Author Topic: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB  (Read 10027 times)

Masse24

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #15 on: April 09, 2020, 11:58:53 PM »
This is a hard month, in many ways . . .

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

PROBLEM A: 2 Clubs
If I double first, I expect to hear hearts. Then what?
If I were playing Ghestem, I’d use it, bidding 2 !D to show the blacks. Lacking that, the best way to show my hand is to bid my suits. I’ll start with my longest suit and pray it does not get passed out. If I later introduce the spades, my partner will be better informed.

I expect double to be the runaway solver choice.


PROBLEM B: Double
Having only two spades is ugly, and a flaw. Change the club honor to the queen and Bob Hamman would be whispering in my ear, “3NT—do it!” But I’m not brave enough with only !C Jx. A double seems flexible.

3 !D is a close second choice.


PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
WTP?


PROBLEM D: 1 Notrump
Obviously intending to show a weak hand with two (or three like here) hearts. Since my HCP are in spades, it is less likely that LHO will compete in spades if I pass. The advantage of bidding something—even 1NT—is that it removes the one-level from the opponents arsenal. Coincidentally, so does the constructive 2 !H response. (Remember the “seemingly normal” 3 !C preempt from last month?) Sometimes, the risk involved with making a bid—despite the system—is outweighed by the effect it has on the auction.

This is my "woop-woop" out there bid this month. Not too crazy, though.


PROBLEM E: 3 Hearts
I want to keep 3NT in the picture and also include partner in the decision. One way to do that would be to just bid it. I've seen other problems like this where the panel does it without blinking. "Stopper? We don't need no stinking stopper!"

At IMPs, I would be far more inclined to take a rosy view and bid 4 !C, willing to bail out in 5 !D if we can’t find a slam. If I had a singleton somewhere this would be an easy 4 !C.

This looks like one of those hands where Kokish and Kit trot out 3NT.


PROBLEM F: 3 Notrump
Not going to splinter a stiff King. A wee bit too strong for 4S. I do have some defense, and this is preemptive. Seems a fair description.

We had a not completely dissimilar MSC hand a year ago. It was 6=6=0=1
!S KQJTxx !H xxxxxx !D - !C x
This 3NT treatment was mentioned then, and, not surprisingly, not one panelist chose it. But the 2nd place bid (just behind the practical leap to 4 !S) was a Jacoby 2NT! I mention this only to raise the possibilty of a J2NT response now. I will not do it because the hand a year ago, while having only six HCP, had more potential. This hand has the requisite spade length for the preemptive aspect of the 3NT response with juuuuuuust enough defense on the side to fulfill the “some defense” definition of this jump. I’ve seen this treatment described and defined elsewhere (though I can’t recall where) and the hand looked almost exactly like this one.

I think there will be a fair number of panelists who dislike this treatment and will choose the straightforward leap to game.

But as I wrote above, 3NT is a fair description.


PROBLEM G: Pass
Going with pass. Reluctantly.
Double has merit.


PROBLEM H: Club 3
I hate lead problems.

The !H A occurred to me, hoping for ruffs. But that seems too speculative.
I think the !S A will be the popular solver choice, but I’m hoping the panel chooses the trump lead to cut down on ruffs by declarer, hoping to beat the contract with sheer power.

I hate lead problems. Did I say that?

« Last Edit: April 10, 2020, 01:50:39 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

kenberg

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #16 on: April 10, 2020, 01:47:38 AM »
I pretty much stayed with my first thoughts. A couple of comments.

SOLVER: Kenneth Berg
        Sykesville MD
        U.S.A.

Your Solutions for the May 2020 Contest
-------------------
PROBLEM A: Double
2 !C was my second choice, I think maybe it should have been my first

PROBLEM B: Double
PROBLEM C: 1 Heart
PROBLEM D: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM E: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM F: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM G: Double

PROBLEM H: Club 3
I had said the 4, but I am choosing the 3. Even in std carding, three trump spots are often played middle then down. But, all in all, I have no interest in making my shape clear. Probably it doesn't matter a bit whether I play the 3 or the 4.

Ken

MarilynLi

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #17 on: April 10, 2020, 06:58:00 AM »
Tough problems.

PROBLEM A: Double
PROBLEM B: Double
PROBLEM C: 1 Heart. I like my hand.
PROBLEM D: 1 Spade. I want to play at the 2 level. I don't want to hear an invitational bid from partner after 2H.
PROBLEM E: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM F: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM G: Pass. We probably have a minor fit, but I don't like risking going down in MP.
PROBLEM H: Club 3. No rush to cash side winners, they won't disappear after the trump lead. It's unlikely partner can get in. I'm worried about being thrown in.

hoki

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #18 on: April 10, 2020, 08:13:12 AM »
PROBLEM A: Double
PROBLEM B: Double
PROBLEM C: 1 Heart
PROBLEM D: 1 Spade
PROBLEM E: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM F: 4 Hearts
PROBLEM G: Double
PROBLEM H: Spade Ace
 

drac

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #19 on: April 10, 2020, 09:47:14 AM »
SOLUTIONS FOR:
Wladislaus Dragwlya
Castrum Sex
Romania

PROBLEM A: 4 Spades
PROBLEM B: Double
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM E: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 4 Spades
PROBLEM G: Pass
PROBLEM H: Heart Ace

kenberg

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #20 on: April 10, 2020, 01:20:44 PM »
On C we 1 !H bidders are in a minority, so I thought I would say a bit more about why I like it.

We surely have a fit, but in hearts, in clubs or in both? Both is fairly likely. And once we find our fit, my hand is pretty good. If we play in clubs, my honors are in trumps and I have a stiff diamond. And a doubleton spade.

Thinking about the fit:
It's unlikely partner has five spades but if so then he has a lot of clubs so we have a super fit there. Let's now go with the realistic assumption he has at most four spades.
If he has seven cards in the minors then he will have at least four clubs (partner would not open 1 !C on three if he held four !D) and he also holds at least two hearts since he holds 13-7=6 cards in the minors.
If he has eight cards in the minors then, at least if he bids as I do, he holds at least five clubs since when 4-4 in the minors I open 1 !D.
If he holds six or fewer cards in the minors then he holds at least seven cards in the majors and so at least three hearts.

The upshot is that we hold at least an eight card fit in at least one of the two obvious suits, and it seems that starting with 1 !H is the best way to sort out the details. With my shape, and with honors in partner's club suit, I am not all that worried about getting too high . For example, if over my 1 !H then Lho bids 4 !D and partner bids 4 !H, this might well be making.


I will be interested to see how this scores, but I like my 1 !H.

On A, I am still worried for obvious reasons about my double, but I am sticking with it.

On the lead problem, I always worry about a lead problem, both in quizzes and at the table. I agree with Marilyn that being thrown in later is a serious worry. That would be my main reason for laying down the !H A at T1, but that seems extreme so I will stick with the !C spot.

We will soon be judged.  An advantage of aging is that I have long ago given up on worrying about being judged. I just assume I am right.  :)


« Last Edit: April 10, 2020, 01:23:50 PM by kenberg »
Ken

Masse24

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #21 on: April 10, 2020, 01:31:06 PM »
13-7=6 cards in the minors.

Leave it to our resident Math PhD to show off.  ;)
“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

kenberg

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #22 on: April 10, 2020, 02:03:24 PM »
13-7=6 cards in the minors.

Leave it to our resident Math PhD to show off.  ;)

Yes, and I did not even use a calculator, or bring up my copy of Mathematica, to work this out.


All mathematicians have stories, here is one. Between marriages I took a date to a New Year's Eve party. The host was a mathematician, as were many of the guests, and my date was finding conversation difficult.  Hoping to shift away from mathematical talk I asked one of the older guys "What's your daughter doing these days?" The answer was "Partial differential equations". Later my date told me she decided to stop fretting and if someone asked her what she was doing at the party she would explain that I had just picked her up at a bar on the way over.
Ken

Masse24

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #23 on: April 10, 2020, 02:07:51 PM »
I have a new found respect for you, Ken!  ;D
“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

jcreech

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #24 on: April 10, 2020, 02:27:22 PM »
Leave it to our resident legal beagle to find the small print in the middle of the document to make his point. - lol

13-7=6 cards in the minors.

Leave it to our resident Math PhD to show off.  ;)
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

Masse24

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #25 on: April 10, 2020, 07:42:24 PM »
Scores are out

Marilyn led the way, with Masse24 close behind and KenBerg third; all three made the Bridge World Honor Roll, so congrats!! 

NAMEBW-SCORERANKMPs
MarilynLi     770   1   30
Masse24     760   2   25
KenBerg     750   3   20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Also participating and receiving 1 Monster Point are (alphabetically): BabsG, Blubayou, CCR3, DrAculea, Hoki, Jcreech, Msphola, WackoJack, and Yleexotee. A solid month, with some high scores all around!

We had a nice turnout! Hopefully we can continue to build on this in the coming months!

Commentary is still welcome for this set. :) There were some interesting problems, solutions, and choices by our members.
“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

jcreech

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #26 on: April 10, 2020, 08:30:26 PM »
The threshold for making the honor roll was 740 this month - it occasionally is lower.  Two other players were at 700 or above; WackoJack and myself.

MarilynLi was tied for 6th on the Honor Roll
Masse24 was tied for 14th and
KenBerg was tied for 20th.

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

jcreech

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #27 on: April 10, 2020, 08:34:23 PM »
My break down:


SOLVER: James Creech
        Fredericksburg VA
        U.S.A.

Your Solutions for the May 2020 Contest
-------------------
PROBLEM A: Double      100
PROBLEM B: Double      100
PROBLEM C: 2 Hearts    100  - this is the one I thought was going to be very bad -
PROBLEM D: Pass           80  - I can see that this scored lower because action was viewed better than inaction - my second choice scored better
PROBLEM E: 4 Clubs       80  - Curious why 3H (a general strong D raise) was better than 4C (also showing a club control) - it was my second choice
PROBLEM F: 3 Notrump 100
PROBLEM G: Pass           80  - again, inaction bumped this down - my second choice was the negative double - with the 100
PROBLEM H: Spade Ace   90  - the trump lead squeaked out over most of the top spade leads (other than the Q - no one on the panel made that deceptive lead, but I wonder why it would be singled out for a zero when even the J got a 90)
« Last Edit: April 10, 2020, 08:55:13 PM by jcreech »
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

Curls77

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #28 on: April 10, 2020, 08:48:31 PM »
WD winners  :)
& my appologies to Jim and Todd, I failed post answers again, no good excuse but left till last moment and got caught in Don Quichote battle.

kenberg

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Re: 2020 May - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #29 on: April 10, 2020, 09:30:14 PM »
SOLVER: Kenneth Berg
        Sykesville MD
        U.S.A.

Your Solutions for the May 2020 Contest
-------------------
PROBLEM A: Double              100
PROBLEM B: Double               100
PROBLEM C: 1 Heart                 90
PROBLEM D: 2 Hearts               60
PROBLEM E: 3 Hearts             100
PROBLEM F: 3 Notrump          100
PROBLEM G: Double               100
PROBLEM H: Club 3                100

If someone said "You will be happy with all but one of your scores" I never would have guessed that raising 1 !H to 2 !H  would be the choice that went wrong! Yes, i do have five spades, but I have a heart fit and so raising hearts both takes up space from the opponents and informs pard that we have a fit. I suppose it is one of those constructive raise things. I'm an old fashioned guy. And that stiff club seems pretty constructive..  :)

Ok, constructive raise, constructive raise, constructive raise.
Ken