Author Topic: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB  (Read 10445 times)

Masse24

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2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« on: April 14, 2020, 10:45:43 PM »
JUNE 2020 MSC

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

Submit your June 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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« Last Edit: May 15, 2020, 07:14:49 PM by Masse24 »
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kenberg

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2020, 01:48:13 PM »
I'll look at A. It's a recurring theme. I decided to amuse myself by making up a  hand for each of the other three players and then seeing what the bots would do:

                  !S K95
                  !H KQ76
                  !D AJ43
                  !C 82


!S QT7                                     8643
!H T8432                                  A95
!D Q62                                     K9
!C AJ                                       KT93

                 !S AJ2
                 !H J
                 !D T875
                 !C Q7654   

The uncontested bot auction went 1 !D - 1NT- Pass
Off two, -200.
Yes, the South bot self-alerted that he held either 2 or 3 cards in each major. Of course he does not have a good bid.

Me, I think I would bid 1 !S over 1 !D. Partner would rebid 1NT and then, I think, I would go back to 2 !D. It looks as if 2 !D would be off 1.  Can the opponents make 2 !H, assuming they can somehow bid it? Maybe, but I sort of doubt it. We can certainly take 2 spades, 2 hearts, and 1 diamond, but just how does declarer plausibly get the other 8 tricks?

I chose the three non-S hands w/o trying for any particular result, I just chose some cards, but of course there are many possibilities. With this deal, I don't want to be in 3 !D.  My 1 !S call, followed by the correction to 2 !D, seems to work out reasonably well.

But what should we really do? The choices seem to be:
1 !S on !S AJ2
1NT holding a stiff !H
3 !D on a hand that does not much appeal to me.
As I say, this is a recurring theme.
I am pretty sure that at the table I would bid 1 !S. But I am hardly prepared to strongly defend that call.

We could vary the hands a little, trading the !S 6 for the !H 6:


                  !S K965
                  !H KQ7
                  !D AJ43
                  !C 82


!S QT7                                     843
!H T8432                                  A965
!D Q62                                     K9
!C AJ                                       KT93

                 !S AJ2
                 !H J
                 !D T875
                 !C Q7654   

The bot auction would go the same, since the S hand has not changed and N has no reason to pull 1NT. The defense against 1NT could get interesting. Of course after my 1 !S call N would raise. Well, I have one top diamond, two  hearttricks to be developed.  Can I manage five spade tricks? Maybe. Without then first taking six tricks? Maybe. The opponents now have a 9 card !H fit but still, can they find it? And even if they do, can they take 9 tricks? So 2 !S making would be great, 2 !S off 1 might well be acceptable.

Still. What should be done? Beats me. I doubt that it is hard to deal the cards so that 1 !S works very badly.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2020, 02:09:28 PM by kenberg »
Ken

Masse24

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2020, 02:35:35 PM »
Me, I think I would bid 1 !S over 1 !D. Partner would rebid 1NT and then, I think, I would go back to 2 !D. It looks as if 2 !D would be off 1. 

But what should we really do? The choices seem to be:
1 !S on !S AJ2
1NT holding a stiff !H
3 !D on a hand that does not much appeal to me.
As I say, this is a recurring theme.
I am pretty sure that at the table I would bid 1 !S. But I am hardly prepared to strongly defend that call.

Still. What should be done? Beats me. I doubt that it is hard to deal the cards so that 1 !S works very badly.

Nice summary of the choices, Ken.

This . . . mild maneuvering of partner via a 1 !S response in a three-card suit seems relatively safe.

An inverted-minor bid in diamonds (1 !D - 2 !D) is common with only four-card support, but the jump to 3 !D should have five. I don't recall ever making this jump with only four-card support. To do so "feels" wrong to me. So I rule it out for the moment.

This leaves the mild maneuvering choice of 1 !S (in an effort to land in what I think is the best contract of 2 !D), and the "value-bid" of 1NT.

It's a close call for me. A coin flip. At the table, I probably respond 1NT. But I like the science of the 1 !S response. 

I'm not ready to commit, but I lean toward the vanilla, bog-standard, value-bid of 1NT. Thank goodness there is plenty of time remaining.
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hoki

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2020, 05:39:41 AM »
Thanks guys, I was going to bid 2, not being aware that BWS uses inverted minors. So now I am supposed
to bid with my hands tied behind my back and on crutches? I am not bidding 1♠ because with Ken's sample
opening hand I would always raise to 2♠ in preference to rebidding 1NT with a useful ruffing value in clubs, a
small doubleton in an unbid suit. I'm hardly left with any choice but to bid 1NT, as much as I dislike that.

hoki

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2020, 05:50:34 AM »
I'm dithering on problem D as well. In standard methods a reverse bid is not only forcing, but also promises
that the opener will bid once more unless responder jumps to game. So do I misdescribe the shape of my hand
with a 1NT opening bid, do I overbid via (b3), or do I go quietly via (b2)? I think I've convinced myself to go on
the low road.
Oliver

blubayou

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2020, 04:13:54 AM »
Problem A:>>   1 Spade on AJx .  this works  almost always-- trust me
Problem B>>     leave in the neg double..  DOWNSIDE  should be  mins  140---and you and I see 3nt with presumed 27                           or so points having 2 in-cards + 3 spades, to beat. i see small loss  ,often  chunky gain-- sue me!
Problem C>>     pass   "STAY FIXED, WHEN THEY HAVE FIXED YOU"---  my hero,  Al Roth. 
Problem D>>     open 1H,  reverse into spades:   "scientific" reversing rules  do not apply to THIS auction
pROBLEM E>>   4 Spades. 5 looser hand anyway,  and  BOTH help-suit asks  are flawed ,    so, why bother!.  only  SSGT                            3 Hearts would change my mind, ..and i don't need to hunt through  the  BWS-2017  listings,  since i                                    have a blast to spade game ANYWAY...yes?
Problem F >>     3 diams now,  and spades later   ( at 3 or 4). 
Problem G>>>    2!D --VERY distant 2nd choice  =  1NT    barff  (must have read the problem wrong   change to  2H
Problem H>>>   interior-sequence spade card..  jack or ten-- whichever the bws polling has agreed is the normal .  --cannot wait for JULY,   folks!!!
« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 07:14:29 AM by blubayou »
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hoki

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2020, 12:12:10 PM »
G looks like a problem of our own making. Why didn't we respond 1NT after the overcall? Now
whatever we do partner will not know we have at least 6 points, essentially a balanced hand,
and a good card in hearts. Had we bid 1NT initially, partner would at least have known two of
those three things and we can always support hearts if asked to bid again. I'm not bidding 2
at matchpoints when hearts rate to score more than diamonds and partner's shape might be
2=5=3=4.
Oliver

jcreech

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2020, 12:47:23 PM »
My initial thoughts:

A:  1S I hate this bid, but not strong enough for 2D, not enough length for 3D, not enough balanced shape for 1NT, not enough spades for 1S. So which is the least lie?  I am beteen 1S and 1NT, but am afraid of a pass of the 1NT.  At least if partner raises spades, I can take a ruff in the short hand.

B: Pass This hand reminds me of a regional section top I once had.  I never declared a single hand, but should have.  What happened was, every time I was supposed to declare, the opponents stepped out of line.  The double brought a score slightly (or more) better than what we would have gotten had I declared.  This hand smells like one of those hands.  200/500 vs. a partscore.  800/1100 vs. a game.  My worry is that we might have a slam and at this level, we don't have enough tricks to recover that score.

C: 4S  I hate these preempts.  Never sure whether it is right to overcall or double.  The spade suit is not really right to overcall, but the hand is a bit too good to pass, and I've been burned on this level double too much recently.  If it had been hearts, I would have said "accepting the transfer" and bidd 4S, diamonds, just gives me two potential "transfer" suits.

D: b4  If my minor HCPs were in my majors, I would reverse (b3), but they aren't.  This hand feels a lot like a NT, but with nine cards in the majors, I prefer to show my hearts and give partner a chance to show spades.  We are not playing Flannery, so the spades can be partner's responsibility to show.  If partner bit a forcing NT, I will raise to show my values.

E: 3S  Partner needs too much to try for slam via a self-splinter, but could also have too little to make game.  Therefore, I am splitting the baby and only inviting.  Before I submit, I want to double check the game tries section of BWS, because if I have a short suit GT available or a way to show a mini-splinter, that would be perfect to get to the game when it is right.

F: 2D I intend to show both suits and I want to eat up some bidding space.  I am just not certain how much space to use.  I wish I had a top and bottom bid available, but that has to be beyond the scope of BWS and since I am certain that hearts will be shown, I will show the diamonds first and the spades second.  My big worry is that partner is the one showing hearts.  That is part of the reason why I am laying a bit low with my first suit (at least for now).

G: 2H  1SX by the opponents will be a struggle given the 5-? break, but my holding is not at all robust, so I feel I have to bid.  1NT is not very palatable (they could still run four in the suit on me) and a 4-3 in diamonds, while could be right, still worries me.  Kx is great support under the circumstances, so I will make the reluctant raise.  (I saw Hoki's comments just before posting - I agree with them and while I did not notice that this was a MP problem, that would have been an additional reason for my selection.)

H: SJ  I think that spades is the right suit for us to be attacking.  It would be better if the lead were coming from partner, but it isn't, and I have no idea where partner may have an entry.  In some ways, I would prefer to start with the 3, but if partner has five, then I probably have just blocked the suit.  This lead caters to a variety of holding with partner and with declarer.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2020, 03:43:46 PM by jcreech »
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DickHy

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2020, 07:00:01 PM »
A.  1N.  Wasn’t there a problem similar to this recently, which had 3C = weak but supports 3N.  From memory 3C scored well, but the suit was something like AJxxxx.  This suit is too short (much like life is with BWS bidding problems) for 3D.  I don’t like misleading partner over major suit length, but note there are plenty of experts here who argue against that. 

B.   Pass/3N.  I expect p to have a minimum of 6/7 HCP to make a negative x at the 1-level, so we have enough for 3N, so that’s one option.  We might have more, in which case p (reading me for 19) would raise my 3N in some cunning way.  We will score 800 in penalties if we can restrict N to 4 tricks.  He may have 6 spades, as they are quite anaemic.  If we use 2 of my trumps to ruff H, he might come to 4 tricks in trumps alone.

C.  Pass.  P must be short in D but didn’t x, which he may well have done holding both majors and 11 HCP.  If I bid it will be 4S (p will not appreciate a Moysian in H breaking badly).  Will we make 4S?  We look certain to beat 4D.

D.  (b4) This looks straightforward to me (oh, wait, those are the words I often use just before being disembowelled in post-mortems).

E.  4S.  Torn between a short suit game try and a 4S bid.  BWS offers a long suit and short suit game try.  The latter, like Romex after 1S – 2S, is via 2N; the short suit being shown later.  This hand looks too strong to be messing about giving information to opponents. Incidentally, in the BWS system a re-raise to 3S is apparently pre-emptive. 

F.  pass/2D.  This looks to me a little like problem B in reverse, so do we want to tread carefully?  BWS says the xx shows any hand with 10-plus HCP that is not suitable for a raise or a new-suit bid – 3334, then.  That would leave p holding 4432 (and opener 1417).  At least we’re sure of a fit, but p is not offering any ruffs.  They could well be heading to a making 3N.  Bidding a pre-emptive 2D ain’t likely to get much in their way & does it give them an option for 800?

G.  2H. The cat obviously got my tongue earlier in the auction.  Now she’s back at her milk saucer, I better continue being conservative (comatose?) 

H.  JS.  Declarer has 7+ cards in the minors, with missing minor honours well placed and a H entry into dummy.  Let’s hope he has Qxx in spades (and xx AKxxx Axx or xx AKxx AJxx), so we can proceed against H later in the best possible fashion after seeing dummy.  BWS says highest-equal from interior sequences when leading against NT.

A couple where I'm undecided, with the (presently) favoured bid shown first.  Crikey! that's 3 passes - no way to do well in a BWS (red meat) bidding competition.

Hope you're all keeping well


Masse24

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2020, 09:17:52 PM »
I keep looking at PROBLEM A.

While I stand by my likely choice above, I think there is another choice that may garner a panel vote or two.

2 !D.

It's not totally nuts. It does, however, preclude stopping in 2 !D, which seems to be the goal of the few who have offered an opinion.

I saw Richard Pavlicek make a similar inverted minor response within the last two or three weeks. I tried to find it in my hand records, but could not. But he did it.
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hoki

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2020, 07:15:46 AM »
Your Solutions for the June 2020 Contest
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM C: 4 Spades
PROBLEM D: (b2)
PROBLEM E: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM F: 1 Spade
PROBLEM G: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Spade Jack
 

kenberg

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2020, 12:10:17 PM »
I keep looking at PROBLEM A.

While I stand by my likely choice above, I think there is another choice that may garner a panel vote or two.

2 !D.

It's not totally nuts. It does, however, preclude stopping in 2 !D, which seems to be the goal of the few who have offered an opinion.

I saw Richard Pavlicek make a similar inverted minor response within the last two or three weeks. I tried to find it in my hand records, but could not. But he did it.

Right, not totally nuts. But but but

The opponents have. almost certainly, 8+ hearts. Of course they are vul, but still it seems unlikely they will sell to 2 !D even if we somehow get there.  So the problem is to help partner when he needs to decide what to do over their 2 !H, if they get there. The stiff !H perhaps makes 3 !D attractive, but bidding 2 !D now makes it almost certain that partner will not let them play 2 !H undoubled.  If Lho comes in with 2 !H over my 2 !D and partner doubles, I have no idea what I should do next.

Would Lho bid 2 !H. Well, sure he might. Would partner double, and what would it mean? It seems that with !H KTxx he might well think "Maybe this belongs in 2 !H X, maybe it belongs in 3NT, whatever the case I will start with X and see what partner does".

Nothing seems all that great here. Of course if we were not playing inverted minors 2 !D would be obvious. But that can be said of any agreement, sometimes you are glad you are playing it, sometimes you wish that you weren't. I recall reading some expert opinion, I forget who, saying that inv minors is a slight plus for a partnership that has discussed the details, and a bit of a trap for those who haven'.  Again this can be said of many conventions.

I am wavering between 1 !S and 1NT. I am thinking that maybe I go with 1NT. There are various ways that the auction could go well from there, and if 1NT is passed out and is set then maybe they could have made 2 !H and all is well. I don't have to worry about 1NT being doubled, I can run to !D.

Anyway, I agree that 2 !D is not totally nuts. But I am not doing it.
Ken

Masse24

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2020, 11:48:18 PM »
SOLUTIONS FOR:  Terry Adamik Boulder City NV U.S.A. 

REDBIRD44

PROBLEM A: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM C: 4 Spades
PROBLEM D: (b4)
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 1 Diamond
PROBLEM G: Pass
PROBLEM H: Spade Jack
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blubayou

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2020, 02:35:47 AM »
SOLUTIONS FOR:Jock McQuade Portland ORU.S.A.
PROBLEM A: 1 Spade  happy to have some backup,  but was never in doubt really
PROBLEM B: Pass        DITTO this problem  but here  i could have been persuaded otherwise
PROBLEM C: Pass   no comment
PROBLEM D: (b3)    having no contempt for those who just raise notrump,  BUT
PROBLEM E: 4 Spades      comforted bigly by DICKYHS  observation that scientific probe mayjust improve the defense-- - 
                                               ..IF  game isn't just a rock!
PROBLEM F: 3 Diamonds   my monthly self-inflicted "ten"   
PROBLEM G: 2 Hearts     kudos to OLIVER  -  my MAN!   for calling B-S  on the first round pass :)   Seven is not in the "book" for a free 1NT,  so   let's call the 10-fifth in his suit point #8, and  salute the empire upon which the sun never did set for  calling a spade a spade!;>

PROBLEM H  Spade Jack.....  ( 2nd choice------------------>??)
« Last Edit: May 06, 2020, 12:59:53 PM by blubayou »
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wackojack

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Re: 2020 June - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2020, 09:18:19 AM »
A: 1♠
Even if you play 1♦ as guaranteeing 4 (as I like to) the raise to 3♦ opposite a balanced 12-14 looks more like going off than making whereas 2♠ looks more like making than not.  Ken’s examples are instructive.  So, stay low.  You are happy if partner bids no trumps and can deal with it if partner raises spades provided that they do no break too badly.

B: 3NT
Looks crude but that is the contract that I think will make opposite a min take-out double.  Pass is out because we don’t really want to defend 1♠x do we?

C: 4♠
My initial thought was pass.  Then thinking of median hands: 
4♦ opening without the Ace more likely to be on an 8 card suit than a 7 so something like ♠ x, ♥ xx, ♦ KQJ10xxxx, ♣ Qxx an 8 count. 17 remaining between the other 2 hands. Give partner 8.  Say ♠ Kxxx,
 ♥ KQxx, ♦ xx, ♣ xxx. Or ♠ Kxx, ♥ KQxx, ♦ x, ♣ xxxxx. On each of these I can make 4♠, but then I was careful not to give partner a wasted Q♣.  So, I think the decision is very close. Reward risk ratio?  I think maybe just a bit better than 1 so I will go for 4♠. 

D: 2NT (b4)
Open 1♥ and with 17 invite with 2NT.  I reject 2♠ having 2 minor doubletons with stops.

E: 3♣
3♣ or 3♦? I need more help in ♣ than ♦ so go for trial bid of 3♣.

F: 1♦
I don’t really want to compete so will stay as safe as possible with 1♦.  The opps will buy the contract and hopefully the distribution will be a shock to them. 

G: 2♥
Partner has made a take-out double and I have a 4 card suit available.  OTOH it is match points and we could be playing in 2♦ when 2♥ is a perfectly good contract.  So will go for 2♥.

H: J♠
I think we have already had a discussion on the merits of leading the J versus leading the 3.  Of course playing zero leads as promoted by Joosth you lead the 10.