Author Topic: 2021 February - MSC  (Read 14602 times)

Masse24

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2021 February - MSC
« on: December 16, 2020, 09:13:14 PM »
FEBRUARY 2021 MSC

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

Submit your FEBRUARY 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.


IAC Forum MSC Scores


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blubayou

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2020, 09:33:51 PM »
NON-PROBLEM A:>>    The Decider has decided.  We do not get a vote here. 
We don't get a vote if SIX clubs came around to us.   For all we know, pard has bluffed them out of a grand slam in spades,  but whateveR is going on, we are bound by the "pre-emptor's Oath" now.  I wish ALL our intermediates would come look at this problem A and realize that we, the 3D opener  are NOT being asked if they want to come back into the dance now or not.  Dropping the enemy in club game is exactly what our partner hoped might happen.
    -----PASS


pROBLEM C:>>  I have no answer yet,  BUT -->  Does anyone get the idea that the editors are on a campaign to get  XYZ onto  the new  "BWS-2025"?   This must be the 4th month in a row where that option would make our answers nearly unanimous.
« Last Edit: December 19, 2020, 07:17:06 PM by blubayou »
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blubayou

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2020, 01:07:23 PM »
Very quick and dirty, anticipating the arrival of the January post-mortem:
A:   see above
B:   Axx, AJ, Kxxxxxx, x  facing our Kx, Qxx, A9x, 97xxx = a shaky play for SLAM,  so how can we not raise to 3 DIAMONDS?
C:   No 200-deal simulation this month, but this fits the mold.  2SPADES
D:   Finally a tolerable suit and hand for a 2 heart overcall on five-carder.  'Forbidden Zone" for Michaels, and shelving the.....                T/O double for today.   ---2HEARTS
E:   3NT  (WOW-- I misread WHO opened 3C  for 2 whole weeks  but 3NT is still in the running for the final voting)
F:   They can throw 8-pt "one-bids" at me till hell freezes.  It ain't happening  ---PASS
G:   Pencilling in "PASS"  but having a big eraser nearby.
H:   stiff diamond.  If pard is aceless,  'laissez les bon temps roullez!'(for our lucky oppies)
« Last Edit: December 24, 2020, 11:23:02 PM by blubayou »
often it is better to beg forgiveness, than ask permission

jcreech

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2020, 11:34:04 PM »
My initial thoughts, none of which I have any confidence will be retained by 01/10/2021.

Problem A:  5 !D  On this auction, I think that partner's pass of 5 !C has to be a forcing pass.  Partner was sniffing at slam when all he knew about was 7 hearts.  I may not have any aces, but I do have a defensive trick. The  question is whether to cue the diamond king or double; I think should show that I have something outside of hearts.

Problem B:  Pass  I am torn between taking another move or giving up.  I have a max for my bidding and good three card support, but 11 tricks is a lot for the diamond game and 9xxxx is not much of a stop in the opponents suit.  A cue bid might get partner to show a club honor for 3NT, but feels hefty for 9 HCPs.  I think I will just pass with the intent to compete.

Problem C:  2 !H  This looks to be a misfit hand, so unless I hear something more promising, I am going low.  I have a 6th heart, but no spots, only doubleton support in diamonds ,tripleton support in spades, and Qx in clubs, so nothing is appealing.

Problem D:  2 !H  If one of my round suit cards were a diamond, I might have bid double.  If I had five diamonds along with five in either hearts or clubs, I might have tried Michaels or Unusual NT.  I don't, so I overcall and await further development.

Problem E: 3NT  I have eight tricks on a club lead.  Perhaps partner has one, to fulfill my NT game, perhaps partner has five or more in a major to try a different vein, perhaps we are just sucking wind.  It is matchpoints, and 3NT is my best guess for a game after the preempt.

Problem F: 1 !S  I hate opening this, but spades is a wonderful lead director, the hand has a lot of offensive potential, and it is my turn to bid.

Problem G: 2 !H  I have too many points to pass this out, but my suit is horrible - no lead direction potential because all my points are elsewhere.  I have to do something, so I think this is better than double.

Problem H: !H A  Have I mentioned lately that I hate to lead?  The only reason to double is that I think we have a game, but do not have a slam and do not think that we can make 5NT.  We have a double fit, so they probably do also.  I think we need to take our tricks before they disappear on  the diamonds.  If I thought this would be a cross ruff, I would lead a trump.  Hopefully, if I am wrong, leading an ace willgive me a chance to switch gears.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2021, 10:52:02 AM by jcreech »
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

blubayou

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2020, 03:33:49 AM »
Welcome in, Jim!     2 quick ones...RE: problem D,   please explaing why  0-5-5-3 shape  leads you somewhat towards michael's cue,   but our actual 0-5-3-5 shape  is disqualified.  This should be instructive.   ......as for problem B:   how badly are we misleading pard if we raise after our 1NT response (given 9HCP--none of them in clubs).  Do i really need a super-max--ie: 4 diamonds to do this?
« Last Edit: December 23, 2020, 04:17:29 PM by blubayou »
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jcreech

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2020, 02:01:25 PM »
2 quick ones...RE: problem D,   please explaing why  0-5-5-3 shape  leads you somewhat towards michael's cue,   but our actual 0-5-3-5 shape  is disqualified.  This should be instructive.   

This is part of why this was initial responses.  Sometimes I am not thinking clearly.  If you are willing to play Michaels with intermediate strength, this hand qualifies.  Michaels and Unusual NT are typically reserved for preemptive or game-force types of hands.  The former because it quickly identifies potential fits and cramps space; the latter because it identifies potential fits and allows partner to visualize the potential playing power of their hand given your hand shape and strength.  This hand is intermediate strength, so I overcall, and, unless partner raises, plan to double or bid clubs next.  That is the big reason why I planned to await developments.  Partner may have a spade stack, but I am not anxious to try the double at the one-level.  Recently I saw someone who doubled a one-bid in the pass out seat, only to have partner make the penalty pass with a balanced 1 HCP hand - the result was -940 the hard way.

However, I will admit that I am frequently tempted to make the two-suit bit whenever I get the opportunity.  It is a temptation I have to stifle often.

......as for problem B:   how badly are we misleading pard if we raise after our 1NT response (given 9HCP--none of them in clubs).  Do i really need a super-max--ie: 4 diamonds to do this?  or maybe five would be safer.

I may be too jaded from recent holdings - 12 counts with Jxxxxx diamond suits - where I have had similar auctions.  I probably should rethink my pass, holding Axx, but that will need to wait for my final submission.  I may have just come into these hands with too conservative of a view.

I said I don't have much confidence in my initial responses this month, but I find value in expressing those thoughts, and seeing what others are thinking along the way.  I find it incredibly frustrating to seen a number of members participate by just providing their answers, without giving us any idea of why they made that choice.  I know it can be difficult, but, if nothing else, it helps you see what steps you are taking to weed through the possibilities.  I also find it frustrating that some who used to participate early, hold off until the end.  I loved watching the evolution of their thinking, as they give the problem more thought or see something that makes them reconsider.  Sometimes, it is the focus on one or two specific problems, sparking debate.

Typically, I make my initial thoughts without considering what others might have to say.  When I make my final selections, I start with answering the problems without looking at what others have written, but then I go back to my initial thoughts, as well as everyone else's thoughts and re-evaluate those choices.  Mostly, I see a lot of consistency, but not always.  Sometimes I am persuaded by my original thoughts, sometimes by the thoughts of someone else, and rarely, the reflection gets me thinking along a different vein altogether. 

If I haven't said it before, I really appreciate the dialog that emerges each month on eight problems.
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

ccr3

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #6 on: December 24, 2020, 12:29:57 AM »
Hi Folks, Well you all know this is my first attempt at this and it might be my last. Here goes:
A. If my partner wanted me to play in hearts, I'd be playing it. Yes strange bidding but I pass. Let him play it.
B.  3 d. Pard could have 18 points. I'll leave it up to him.
C.  Could this be another Sayna 2H?  Other than hearts just a couple of queens and a J. 2H. Still thinking about it.
D.  I haven't seen it in print yet wherein Michaels is low count or high count. And I've tried it and don't like it. My partner and I
        open Michaels and if I have a good hand I'll bid again. It's always worked for us. Maybe I'll pay a visit to Larry.  2S or 2H. I'm in a quandary. Leaning toward 2H.
E.  3NT? I debated on this and finally decided this is too good a hand to bid anything else. Hearts to break 4/4, or partner may have help in hearts. Don't want to
           make a forcing bid of 3d, and see partner rebid 4c. So, 3nt it is.
F.  Only 8 HCP. I had a partner once who opened that light in 3rd seat but she had 10,000 ACBL MP. And it worked for her. I pass.
G. I don't relish the idea of bidding 2H. I could dble. As long as I have 4 pieces in one of the majors it could work. Still thinking about it.
H. And now we come to the lead. The leads have really done me in. But for now A H. Partner seems reluctant to get excited about his suit.
    So a good possibility hearts will make it around the table followed by the C Ace. If I was in that seat I think I'd be too chicken to double.

DickHy

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #7 on: December 24, 2020, 10:57:28 AM »
A short (ish) note on D and B raised by Jock and Jim:

D.  BWS says under Initial Defensive-Action Requirements, "An unpassed-hand's cue-bid in opener's suit, in either direct or reopening position, shows any biddable strength and: (a) both majors if the cue-bid is in a minor; or (b) the unbid major and an unspecified minor if the cue-bid is in a major. "  Although Michaels/UNT is often used only with specific HCP ranges, BWS would allow a 2 !S bid here.  The Panel is supposed to be using the system, so why not 2 !S?

B.  One of the advantages of using 4-suit transfers after a 1N (15-17) opening is that thin 3N games can be found.   Responder with (AK/AQ/KQ)xxxx and nothing else transfers to the minor (1N - 2 !S for clubs, 1N - 2N for diamonds).  If opener simply completes the transfer, responder passes.  But opener can super-accept when holding (Q+)xx in the minor by using the intervening bid (1N - 2 !S - 2N superaccept in clubs, 1N - 2N - 3 !C superaccept in diamonds).  If she does, responder then raises to 3N game, counting on 6 minor suit tricks and relying on 3 more tricks from opener's remaining 11-13 HCP.  So a 3N game on 20/21 HCP.

This problem seems to me to be similar to this.  Partner is not promising a 6c diamond suit, but we surely have 22 HCP between us.  Sure, West should have decent clubs (he is vulnerable) but he could be pre-balancing (against a 1 !D - 1N - p-p-p auction -- am I talking rubbish here?) so his clubs might only be (say) Kxxxx.  Anyway, to those who use 4-suit transfers, a 3 !D bid looks almost automatic holding Axx.  If partner has got weak diamonds or good diamonds and no club stop, he can pass,  Otherwise, hello thin 3N game!

OK, not so short, then.  Happy Hols to all you bidders.
« Last Edit: December 24, 2020, 11:04:40 AM by DickHy »

DickHy

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #8 on: December 24, 2020, 02:59:50 PM »
I'm waiting to be called to do Christmas chores, so a bit of a stream of consciousness ... for which I should apologise, really

A)  Why hasn’t partner bid 5 !H?  And why did he respond 4N (ace ask) instead of the much safer 4 !C (RKC ask)? (In BWS, C. After Our Preempt; Responding to preemptive openings in a suit: When responder is an unpassed hand: (a1) if the opening is not in clubs and not at the four-level, a four-notrump response is an ace-ask, a four-club response is a key-card-ask).  If he was serious about a heart slam, holding 2 Aces, he would choose 4 !C.  Even if he held 2 Aces and the K !H, he would choose 4 !C.  (If he’s serious and got a void presumably he would have used Exclusion RKC and bid 5x).  And after I showed no aces, he would have bid 5 !H, surely. 

  • So, maybe partner is pulling a con – we are white v red - holding AKxx in hearts and pretty much nothing outside? A 4 !C response would have left East with options (among them 4 !H and 4N).   If this is what partner is doing, one of the opponents must have a void in hearts, my K !D is our only possible winner and they have a safe small slam.  I’m reaching for the pass card, but I worry why East hasn’t done this sort of thinking after partner passed 5 !C – wearing his hat, with all these thoughts whirling under it, wouldn’t I have bid 6 !C

    Someone will tell me about pass/double inversion situations one day, but partner can’t be leaving the pass/x decision to a pre-empting opener?  The bottom line is that he didn’t bid 5 !H, so I can’t make a move.  The inner demon has started whispering “double to show club control” – goodness knows what messes I’d get into if I spent this long at the table thinking about bids.

H)   There’s an awful lot about this auction that eludes me – including quite why I doubled this contract.  East has overcalled diamonds and then bid spades.  BWS says “if intervenor overcalls and then shows a lower-ranking suit indicating length in two suits that could be shown directly, the lower-ranking suit has only 4 cards”. That’s not the case here.  East could have bid 2 !H (remember; this covers any biddable strength in BWS) to show spades and a minor, so the auction means East is 5x6x? 

  • I don’t know the meaning of West’s double of the artificial 3 !D, and I think it’s crucial that I should.  If it shows spades and clubs, what the hell is partner’s 5 !C?  I’m going to assume it shows diamond support.  However, West later prefers spades so must be kinda (4/5)x3x.  That leaves partner with 1534 or 0544, presumably holding KJxxx in hearts and KQxx in clubs.  Those 9 HCP leave 4 to come – partner discouraged so can hardly have much more than 13.  It had better be an ace, otherwise there’s going to be a lot of swearing in the bar afterwards.

    Okay, so partner has either the A !D or A !S.  In either case if I lead my singleton diamond, I will get a diamond ruff.   My judgement of opening leads in this quiz has proved uniformly dire, so get a truckload of salt, but this strikes me as a much sounder lead than an ace.  One of my aces may not cash: East could be 5062 or 5260.  If I lead the wrong one, I’ll not get a diamond ruff.   Get the diamond ruff first (either from diamond to Ace and diamond back or diamond to loss, A !S and diamond back), then from looking at dummy decide which Ace has the best chance.   

Ok, I'll shut up now  :-[
« Last Edit: December 24, 2020, 03:05:16 PM by DickHy »

peuco

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #9 on: December 24, 2020, 06:15:54 PM »
Hello,

A. Pass Blubayou original reasoning
B. 3D working points
C. 2NT xyz 2C
D. 2S showing shape makes life easier
E. 3NT hope opp misses the lead
F. 1S I do not see how one can profit by passing and see many ways by bidding both offensively and defensively
G.3NT do not know if Ogust is played in BWS
H. H Ace  D x too risky

peuco

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #10 on: December 24, 2020, 06:19:09 PM »
Misread problem G but I will stick to 2NT

Masse24

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #11 on: December 24, 2020, 07:44:29 PM »
A)  Why hasn’t partner bid 5 !H?  And why did he respond 4N (ace ask) instead of the much safer 4 !C (RKC ask)? (In BWS, C. After Our Preempt; Responding to preemptive openings in a suit: When responder is an unpassed hand: (a1) if the opening is not in clubs and not at the four-level, a four-notrump response is an ace-ask, a four-club response is a key-card-ask).  If he was serious about a heart slam, holding 2 Aces, he would choose 4 !C.  Even if he held 2 Aces and the K !H, he would choose 4 !C.  (If he’s serious and got a void presumably he would have used Exclusion RKC and bid 5x).  And after I showed no aces, he would have bid 5 !H, surely. 

  • So, maybe partner is pulling a con – we are white v red - holding AKxx in hearts and pretty much nothing outside? A 4 !C response would have left East with options (among them 4 !H and 4N).   If this is what partner is doing, one of the opponents must have a void in hearts, my K !D is our only possible winner and they have a safe small slam.  I’m reaching for the pass card, but I worry why East hasn’t done this sort of thinking after partner passed 5 !C – wearing his hat, with all these thoughts whirling under it, wouldn’t I have bid 6 !C

    Someone will tell me about pass/double inversion situations one day, but partner can’t be leaving the pass/x decision to a pre-empting opener?  The bottom line is that he didn’t bid 5 !H, so I can’t make a move.  The inner demon has started whispering “double to show club control” – goodness knows what messes I’d get into if I spent this long at the table thinking about bids.

I wondered this too, Dick.

Why was the !H K of no concern to my partner? He either has it . . .  or has a stiff heart and his own long suit. I'll have to come up with a possible construction when I can sit and think about it.

Is partner pulling a con? Maybe. Would that be a Stripe-Tailed-Ape-Ace-Ask;) But I doubt it, so I will bid. If partner cannot stand the 5 level with me showing no aces, he shouldn't ask. So 5 !D seems the only informative call I can make with safety. So I will.

Have not looked at other problems yet.   
“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: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #12 on: December 24, 2020, 08:11:58 PM »
re: the lead problem...Thanks DickH, for pointing out that there is way too much bidding here for everybody to be fully honest, barring goulash distributions.   I took out a deck of cards and tried to get all 3 of them to have their bid and could not do it without a joker added.   All the more support for going for my diamond ruff as maybe the ONLY way to even beat this a single trick,   say I :)
   And if Righty is COMPLETELY blowing smoke,  it might be TWO OR THREE diamond ruffs if  we can get pard in with his known kings :)
« Last Edit: December 27, 2020, 07:35:19 PM by blubayou »
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ccr3

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #13 on: December 25, 2020, 11:21:25 PM »
A few changes:

Problem H: Thanks Dick for leading the way. The lead of the diamond makes sense: !D 5.
Problem D: I checked with Larry Cohen. According to him the weak, strong is not set in stone. There are many who
                 think as I do. He also added one way to deal with it by partner is to use the law of total tricks:
                 bid 3 holding 4 in support,  bid 4 holding 5, !S 2
Problem F: Got to thinking, maybe light 3rd seat openers by my partner is why she had 10,000 MP: !S 1
« Last Edit: December 26, 2020, 02:19:02 PM by ccr3 »

Masse24

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Re: 2021 February - MSC
« Reply #14 on: December 27, 2020, 04:14:16 AM »
Preliminary thoughts . . .

PROBLEM A: Pass
I still think 5 !D is viable. And I hate to cater to what would have to be a tactical and "fake" 4NT from partner. I was able to come up with constructions for everyone at the table consistent with their bids. Everyone but partner's pass.

Hopefully, the opps are cold for slam and partner's brilliance has paid off.

5 !D
Why 4NT? Why not 4 !C instead? Why does partner not care about the !H King?
What hand I consistent with partner’s bidding? If partner had spades long enough to bid, he bids them. With enough hearts to want them as trump, he asks keycards with 4 !C.

Partner is also single suited. Diamonds. That is what I can come up with.
Maybe:
!S AKJ !H x !D AQJ9xxxx !C x    . . . (this is still not close,but something like this)

Showing my !D King is the only information I can convey.
So I do.



PROBLEM B: 2 !H.
My hand got better after 2 !D. I’ve already denied having four hearts, so this merely shows something in this suit and good !D support in the context of the auction. Partner should be able to figure out I have the !D Ace.


PROBLEM C: 3 !H
An overbid, just by a bit. Give me the !H T instead of the deuce and it's clear.
Vul at IMPs convinces me.

2 !H
Slight underbid on values, but everything else looks right.



PROBLEM D: Double
Half my values are in my three-card suit. It looks like my distribution is closer to 0 / 4.5 / 4 / 4.5
So I double.

2 !S
I will need to be convinced this is wrong.



PROBLEM E: 3NT
Give up on something bigger. Give up on right-siding. Hope the quick 3NT steers the opps to a poor opening lead.

3 !D
Not sure where I’m going with this. Hoping to hear 3 !H but then what? Does 3 !D then 3NT leak too much information? Should I just blast 3NT and cross my fingers?



PROBLEM F: 1 !S
Third seat, may as well use the minimal preemptive value of 1 !S.

1 !D
Third seat. No rebid problem. Open the longer suit. This is merely a style issue, as always decided by this month’s panel.



PROBLEM G: 2NT
Crossing my fingers with this "value bid."

2 !H
Only because other choices are worse.



PROBLEM H: !H A
No reason.
No logic.
No argument.
I hate leads.

!C A
Partner’s unwillingness to cooperate beyond 3 !H, then bid 5 !C hints at weak hearts and good clubs. We probably have a ten-card fit, so a club lead may not withstand a trick one ruff. Which concerns me. Maybe the diamond ruff is best?


Have I mentioned that I hate lead problems?
« Last Edit: January 08, 2021, 04:01:28 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