Author Topic: 2021 JUNE MSC  (Read 22013 times)

Masse24

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2021 JUNE MSC
« on: April 03, 2021, 01:01:41 PM »
Contest deadline change: The deadline for the JUNE MSC contest is April 30 at 11:59 p.m. (ET).


JUNE 2021 MSC

Deadline: APRIL 30 at 11:59 p.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.


IAC Forum MSC Scores


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blubayou

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2021, 09:31:28 PM »
   Problem A  reminds me of the fairy tale of Goldilocks & the 3 bears.  Single raise of pard's vul. 2C is TOO COLD,  Cue-advance it TOO HOT  unless SHE offers 3NT.  So we are left with the very 'just right' advance of 2NT.  Sorry, I cannot fit showing my spades into a sane auction.  Maybe my glass is half empty.

    on Problem B It's clear to me that we want to start pushing by getting PARTNER to bid 1NT.  But
"Responder's reopening double of a sandwich overcall is cooperative-takeout"[bws2017, section F]  This means I show about 10 points and TWO (3??) spades to justify the OPTION of partner leaving it in, so the only push I can afford is raise clubs, and maybe we catch them at 2 Spades?  "Two to HIT,  four to SIT"  isn't that the old rule of thumb?  (I am aware that tis 1 !S  bid is not technically a Sandwich Overcall, but it is clear we WOULD have made a 1 !H  response if West stayed out, so IMO the italicized 'rule' applies here.)
   Problem CI have gotten some near-zeros by doggedly following the Rule of 15 with hands like this  ( add your HCPs to your spade length and if you don't reach 15, then pass the thing OUT.)  Not today!  I'm pretty sure I will be opening 3C  in 4th.  [Looks like a great hand for the dreaded 200-deal SIMULATION  ;>]
P.S. 144 random deals with this exact hand south showed that  3 passes to south NEVER HAPPENS in life unless somebody makes an off-the-wall decision to pass a logical bid!
 
   On Problem D, I'm sure we all jumped at the chance to do Texas, then RKC either because it's fun to make those wheels go around or because we have never in ten years witnessed the "mild slam try" sequence (choice C ) get any respect.  There are 12 points missing +/-  and a slam TRY is what we have.  Still, the fact that pard is relatively aceless could surely induce him to let the game bid lie, despite having what we need :( . Kxx, AK, Kxxxx, Kxx, for example.  P.S>  The self-splinter with a stiff ace is MORE misguided, here, than it is in the usual lesson hands, by the way! (really good clubs will be really useful,  given enough control in the majors)

  We have only QUESTIONS for Problem E, not answers so much  :(
Do our 3 bids add up to a game-force or not?                                             ___
Has partner denied a spade stopper?                                                          ___         
Can his heart preference be FALSE ( ie:Jx)?                                                 ___
Where was the 1 !S sandwich bid by opp on round one?                                             ____
WHY DID PARTNER PASS 2 !S DOUBLED ?                                                                  ____     
I would dearly love to take up the gauntlet and try to hold them to 5 trump tricks plus nada, but they probably WILL score a diamond as well, so I am stuck for now until most of those questions get solved.             
t
Problem F:  What Jim says, below. 

Problem G:  Let's wait for Ken to chime in and show us 2 or 3 hands he laid out showing how opponents can make 2 Hearts with their combined 17 or 18 points (and we can't do squat about it except hope to hold a perverted 2 Spades sac to 100. Jxxxx, 98x, Jxxx,  x  is the East hand I expect to see,  and West will surely say "thank you partner" when it hits.  A second double (of 2H, here) shows a full-on trap pass--not this average hand that we are already presumed to have. It's not 'co-operative' in an way,  and might be done on a hand that would have left in the original balancing double of ONE Heart.

Problem H: a freebie for the lead problem??   Club Ace, 'til hell freezes over.
« Last Edit: April 11, 2021, 05:52:47 PM by blubayou »
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jcreech

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2021, 12:56:38 PM »
Problem A:  2 !S   Unilke Blu, I can also see the 2 !S bid.  It should be constructive, tends to show club support, but gives us possession of the master suit in order to compete.

Problem B:  2 !C   Matchpoints are nasty.  We need to compete, and clubs look best.  At least we are only at the two level.

Problem C:  Pass   Only 13 Casino points.  I would like to  bid and be sure that we will go plus, but I can't - who has the spades - not me.  Pass at least doesn't go negative.

Problem D:  c   I don't like splintering into a stiff A.  Definitely slammish, but I don't want to commit to the 5-level without a willing partner.  Transfer and then bid 4 !H might not be pushy enough; I don't like my other options yet and it is a move in the right direction.

Problem E:  3 !C   This is one of those auctions where it seems to get worse the more it goes on.  Partner advertised real clubs and I've shown my values, now I will show my doubleton club honor (hopefully he has six instead of the five I always have to rebid).

Problem F:  Pass   I may change my mind, but my hand has gotten worse, and it is far from certain that the undisclosed minor is clubs.  Partner was silent, if he has something, then let him keep the auction alive.

Problem G:  Double   Too much to pass.  Nowhere that looks good to compete.  I think this should be cooperative; let partner know we have values with no clear direction, and hope if he passes, it will be right.

Problem H:  !C A   Peter Boyd once told me that when you have a good normal lead, you should make it.  This, at least, gives me a view of the dummy.  Partner did not double 2 !H, so I will back off of that option.  I don't think partner has a spade honor to pickle, so that is my second choice.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2021, 04:05:32 PM by jcreech »
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

peuco

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2021, 04:45:15 PM »
A. 2S I never bypass a decent 5 card spade suit
B. X take out, may get us to 1NT 2C or 2D or 2HX or 1SX not afraid
C. 3C odds i will get some kind of C support starting wit stiff J
D. b. only way to get to slam and can still stop at game

yleexotee

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2021, 05:54:10 PM »
Preliminary thoughts
A.  2S- obvious, I think. and I don't care if the panel disagrees!
B.  Pass or X, never works out for me when I support the 1c open with 3 clubs, even given the other bidding.
C.  Pass or 1c, with some thought given to 3C. 1c is maybe the least appealing because ops could have a 4-4 fit in spades, and 3c will keep them out while giving us a chance at a partial. except
     that its a marginal suit.
D.  A, I'm taking the middle road.
E.  XX, this is what comes to mind trying to pass the buck to partner. we have GF points, but nothing seems to fit yet. maybe we just set them in spades, maybe p can bid NT, I don't know.
F.  Pass. there better be some Unusual v unusual expectations in BWS because I have those expectations therefore p has zippo.
G.  Pass. I have to keep in mind that p could just have been balancing. I already redoubled XX showing I have points and allowing p to bid something. Since they chose not to, I'm letting it go.
H. A!C followed by diamonds, but I'm taking my free peek at the cards.


PROBLEM A: 2 Spades
PROBLEM B: Double
PROBLEM C: Pass
PROBLEM D: (a)
PROBLEM E: Redouble
PROBLEM F: Pass
PROBLEM G: Pass
PROBLEM H: Club Ace
« Last Edit: May 01, 2021, 01:43:30 AM by yleexotee »

yleexotee

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2021, 06:00:48 PM »
incidently, about problem D - I have yet to see anyone show good criteria for how to proceed when you get that 2 level transfer and then a raise to 4. how do I know that I should accept or go forward towards slam. My hand is well defined with the 1nt bid, do I only go if I have ace or King in the other suits, do I go only if I have the max 17 pts, do I only go if I have more than 2 hearts, do I only go if I have an honor in hearts plus some of the previous criteria. that slam try seems like a real shot in the dark for the 1nt opener. What if I have two small spades, a couple of heart honors and the max, seems like I should go, but after asking for aces and finding that we have the Q and are only off 1 key card, slam is hopeless but I have already bid it.

peuco

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2021, 07:34:49 PM »
E. 3C gives pd the option of bidding 3S asking for half stopper
F. Pass If west has the S A the pass is clear if not, what to bid, H or D
G. X my Cs make more difficult for them to make 2H
H. Always lead what is obvious unless you like being scorned by partner

blubayou

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2021, 04:51:36 PM »
   Heaven help me--I'm going with Joe on problem D  ( the self-splinter option).  As we both seem to recall,  the mild slam-try  ALWAYS  gets left at game except when 1NT opener can super-accept.  We can hardly expect, nor need,  4 trumps plus a good hand with our 7-bagger, so showing a slammy hand with 1 club is what's left.  That should take care of the shame of reaching six with crap spades in pard's hand-- or diamonds or hearts , for that matter.
   Incidently,  when Joe says 'maybe we can set them in Spades"  re: problem E,  I have the same thought,  but realize that WE are in 2S--not THEM.   Even so, I think we can win 8 in our Jxx facing xxx "trump suit" ?
« Last Edit: April 21, 2021, 09:53:34 PM by blubayou »
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Masse24

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2021, 10:33:11 PM »
PROBLEM A: 2 !S. Looks like the HCP are split evenly. This should generally show five, since with six I may have preempted. Shows !C tolerance, too, I think. I do not relish the location of my !H K, but you can’t have everything.

PROBLEM B: Double. Down the middle. 1NT was my sexy choice, but I just don't have the guts to try it here. Partner’s expected spade length (4?) would reveal that 1NT is based on having hearts stopped. The "gutsy" MSC call in my opinion. But Kleinman will be brutal if this it does not win, so my choice to go safe with double. I also like 2 !C, but my at-the-table choice would be double. On this auction, partner is quite probably 4=2=3=4. So if we end in 2 !C, we're likely playing a Moysian. Not awful at the two-level.
[Added] Double at least consults partner. 

PROBLEM C: Pass. There will be bidders. Hope there are enough passers to make this score decently. The only other sane possibility would be 3 !C. The hero bid is 3 !C, which will score 100 or 50. But with Kleinman the director (he tend toward conservative), the "safe" Pass seems best.

PROBLEM D: A. (2 !D then 4 !C Auto-splinter). My conservative nature tells me to transfer at the 2-level then bid 4 !H (mild slam-try). The reasons against doing otherwise are plain: 1) Splintering a stiff Ace is undesirable. How can partner properly assess the value of !C KQx? I know some do it, but I do not—unless my hand is strong enough to bid on. 2) Texas followed by RKC with two fast spade losers breaks a basic RKC rule. However, the “mild slam-try” approach with this hand seems far too timid. Which means the panel will choose one of the other choices.

I think this falls into the “better than a mild slam try” category.

Which means we should probably be safe at the five-level. Only a very unfortunate minimum holding by partner (off the three missing keycards) makes the five-level too high.

Texas then RKC could result in partner bidding 5 !H with the !H AK and off a !S control. Oops! Or partner bidding 5 !H with two Aces off the trump K and, small slam is very safe with even 13 tricks possible. So RKC off two quick losers is frowned on for a reason.

The splinter seems most flexible. If partner cooperates with 4 !D, I’m bidding 5 !D. If partner dislikes my splinter and bids 4 !H, I’m also bidding 5 !D. Hopefully this should highlight my lack of a !S control. But does it oversell my hand? Maybe.

PROBLEM E: Pass. Partner psyched. Does that mean this is the best call? No.

PROBLEM F: Double. First stab was Pass, then I changed to 3 !H. I want to show extras and bring partner into the conversation. However, I hate the location of my !S K. Considered 3 !H, but partner can still (although unlikely) chime in with something or even pass whatever comes round to him. 

PROBLEM G: Double. Leading the !H 2.

PROBLEM H: My highest trump. I would lead my lowest trump, but I believe this one better expresses my dislike for lead problems!




Submitted:

PROBLEM A: 2 Spades
PROBLEM B: Double
PROBLEM C: Pass
PROBLEM D: (a)
PROBLEM E: Pass
PROBLEM F: Double
PROBLEM G: Double
PROBLEM H: Spade 8
« Last Edit: April 30, 2021, 10:59:04 PM by Masse24 »
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jcreech

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #9 on: April 19, 2021, 11:39:57 AM »
Why was this hiding at the end of the April discussion?  Blu, have you become so unsure of your reasoning that you test your ideas in other threads, hoping that other solvers will not notice and scorn you choices.  Say it ain't so, Jo (ck)! - lol - just relocating to its proper location and razzing at the same time.

             <<--------June 2021 2nd draft--------->>
Problem A:>  Still looks like what I want for a 3NT try facing a vul 2 level overcall
                                                        --2NT--
Problem B:>  pard might be 4=2=3=4 so rather than trust clubs i will wrong-side the 1NT contract. Still no guts to give the co-op double, light and with one trump.
                                                                -- 1NT --
Problem C:>  Three Clubs out-simulates passing out,  10 to 5.  Didn't look at any other bid choices as it took  320 iterations to even get 15 hands that logically start with 3 passes!
                                                           -- 3 Clubs --
Problem D:>  RKC is a bad bash;  mild slam try bombs out unless pard has a rock where ANY rebid would work.  That leaves the self splinter standing, since they left out choice D:"3 Diamonds--natural showing                       10 red cards"  lol         -- (a)  [ self-splinter in Clubs] --
Problem E:>  in 2S hit, they take 5 trumps somehow or even only 4 and we take the rest.
                                                             -- pass --
Problem F:>                                         -- pass --
Problem G:>  sometime between now(4/18/21)  ond curfew, Ken will show us how easy opps' 2H is, with                          their measly 17-count.      -- 2 Spades --
Problem H:>                                        -- Club ACE--
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

peuco

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2021, 05:38:45 PM »
SOLUTIONS FOR:

PROBLEM A: 2 Spades
PROBLEM B: Double
PROBLEM C: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM D: (b)
PROBLEM E: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM F: Pass
PROBLEM G: Double
PROBLEM H: Club Ace

hoki

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2021, 10:24:56 PM »
E Can someone please answer these three queries:

1/ Why are we responding 1H instead of bidding four-card suits up the line with 1D?
My understanding is that we bypass [longer] diamonds on hands that are not strong
enough to force to game?

2/ Why are we bidding a non-forcing 2D after opener's hand is clearly limited by the
2C rebid? Isn't our correct rebid 3D? (Had I sensibly responded 1D in the first place
I could of course now bid 2H which would indeed be forcing and not result in partner
raising hearts on a doubleton.)

3/ How am I supposed to bid sensibly over 2S when I have already totally misdescribed
my hand?

Oliver

jcreech

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #12 on: April 24, 2021, 01:42:12 AM »
E Can someone please answer these three queries:

1/ Why are we responding 1H instead of bidding four-card suits up the line with 1D?
My understanding is that we bypass [longer] diamonds on hands that are not strong
enough to force to game?

2/ Why are we bidding a non-forcing 2D after opener's hand is clearly limited by the
2C rebid? Isn't our correct rebid 3D? (Had I sensibly responded 1D in the first place
I could of course now bid 2H which would indeed be forcing and not result in partner
raising hearts on a doubleton.)

3/ How am I supposed to bid sensibly over 2S when I have already totally misdescribed
my hand?

Oliver

Hi Oliver,

I'll take a stab at it. 

First, we are bound  by the system we are playing which is BWS for MSC contest,  It will be the basis from which we draw inferences about the meaning of partner's bids and partner will need to make similar inferences about our bids.

Second, we have to remember that BWS is based on Walsh-style 2/1, which is rooted in two central premises:  (1) when you open 1 !D, you will hold four or more diamonds except when you are exactly 4-4-3-2 and (2) in responding to 1m, you bid your majors first unless you have a game-forcing hand and a longer minor than the major.  Therefore, in response to your first query, as much as it pains you to bypass the diamonds, you need to with this hand.

Third, in response to your second query, you are not making a non-forcing 2 !D bid.  A new suit by an unpassed-hand is a one-round force.  If partner had rebid 1NT, it would have been forcing with a more specific meaning, but in this sequence it is simply forcing for one round and implies that you do not have longer diamonds than hearts.

Fourth, 2 !S was fourth-suit forcing to game.  The opponents doubled, which gave partner a choice of actions - to bid something constructive or pass and find out more about your game-force.  He chose to pass, so now it is up to you.  My inference of partner's hand at this point is that he does not have a certain spade stopper, holds exactly 3 hearts, five or more clubs, and the fact that he did not rebid 1NT, should have an unbalanced hand.  What I think I have shown with my bids is 12+ HCPs with exactly four hearts, less than five diamonds, at best a partial spade stopper, and probably semi-balanced because it looked like I was trying to get to 3NT.  In response to query 3, and based on this information, it is up to you to decide whether you have still totally misdescribed your hand, and what bid you might make to answer. the MSC problem.
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

hoki

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #13 on: April 24, 2021, 09:06:44 PM »
Thanks Jim and Jock, you have certainly given me food for thought.

kenberg

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Re: 2021 JUNE MSC
« Reply #14 on: April 24, 2021, 09:18:54 PM »
I'm just getting started here but there seems to be a common element to A and B, of looking back to my first call.

A: I bid 2S. Partner thinks
Hmm, he did not open 2S. Now he bids 2S. I think he has five spades. And that would be a bit risky unless he also had a club fit for those times when I don't like spades." So it seems clear enough.

B: I double. Partner thinks "Hmm. He passed the first time but now doubles. He must have some values or he would not be doubling now. He does not have spades or he would have shown them before. If he just has diamonds he could bit them. After his pass on the first round I would not expect him to have much if he now bid 2D. And if he just has clube he could bid them or even have bid them first round. So[this is still pard thinking] I guess he has clubs and diamonds, not enough to bid them on his own." And he can probably figure me for some heart length given that I could not bis spades first round and don't have a clear choice yet about which minor. I suppose pard has four spades, more often than not he will, he night choose NT, more often I expect he will bid 2C. He should be able to guess right most of the time.

I'll get on to C and all before Mayday.
Ken