2022 FEBRUARY MSC

[Masse24]

FEBRUARY 2022 MSC
Deadline: DEC 31 at 11:59 p.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]

Problem A?   SURELY a WTP!    Can't offer to stop below game,  and probing for the 'perfetco' slam will just help the defense!
  Now for a long trip down the rabbit hole,  with ideas that we will hopefully move on from by month's end:

Problem B?   A zillion years ago, the godfather of 2/1 decreed that ANY free bid  showed darn near a game hand  ( and we mostly scratched our head about this idea!)  But now  we see what Mr. Roth was driving at.   We can make the only sane bid there is on this hand, without worrying about "avoiding a reverse"  because parntner has us covered with the extras we need to carry the bidding high.                                        --- Two Hearts ---

Problem C?  Hey!  Partner bet we take 7 tricks in spades?  Then with THIS takeout double,  we are a lock to take 8 or 9.  Even with me declaring.                     ---Two SPADES  [and redouble silently] ---

Problem D?  Down here in 'Underland' the mad Hatter is banging his shoe on he tea party table  insisting on "3 Notrump"
how can I refuse that wisdom,  vul versus not in IMPS?
                                                                                        ---Three Notrump----

Problem E?   What BID is on your plate?   2NT and 3 Diamonds--boo!  [from BWS2017:" two notrump is natural (invitational) and nonforcing (jump or not)"];   so, LURK,  an LEAVE IN the reopening double that is sure to come.
                                                                                      --- Pass ---
                                                                                       
Problem F?   Fire away, opps--Beat me with your 5-6 running hearts,  or chortle mildly,  when 3NT==  looses to other N-S 620 or 640   I don't really know if this one is a second FREEBIE, like problem A, or just  our 5th trip into  bizzarro-world. BUT this answer may last throughout the month:                                   ---Three Notrump---

Problem G will get an entry all to itself  .................................

Problem H?   I think I see 4 defensive tricks;  think I will   take a peek at dummy and hopefully se where partner might add a couple more.                                             
                                                                                    ---Diamond Ace---

[blubayou]

Problem G:>>  Remember last month's  Problem E? This is exactly the same problem, seen from the other side of the table. Here, side by side  are the two hands
                   JANUARY                                         FEBRUARY

            KTx, AJ, AKx, 8xxxx                    KTx, AQ, 8xxxx, AQx -- still 15;  still  5 lousy in the other minor                                                                                                               still HHx "trumps".   
            v,  KQxx, Qxxxxx, Kxx                  x, KJ9x, KJ9, KJ7xx
     If these south hands are really worth 'stayman + show my minor', then clearly checking out whether 3NT is viable has to be the thrust if the next couple of bids--launching off to 5 or 6 Diamonds [Clubs] comes later.  Therefore opener's re-rebid  should have been his stoppery spades, not his ace as the bidding diagram foists on us (3 Hearts).  On the pair of hands we have, we have just blown past past 3NT and I wonder if the percentage of 5 [ ]  coming home is as much as 40%.
   On the January problem, 7 panelists made the WRONG cue-bid  that we see here in current  Problem G.  And 7 kissed 3NT bye-bye by raising responder's minor to four.  Both groups got 100 (??)  And the 5 who cued the spade stopper got 80.
   Now,  HOW are we getting to 3NT now that partner has filled in our heart suit?  We aren't-- that train has left the station. (If we now bid 3NT  over 3H,  then why did we bother to start showing something-- why not just close out in 3NT after openers stayman response?)    (Somebody say  "In fact, I WOULD have done this"?)
   If opener has made the same erroneous 3H call  with a hand resembling  December #E, we are blowing past the pretty solid 3NT, and headed for a sketchy 5 Clubs, because my vote is to slink back to...                                                   --- 4 Clubs---

[peuco]

Problem G i bid 5C. I do not see slam a good bet and i do not want pd to RKC and we end off 2 aces

[peuco]

Problem B Nice story Blu, in tune from the man who opened with 14+. i agree with 2H but i will be surprised if it gets a good score

[blubayou]

will we ever leave  problem G  to come to rest?   I doubt it!    DickH  and all, DO remember the opener has zero worries about BOTH majors being a stopper issue  --  responder's Stayman  means he has a SUIT in one of them .  Just bid our stopper in the one he doesn't have  and we will not have to  blow past 3NT for no good reason, when  the responding hand  is crappy minimum  like this month's  problem G,  and  my "weaker" guess at responder's 'diamonds + hearts  from last month's problem F  .

[Masse24]

A) as a reverse - dislike NT with ace singleton
b) 3N
c) 3h
d) 2nt
E) 2n showing stoppers in M
F) 3nt
G) 1n
h)  K

I see Feb 2022 on MSC page not January

[peuco]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Francisco

PROBLEM A: 4 Spades
PROBLEM B: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM C: Double
PROBLEM D: 4 Hearts
PROBLEM E: 3 Spades
PROBLEM F: Double
PROBLEM G: 5 Clubs
PROBLEM H: Diamond Ace

[blubayou]

A:  Splinter,  looking for Axxx, Kx, Axx, xxxx dummy, since we can easily end in 4   if it's not "Christmas"


B:  Raise spades;  one of 4 truly sick rebids.   I envy the kitchen-bridge folk  who just pass 1   this time


C:  Was so happy to leave in 1S X I can't resist declaring in    now. (MY opening lead vs 2C will let him make )                                --- 2 Spades,   to play  ---


D:  So, they have AJxxxx and Kxx trumps; where will they find 3 more tricks if we can make 4-something? pass


E:  easy pass,  and they didn't ask "Will you leave in a reopening double?"   [ yes I will ]


F:  Double,  THEN if partner squeeks " " off to 3NT


G:  Partner skipped probing in  s,  so 3NT despite wide open spades here  (WHY did I bother to show my                  clubs in the first place, you might well ask.  )


H:  "Take a peek"  still looks ok 3 weeks later --  Ace

[hoki]

A:  Splinter,  looking for Axxx, Kx, Axx, xxxx dummy, since we can easily end in 4   if it's not "Christmas"
Okay, I'll go along with 4♣ as a splinter bid since it doesn't cost and we can still
come to roost in 4♠.


B:  2!S
I prefer the equally sick 2♣, preferring to play in a 5-1 fit than a 4-2 fit.


C:  Was so happy to leave in 1S X I can't resist declaring in    now.
Double. Do you think opener psyched the 1♠ bid?


D:  So, they have AJxxxx and Kxx trumps; where will they find 3 more tricks if we can make 4-something? pass
Pass. With the spade queen a potentially worthless value I'm reluctant
to show any encouragement - and the hand is too flat to try for 4♦.


E:  Easy pass, and they didn't ask, "Will you leave in a reopening double?"   [ yes I will ]
Pass is not forcing, so partner is not obliged to bid again. Hence I double.


F:  Double,  THEN if partner squeaks " " off to 3NT
What if partner squeaks 4♥? Now 4NT is surely keycard and 5♦ is a
control bid. Nope, I'll probably settle for 5♦.


G:  Partner skipped probing in  s,  so 3NT despite wide open spades here  (WHY did I bother to show clubs in the first place, you might well ask.  )
Here's my take, but I can understand J's point: 3♣ shows a club suit (in
addition to one four-card major) and partner's 3♥ bid is a control bid,
showing club support. So I bid 3♠ to show first or second round control
in spades - with slam interest in clubs.


H:  "Take a peek"  still looks ok 3 weeks later --  Ace
Partner doesn't seem to have much at all, so I look for a passive
lead: the three of spades.

[kenberg]

A: My initual thought for A was WTP, just as Blu says. Actually I think that this is still my thought but just letting thoughts run wild I decided to look at BWS for passed hand bidding:

Passed-Hand Situations: These methods apply to responding to a major-suit opening by a passed hand:
(a) one notrump is semiforcing (6-12 points);
(b) two clubs is a strong raise (a hand too strong for a single raise, but unsuited to a higher bid);
(c) three clubs is natural, similar to two diamonds but with long clubs;
(d) a jump-shift other than three clubs is a strong raise with length in the suit bid;
(e) a double jump-shift is a splinter raise.


OK. As I thought, 2C is Drury, 2D isn't, so we might explore. The usual follow=ups are that 2D indicates, usually, that maybe we have enough for game, maybe not, but of course that can be corrected later. Over 2D partner can still bid 3S. This would be on four spades and a maximum for being a passed hand. I still think it is optimistic to try for a slam, but if we decide to make such a try I think 2D is the way to do it.  There is another possible use for 2D. Suppose pard bids 2S, passable, over 2D. We could then bid 3NT. Presumably this offers pard the chance to pass if he has a flat hand with three spades. I am far from sure I want to do that either.

So I am still thinking of not over-thinking and just bidding 4S over 2C.  But I am also finding ways to go wrong. That's what MSC is for, finding ways to go wrong.

Added: I realize that Pass-1S-2D-3S is not discussed on the BWS page, but it seems logical. The 2D allows for a stop short of game, the 3S is a last try at getting to 4S, and it seems four card support and maximal values for previous bidding warrants such a try.

[hoki]

WTP  =  ?  please/sorry

[kenberg]

WTP=What's the problem

The world is succumbing to these things, sorry about that.

I enjoyed the 1993 movie Sleepless in Seattle, and already they had H and G for Hi and Goodby, and MFEO as Made For Each Other.
I forget what it was but there was a recent one that I just could not figure out but I was able to FIBB (find it by browsing).

[hoki]

Thanks. On problem D I'm bidding 4D (think I might
have overlooked partner's double - but passing is
too risky at IMP scoring).

[yleexotee]

Took a quick peek tonight thanks to Todd's reminder, and I'm finally finished grading so I can stop being so grumpy about work and be grumpy about the MSC instead!
Seeing some of the other's answers I wasn't sure I was even looking at the correct month, so I must surely need a rethink on most of these. Here we go:
A - 2D. I also like it because even though its somewhat artificial asking partner to bid on, it will psychologically keep the ops from leading diamonds I hope!
 (2H alternative if it's more BWS appropriate!)
B - 1nt. I know, I know, no diamond stopper so its wrong. Then 2C...I know, I know its a lousy 5 card suit, and not the 6 promised at all.
 (2d? can't; 2h? can't; 2S? can't or more of a shouldn't??; ....2nt? I laugh, so back to 1nt)
C - 2D. I'm not passing and letting them play in 2C, pard now knows I have a big hand, and they can punch in a NT bid with spades stopped twice.
(I could be convinced of pass since partner also surely won't let them play in 2c, but what do I do over 1nt...)
D - 5D. 3nt better not be the answer because my Q106 isn't going to cut it. 4D, well you know how I feel, but really it's way too weak with diamond support, a side ace, and surely 1 spade loser or less between us. (4H would be interesting if it guaranteed some support in diamonds). Pass seems like not much compensation given the Vul and the risk of them making.
E - 2nt. I will it bid it boldy and quickly showing all confidence in my ...ahem "stopper". 3S is a huge possibility, allowing for 3nt by p instead, it's just not in me to Pass with this hand and a weak bid by ops over p opening.
F - X. This will be first time in history that an MSC has only ONE answer chosen by every person who sees it and has played bridge before.
G - 3S. This is a cue bid, following partners cue bid for our minor. i have some worry that we will end in 3nt with pard counting on my spade stop, so I could be convinced to go to 5c.
H - AD. This will be the second time in history that an MSC has only ONE answer...(but someone tell me what the lead is in BWS from AKx. is it ace or king?)