yes I think I can assume that 2 !H will be understood as showing tolerance for spades and not an out and out contract correction.  So I will change my vote to 2 !H.

kenberg

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Re: 2020 April - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #29 on: March 09, 2020, 01:28:09 AM »
I was going to say "Help me, I am losing my mind, I am bidding 3NT on F with my !D AQ9". But I see that Jack has got there before me. That 9 is an important card. Well, so I think.

I am not at all sure I see 10 tricks in spades but 9 in NT? A good chance I think.

I am also re-thinking A. If I bid 1NT there is a pretty good chance partner will respond with 2 !C rather than 2 D, and while 1!S - 1NT - 2 !D - 3 !H is an artificial diamond raise I think !S - 1NT - 2 !C - 3 !H is natural. I think it is. I have to read a  little more.

I am not so sure the panelists always stick to the BWS agreements when choosing their calls, but I like to. Maybe they do, I have not really looked all that closely.

But I suppose I stick with 2 !H. I can perhaps land on my feet sometimes if I am lucky. If I bid 1NT and pard responds 2 !D, there is no way out.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2020, 11:17:59 AM by kenberg »
Ken