Author Topic: 2021 OCTOBER MSC  (Read 7028 times)

Masse24

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2021 OCTOBER MSC
« on: August 24, 2021, 10:36:23 PM »
OCTOBER 2021 MSC

Deadline: AUGUST 31 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

Submit your OCTOBER 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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« Last Edit: August 29, 2021, 11:29:04 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

peuco

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Re: MISSING OCTOBER 2021 MSC
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2021, 01:27:28 PM »
Francisco

Your Solutions for the October 2021 Contest 
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM B: 2 Spades
PROBLEM C: 5 Clubs
PROBLEM D: 5 Diamonds
PROBLEM E: Double
PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM G: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM H: Heart 6

msphola

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Re: MISSING OCTOBER 2021 MSC
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2021, 06:42:36 PM »
A. 2N
B. 2D
C. X
D. 4H
E. X
F. X
G. 3C
H. 6H

hoki

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Re: MISSING OCTOBER 2021 MSC
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2021, 05:25:56 AM »
PROBLEM A: 3 Spades
PROBLEM B: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM C: Double
PROBLEM D: 5 Diamonds
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 4 Diamonds
PROBLEM G: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Diamond King

bAbsG

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Re: MISSING OCTOBER 2021 MSC
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2021, 02:22:12 PM »
SOLVER: Babs Giesbrecht

Your Solutions for the October 2021 Contest 
-------------------
PROBLEM A: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM C: 4 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 5 Clubs
PROBLEM E: Double
PROBLEM F: 4 Clubs
PROBLEM G: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM H: Club King

kenberg

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Re: MISSING OCTOBER 2021 MSC
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2021, 03:40:50 PM »
First thoughts:

A.  2D. I think there are more ways for this to go right than to go wrong.

B.  2S. Again this could go very wrong, but I like it.

C. 5C. It should make. Pard might, probably won't but he might, be bidding 6C.

D. 5D I think that the hand we have to worry about is partner holding five or six spades but without the strength to bid 2S over 2C. He shouldn't have many clubs, so hopefully he has some diamonds, so 5D should come in but I am far from confident of 12 tricks.

E. X. Yes, Leb applies. And so I suppose pard will bid 2NT so I think the answer has to include what I do after 2NT. X and then 3D over 2NT sounds right.

F. 4C. I might well change my mind.

G. 2S I see no reason partner would not bid 2NT now if he has some diamonds. It gets NT played from the right side, meaning his side.  I can watch the disaster or go get a coffee.

H. Whatever heart we have agreed to lead from such a holding.
Ken

ccr3

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Re: MISSING OCTOBER 2021 MSC
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2021, 10:27:41 PM »
Problem A: 2D
Problem B: 2NT
Problem C: 5C
Problem D: 6D
Problem E: Dble
Problem F: 4C
Problem G: 3C
Problem H: H6

Masse24

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Re: MISSING OCTOBER 2021 MSC
« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2021, 10:36:36 PM »
Current guesses:

PROBLEM A: 2 !D. The only way to explore game intelligently, so the overbid is justified.


PROBLEM B: 2NT. Yuck!


PROBLEM C: Double. Too strong for 5 !C. So start off with double then (likely) introduce clubs later.
I really struggled with this one. Almost went back to 5 !C but decided to stick with double.


PROBLEM D: 6 !D. Partner is short in clubs. I’m unsure how to find the information required to bid grand, so I’ll settle for this. It should have play opposite almost any of partner’s expected holdings.


PROBLEM E: Double. Too strong for 2NT. The difficult decision will come when partner bids 2NT.


PROBLEM F: 4 !C. I still don’t know what to do here. The heart suit is not long enough or strong enough to introduce it at the 4 level. Double could result in partner bidding 4 !S.

Changed to 3 !H. My !D void tells me the bidding would not have stopped with 4 !C, so that may still be right. But bidding hearts at the three-level leaves more room for everyone at the table to chime in (me included) which may allow me to introduce my second suit.


PROBLEM G: 3 !C. Although 3 !D here should be a punt, 3 !C better conveys the strength of my club suit.


PROBLEM H: !H 6. Passive. As likely to find partner as the other choices. The book lead from four small is second highest. I’m slightly worried that the size of this might be misconstrued as being from strength. Would the panel agree and go with a slightly contrary !H 9?




FINAL CHOICES:

PROBLEM A: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM C: Double
PROBLEM D: 6 Diamonds
PROBLEM E: Double
PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM G: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM H: Spade 6 -------- CRAP! I misclicked and did not double-check my selections before submitting. OUCH!
« Last Edit: September 01, 2021, 12:53:59 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

jcreech

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Re: 2021 OCTOBER MSC
« Reply #8 on: August 30, 2021, 03:11:44 AM »
I don't remember what most of my initial thoughts were, so these constitute my revised initial thoughts.

A:  2 !D Feels like it is too much for matchpoints and a misfit, but 3 !S leaves no room to explore, 2 !H is too wimpy, 3 !H misstates the fit, 2NT misstates the shape, so what else am I left with?

B: 2 !S  I remember this from before the crash.  The impossible 2 !S, even with only three clubs, feels like the right bid.  If I am lucky, I get partner to bid the NT, if not, I will do so my next turn.

C:  Dbl  Don't like my choice, but I don't like the alternatives any better.  Guess that 5 !C is my backup bid.

D:  6 !D Again, no good choices.  I'd like to bid 3 !C, but the director would be called.  Partner has to have something for a two-level negative double, and the bidding has me convinced of club shortness too.  Maybe it is time to apply pressure.

E:  Dbl Not looking forward to partner using lebensohl, but too powerful to pass or bid 2NT directly.

F:  4 !D  I think this shows a good two-suiter (will have to check before submitting) - that way, partner will not be surprised if I pull spades, and partner will bend over backwards to keep hearts in play if staring at long spades.

G:  2 !S  We are in a game force - presumably, I have already shown clubs, maybe a false preference for spades is the right next move, then when I bid hearts, partner will know I am likely to be 2-3 in the majors and concerned about diamonds for NT.  But then again, maybe I should just bid the NT confidently like Meckstroth; who needs a stopper?

H: !D K  Active or passive defense?  I choose active this time.  What is the opponent's response with two clubs and three diamonds?  I just hope that the jack is not in dummy, but if it is, they were going to finesse anyway.
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

yleexotee

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Re: 2021 OCTOBER MSC
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2021, 04:54:12 AM »
PROBLEM A: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM C: Double
PROBLEM D: 6 Diamonds ( MSC this, but I hope my pards would take my 4D as forcing, leaving us more room to check it out)
PROBLEM E: Double
PROBLEM F: 4 Diamonds
PROBLEM G: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM H: Heart 6

MarilynLi

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Re: 2021 OCTOBER MSC
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2021, 09:39:28 AM »
PROBLEM A: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM B: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM C: 5 Clubs
PROBLEM D: 6 Diamonds
PROBLEM E: Double
PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM G: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM H: Heart 6

Masse24

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Re: 2021 OCTOBER MSC
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2021, 01:21:43 PM »

F:  4 !D  I think this shows a good two-suiter (will have to check before submitting) - that way, partner will not be surprised if I pull spades, and partner will bend over backwards to keep hearts in play if staring at long spades.

Interesting. This didn't even occur to me. I did check to see if BWS includes Non-Leaping Michaels (it doesn't), in which case it's an automatic 4 !C. And I do not recall seeing this. But logically, by cuebidding 4 !D then pulling 4 !S to clubs you are showing these two suits and a hand strong enough to withstand the 5-level.

So maybe . . .
“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 OCTOBER MSC
« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2021, 11:36:59 PM »
Problem A:>>  Last month, on the INFAMOUS problem E,  there was a 6-4 hand of 11 points  BETTER organized than these eleven.  HALF the panel rebid a lousy 2 spades with it,  and the votes for 4th suit forcing got a very generous 70 with only 3 voters. There is an avalanche of 4SF bids, by us this month and that can only mean that several of us mean to weasel out of the 'game force' supposedly created.   
   I give kudos to Peuco  for thinking of 2NT which I didn't  think of on my own,  and that will be my vote.


Problem B:  Using a offbeat Impossible 2 Spades has charms,  but  right-siding the eventual 2 or 3 Notrump  is not one of them  (I have already bid the notrump).  I am worried that I would be obliged to pass openers correction to 3C, rather than re-correct to the 5-2 heart 'fit'-- then my missing 4th trump may turn out to be a fatal flaw.   The vote may still go to 2S, or the obvious 2NT :(


Problem C:  Expected more club game bids,  but the 40% IAC doublers may have the last laugh, and won't loose their butts  if getting 500 instead of 600         ---5 Clubs ---


Problem D:  T/O double WILL NOT land us in a 4-3 heart fit, but I will have to drop 4H in game;  5D looses or ties that major game bid  but really stands a chance of catching a raise.  Our several members who trust 6D to hold together can be right. But I stay with    --5 Diamonds--- 11th hour change to the hint; gonna RAISE 4 Hearts or obviously correct spades to diamonds  --- Double ---

Problem E:>> I don't fancy this as a double-and-bid in Diamonds at all (but I wouldn't accept the Lebensohl relay to 3C either)  so this gets treated as 18 balanced.  In a Matchpoint game that has gone South,  I would surely pass, for the fun of trying for 400-500 on defense.

                                                                     --- 2 Notrump ---


Problem F:>>  High Rollers  that like the  cuebid-and-correct-spades-to-clubs route:  did we consider unusual 4NT as a clearer way? Or do I have the clarity thing backward?   Anyway I am going for a measly....
                                                                    --- 3 Hearts ---


Problem G:>>  Three Clubs will catch the notrump call from partner as surely as an 'asking' 3 Diamonds.  There are no outright 'punts' after2/1 GF.        --- 3 Clubs ---   


Problem H:>>  WARNING:  Dummy has a diamond SUIT, since his sequence shows the same strength tha just raising 1 Notrump to two would show.             --- Heart 6 ---
  P.S.  '2nd highest from bad suits"  should always be readable when we have 4+ length as here.  when partner leads middle of xxx, I nearly ALWAYS misread it however, and I refuse to make the mud lead.

SOLUTIONS FOR: Jock McQuade, 3 Bag End, Hobbiton OR 97030.
PROBLEM A: 2 Notrump    PROBLEM B: 2 Notrump  PROBLEM C: 5 Clubs    PROBLEM D: Double   
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump  PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts     PROBLEM G: 3 Clubs  PROBLEM H: Heart 6
« Last Edit: September 01, 2021, 11:34:14 AM by blubayou »
often it is better to beg forgiveness, than ask permission

jcreech

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Re: 2021 OCTOBER MSC
« Reply #13 on: August 31, 2021, 12:16:50 AM »
Blu got me remembering a bit more about my initial thoughts.

On A, I believe I went low with 2 !S in memory of last month's problem.  This hand is worse, but the fourth suit is cheaper (giving more room) and most of the panel will be different (so they may be more inclined to think opening hand opposite opening hand).  Still things to consider before settling in on a final answer.

B is the same.

C, I am certain was either double or some number of clubs, but still no clarity.

And on D, I am certain that my prior bid was not 6 !D; my best alternative guesses are either the cue-bid 4 !C, but the more likely 5 !D hoping partner will move with a club control.  However, recent experience with the bots makes me feel better about some sort of direct action than trying a cue without a control in the suit.  The bot put me in 7, apparently placing me with a void in the opponent's suit and first and second round controls in the other three suits when the opponents had opened.  So I am still thinking about both the diamond game and slam.

However, I do wish that Todd had recorded my early answers - he often does, but he may have been waiting for me to get the writeup complete - bad timing for a rerouting of an email to spam, and for much of the recent forum entries to head into the twilight zone.  I probably should save my responses until I start the new writeup, then I don't have to count on the generosity of others.
A stairway to nowhere is better than no stairway at all.  -Kehlog Albran

Masse24

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Re: 2021 OCTOBER MSC
« Reply #14 on: August 31, 2021, 01:16:20 AM »
No such luck, Jim.

At the time of our forum crash I believe only you and Blu had recorded any guesses. I had not even created the October spreadsheet at that point.

I do recall that 2 !S on "A" was your first impression.

On "D" you mentioned 4 !D. I remember it clearly because I thought it a woeful underbid (though I sorta figured you'd be changing it).

And I'm pretty sure your lead was the same !D K.
“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