Author Topic: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB  (Read 13663 times)

kenberg

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #15 on: October 05, 2020, 12:47:58 PM »
It's true that partner has so far not said any encouraging word about either spades or diamonds and no doubt there is reason for caution. If all of is values are in hearts and clubs then they are useless since I cannot reach them. Otoh, if he has only one spade and only three hearts, then he has a five card minor and it certainly is not diamonds. Suppose he has
!S x
!H QJx
!D xxx
!C Axxxxx

The auction begins 2 !C - 2 !D - 2 !S. What do I do? Yes, 3 !C is a second negative. But it is only a tentative second negative, I assume. I can bid 3 !C and then, assuming partner bids 3 of something, I can bid 3NT meaning that the clubs are real and I have some values. Or at least that what I think it means.

Caution is warranted, agreed. But if partner has either the !S J or the !D J I should have some play for 6 and if he has both of these cards I have a good play for 6.

MSC hands are rarely if ever clear cut. After 2 !C - 2 !D - 2 !S - 2NT - 3 !D - 3NT partner does not have to have any values in !S or !D but he isn't forbidden to have them either. With a stiff x in !S and a doubleton xx in !D ha probably had a better call than 2NT over 2 !S, so it seems there is some reason to hope. We don't need much from him, we do need something, so as happens with MSC, it's a tough situation.
 
Ken

bAbsG

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #16 on: October 05, 2020, 02:34:57 PM »
SOLVER: Babs Giesbrecht
       Qualicum Beach BC
       Canada

Your Solutions for the November 2020 Contest 
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM D: 5 Spades
PROBLEM E: 4 Diamonds
PROBLEM F: 3 Spades
PROBLEM G: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM H: 4 Spades

Masse24

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #17 on: October 07, 2020, 02:58:25 AM »
Trigger not yet pulled, but I will likely stick with these.

PROBLEM A: 2NT. I’ve already mentioned the hand I think partner has. Something 22+ or so. Likely only five hearts. And east has nothing. Zero HCP. I can't envision 10 tricks, but 9 in notrump is possible. If I do not bid 2NT now, I doubt we can end in 3NT.

I do admire the 2 !S bidders.

PROBLEM B: 3 !H. I hate Moysians, but the MSC doesn’t.

PROBLEM C: 2 !S. Automatic. Yes, it’s a mild overbid. But I need to find something forcing in the hopes of finding out more.

PROBLEM D: 5NT. I looked at this over and over and over. 5 !S was the simple bid that always came to mind. I believe it will be the runaway solver choice. Presumably, hearing 5 !S, partner would bid the slam if he had even a stiff honor. So we would play in either 5 !S or 6 !S. But this feels awfully unilateral. So instead I’ll go with the always popular punt to partner bid of 5NT.

PROBLEM E: 4 !D. Too much shape not to force to game. As I wrote upthread, I abhor jumping to game if there is a splinter or picture bid available. Why not describe your hand along the way? The massive !D suit is the primary feature of my hand, so I show it as well as the fit.

PROBLEM F: 2NT. My all or nothing shot. Scores big or not.

Added: Partner is weak, but has at least 5 spades. So we have a nice fit. My heart tenace (a double stop) protects me against a heart lead. Assuming LHO has six clubs, all I need is for partner to have one to withstand a club lead by holding up.

3 !S is my second choice.

PROBLEM G: 2 !D. My first instinct. When I first saw this I thought, “Is this a problem?” That is never a good sign . . .

Playing in a 3-3 fit . . . in a minor . . . at Matchpoints. Probably not a winning move.

Pass is also possible.

PROBLEM H: 4 !S. Another first instinct bid. Mostly because I hate lead problems. Have I mentioned that?




Trigger pulled. No changes from above.

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

PROBLEM A: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 2 Spades
PROBLEM D: 5 Notrump
PROBLEM E: 4 Diamonds
PROBLEM F: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM G: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: 4 Spades
« Last Edit: October 09, 2020, 08:50:14 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

jcreech

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #18 on: October 07, 2020, 11:45:08 AM »
Trigger pulled - notes on changes from initial thoughts

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

PROBLEM A: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts  - in my assessment, this hand is not well suited for a Moysian, but Todd is right, MSC loves one
PROBLEM C: 2 Spades - I knew in my gut that I would upgrade to a game force
PROBLEM D: 4 Spades
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs - as much as I like the picture bids, I think I need to show the fit and retain the room to explore - this is a MSC regret
PROBLEM F: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM G: Pass
PROBLEM H: 3 Spades
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

Masse24

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #19 on: October 08, 2020, 03:21:21 AM »

PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs - as much as I like the picture bids, I think I need to show the fit and retain the room to explore - this is a MSC regret

Jim, does 3 !C "show the fit?"
“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 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #20 on: October 08, 2020, 01:00:18 PM »

PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs - as much as I like the picture bids, I think I need to show the fit and retain the room to explore - this is a MSC regret

Jim, does 3 !C "show the fit?"

It is forcing and implies the fit, which can be clarified, but it does keep the bidding lower which can be critical when trying to locate partner's controls.  I think this is a hand where I need to be captain - an asking, rather than telling situation - perhaps it is because I have two pictures to convey, but only one picture bid that can be used
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

Masse24

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #21 on: October 08, 2020, 03:25:34 PM »

It is forcing and implies the fit, which can be clarified, but it does keep the bidding lower which can be critical when trying to locate partner's controls.  I think this is a hand where I need to be captain - an asking, rather than telling situation - perhaps it is because I have two pictures to convey, but only one picture bid that can be used
This is just the kind of MSC bid that could score big. Or not. I never know.

Assuming that partner cooperates with a suit bid of the next step -- 3 !D here -- so that you may "clarify" with 3 !H, all will be fine. I'm not sure if BWS (or the BWS polls) dives that many layers into contested auctions. Now you have me curious . . . I'll have to look it up. Maybe it's one of those "just bridge" continuations.

I hope they cover this in The Bridge World. It will be an interesting question to have answered.
“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 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #22 on: October 08, 2020, 04:24:36 PM »
About E: I am also thinking of 3 !C.
I start with this: If I bid 4 !D and partner bids 4 !H, surely I must pass. All partner has done is to respond 1 !H to my opening 1 !D (and then bid when forced). So he can have a 6 count and maybe some marginal four card heart holding.

OK, so if he is better he will do more. But how much better?  With !H Axxx and !S Axxx we will, on the lead of the !C K, be losing two !H and a !C, and that is only if !H are 3-2.  If pard has !S A and !H AKxx we can take the !C K with the A, cash to high trump, maybe the Q will drop, sure maybe, but when the Q does not drop maybe we can pitch our losing clubs on the diamonds before they ruff in and cash another !C. So maybe we can make 6 !H. And maybe not.

So: We have first round control of !C, second round control of !S, and a great source of tricks in !D, all to the good. We have weak trumps. It's hard to imagine how we convey all of this to partner. So, echoing Jim, it seems I must find out, if I can, what partner has and then I must take the responsibility for bidding or not bidding the slam.

Afaik, bidding 3 !D just shows !D and a decent hand. So I think 3 !C is reasonable. I assume that this is a !H fit and that partner, at this point, will not think we are in a game force. So, if he bids a passable  3 !H, I will be comfortable raising to 4 !H. This does not show all of my features, but I think it does say "I was hoping for slam, but if you were willing to sign off in 3 !H I think I will settle for 4 !H". Or, if I still want to try over 3 !H, I could then bid 3 !S. Or I could bid 4 !D. But really I think if partner bids 3 !H, rejecting what he sees as a game invitation,  I bid 4 !H. There is this song about how the age of miracles hasn't passed, but I go with 4 !H over 3 !H.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2020, 04:33:41 PM by kenberg »
Ken

Masse24

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #23 on: October 08, 2020, 05:58:30 PM »
To me, 3 !C is a game-force, and that's all. The reason for it--like a 4SF bid--will be explained next round.

To agree trump it must be later (as Jim states) "clarified." Ken obviously disagrees.

If it generally forces a relay acceptance from partner (by way of 3 !D) then trump can be agreed below game. Does it?

This is the conversation I am hoping to see in a week in The Bridge World.
“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 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #24 on: October 08, 2020, 07:59:53 PM »
I guess I do need to think about this more.

I would agree that 3 !C, on some occasions, will not be on a heart fit. But when it is not on a heart fit, the 3 !C bidder will have a very big hand, prepared to cope with most anything his partner might do next. This means that responder can treat it as a heart fit and bid a passable 3 !H if he has a minimum hand. When opener does not have the values to move over 3 !H, he will have hearts.

I accept that this is not everyone's approach. But I cannot recall ever getting in trouble playing this way. There just are not that many hands where opener wants to force to game  without a heart fit after 1 !D - Pass - 1 !H - 2 !C.  And if he has a big hand with diamonds and spades, he can bid 2 !S. If he has a big hand with three hearts rather than four, he can start with a support double, that is not a limited bid.

But I agree it could happen that he wants to force to game even w/o a heart fit and no good alternative bid. I just can't recall ever having one.

I'll give it some more thought.  I guess bidding 3 !H over 2 !C can reasonably be taken as invitational, so the 3 !C call is not needed for that.

After coffee I'll make my choices for all the problems but an added thought on this one. Partner has responded 1 !H, Rho came in with 2 !C, I want to play this in game (at least).  But imagine for  moment partner's response had been 1 !S instead of 1 !H, and then Rho had still come in with 2 !C. Of course I do not want yo commit to game. Game was probable but not certain when pard bid 1 !H but now I can maybe hope for game but that's it. Not by coincidence, I have a perfectly reasonable call of 2 !H, after which we can still get out short of game.

The reason I say "Not by coincidence" is that I do not fit partner's suit but, if I still want to force to game, why did I not open 2NT or 2 !C ?Probably because I have a shapely hand with two suits. So if I do want to force to game, I now bid my second suit. And when, like here,  I don't want to force to game but have a strong hand, it's at least likely I have a second suit. At any rate, when pard responds 1M and Rho bids 2 !C, if M is !H I am happy to bid 3 !C to show a !H fit and when M is !S I am happy to bid 2 !H to show a good hand with shape.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2020, 11:50:37 AM by kenberg »
Ken

kenberg

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #25 on: October 09, 2020, 04:59:08 PM »
Almost ready but I need help.

On F:

Rho deals and opens 1 !H, I overcall 1NT, Lho bids 2 !C, partner bids 2 !S. Is that natural or not? Would 2 !H not have been a transfer? And if 2 !H would have been a transfer, what is 2 !S? Not a transfer to !C I trust, since I assume the 2 !C by Lho is natural.

I think that some players attach some special meaning to 2 !H on this auction so that 2 !S has to be natural, but I am unsure.

Does anyone know with reasonable confidence? The fact that they do not mention any meaning suggests that 2 !S actually shows spades.
Ken

Masse24

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #26 on: October 09, 2020, 05:14:40 PM »
Almost ready but I need help.

On F:

Rho deals and opens 1 !H, I overcall 1NT, Lho bids 2 !C, partner bids 2 !S. Is that natural or not? Would 2 !H not have been a transfer? And if 2 !H would have been a transfer, what is 2 !S? Not a transfer to !C I trust, since I assume the 2 !C by Lho is natural.

I think that some players attach some special meaning to 2 !H on this auction so that 2 !S has to be natural, but I am unsure.

Does anyone know with reasonable confidence? The fact that they do not mention any meaning suggests that 2 !S actually shows spades.

Yes. 2 !S actually shows spades. To play, so non-forcing.

We know that 1 !H is an opening hand, wide-ranging at the point it was bid. 2 !C is non-forcing and limited to around 8 HCP, since with more he presumably doubles for penalty. So giving opener a minimum of 12 or so, I assume the balance of strength (8-10 HCP? Could be less) to be roughly split between responder and advancer.

That is my understanding.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2020, 05:17:49 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

jcreech

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #27 on: October 09, 2020, 07:53:01 PM »
Almost ready but I need help.

On F:

Rho deals and opens 1 !H, I overcall 1NT, Lho bids 2 !C, partner bids 2 !S. Is that natural or not? Would 2 !H not have been a transfer? And if 2 !H would have been a transfer, what is 2 !S? Not a transfer to !C I trust, since I assume the 2 !C by Lho is natural.

I think that some players attach some special meaning to 2 !H on this auction so that 2 !S has to be natural, but I am unsure.

Does anyone know with reasonable confidence? The fact that they do not mention any meaning suggests that 2 !S actually shows spades.

I think beyond what Todd mentioned, you can have reasonable confidence because the problem did not have system notes that take into account the tangents you mentioned.  When I first approached this problem, I thought about the same issues you mention, but then discarded those thoughts as being meaningless because if we had those agreements in place, they would have been included as system notes.
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

kenberg

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #28 on: October 09, 2020, 08:37:32 PM »
with that agreement on 2 !S I have now chosen my bids. I go with 4S on the one in question! We only live once, might as well have some excitement


So if 2S shows spades, that frees up 2H to mean something else. I have seen, but do not remember, various suggestions
Ken

kenberg

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Re: 2020 November - MASTER SOLVERS CLUB
« Reply #29 on: October 09, 2020, 08:38:03 PM »

Your solutions have been received. This copy is for your records.

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

Your Solutions for the November 2020 Contest
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM D: 5 Spades
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 4 Spades
PROBLEM G: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM H: Pass | Diamond 3
Ken