2022 June MSC

[Masse24]

JUNE 2022 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]

		This must be an April-Fool  joke!   I got my final answers to all 8 questions
		in under 15 minutes.   And , after 4 weeks of hemming and hawing, any
		changes I WILL come up with will only reduce my score--  like last month
		in particular + many others.
		Here is my lightning-round:
		A:  pass [-70 beats -140, or some goulash madness, like -590.
		B:  4 clubs ..22-point cold game,  count me IN.
		C:  3 hearts ..  Blocking the 10th-seat balance  HAHAHA!
		D:  double..  6 tricks in hand --yeah-right!--Seriously,  if I am not allowed to double twice with this,  change our 1NT overcall range to  "17-to-20! E:  pass..  This is not a quizz question
		F:  double..   IS there a 18-point 2 level overcall.. Not on april first
		G:  four diamonds..save me  tell me what blcksuit to bid!!
		H:  diamond 7..fourth in our strongest/not longest.
		Elapsed time in study: 9.5 minutes,,,typing time 16.5 minutes.   Se y'all in the funny papers

[jcreech]

I didn't find the set to be embarrassingly easy like Speedy GonJockez did.  I have several that I am still mulling over (particularly Problems A & B), but these are my initial thoughts.

Problem A  Pass  Where are the spades?  If partner has five or more, they must be very weak.  My HCPs and the vulnerability make me want to bid.  My length in diamonds and shortness in spades make me want to pass.  I suspect that opener is looking at 4-4 in the majors and only 3 cards in diamonds.  If I double, and we end up in hearts, we could be struggling with a bad trump break.  I will start with Pass for now, but this is clearly subject to reconsideration.

Problem B  Dbl I want to bid 4 , but I do not feel I have the values to insist on game despite a possible double fit.  I think I am stuck with the cooperative-takeout double, and hope that partner places us at the proper level.  This too is subject to reconsideration.

Problem C  3 I need three of six cover cards from partner's raise to make a heart game; that would take a perfecto.  So now the question is, when everyone in front of me passing, do I need to pull out a 1-2-3-stop?  My concern is the spades; I'm looking at a stiff, and passing 2 may create the opportunity for a spade balance.  If the opponents are looking at a length (e.g., JTxxx) opposite strength (e.g., AKx), then a balance at the two level looks pretty good.  I'll bump up the auction one to make it harder for the opponents to come in.

Problem D  Dbl  I wish I had made a hefty NT, then I would feel confident that this double was penalty.  As it is, I think partner will need to have a good reason to pull.

Problem E  Pass  This is matchpoints, I have a smattering of values that may be helpful, and NT pays more than diamonds.  I think it is worth the risk.

Problem F  Dbl  The suit is not long enough to make a jump to 3 and the stopper not good enough to bid 2 NT, so I start with a double.

Problem G 4   I've already limited my hand and denied four-card majors, so I should advertise my good fit with diamonds and a maximum.  I am afraid that 3 would be interpreted as long clubs and a weak hand, but would love for partner to think of it as a diamond fit and a concentration of values in the club suit.
 
Problem H  3  If I don't lead my singleton on the go, partner will never play for me to have a singleton.  I have the top trump to stop declarer from pulling my trump too quickly, and maybe after seeing dummy, I will have a clue how to reach partner for a club ruff.

[peuco]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Frank

PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: 4 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM D: Double
PROBLEM E: Pass
PROBLEM F: Double
PROBLEM G: 2 Spades
PROBLEM H: Club 3

[wackojack]

A 1
If ever there was a right time to overcall with a 4 card suit, this must be it

B   4
Partner's initial take out double will be showing at least 4-3 in the majors.  I bid 4 .  With both majors she will likely bid 4 which I am happy with. 

 C Still thinking
We could have game with partner having as few as 3HCP.    xxxxx,  Jxx,  Qxx,  x.  That gives the opps 25HCP between them and yet they have not intervened.  My guess is that partner must have wasted values in spades and at least a doubleton club.  Is a bid of 3 a blocking bid or an invite? 

  D  2NT
Partner is unlikely to have 4 spades and we may well have a good play for 2NT.

E 2
I pass partner's response. WTP?

F  Still thinking
I am toying with going out on a limb and bidding 2NT

G  4
We are likley to score at least as well in diamonds as in no trumps.  So I force with 4

H  6
To take away ruffing value and unlikley to give away a trick

[yleexotee]

Current thoughts:
A -  1H: the alternatives don't seem appealing to me. 1nt with no spades, ouch, but only other thing I can think of. Pass - in balancing seat?? never.
B  - X: I'm assuming that is choose your major partner.
C - (Game Try): Whatever the BWS game try system is, I'm using it here. if its 2S showing unspecified singleton, then yes, if its 3c showing needing help in that suit, then yes. This is marginal though, so I might need to think about what p could have to get us home. maybe AH and spade trick to throw off the diamond loser, and then if they can save us a club loser, Voila!a lot to ask for 2h, though.
D - 2nt: Seems reasonable to me
E - (Transfer to Diamonds) - Whatever the trans is in diamonds, I am using it. If there is some version of super accept, might even try for game. but I'm crazy like that.
F - X
G - I'm confused about the note/hint. It makes it sound like 2h is NOT a reverse. Can anyone clarify?  I'm leaning toward 3c, but 4D is a strong possibility since I'm always wrong when I don't choose the 4m. I just don't want to pass 3nt if I can help it, however.
H - 3C  I'll take the standard score here.

[kenberg]

My thoughts on G: "*BWS: forcing for one round (no further agreements)"
Ok, but surely this must be a hand that opener thinks might play in 5 after my 1NT bid. Well, it's hard to imagine a 1NT response that is more suitable for 5 .

So I am thinking to bid 5 . If I were sure 4 were forcing, and maybe it should be, I might do that. But 6 seems optimistic so with no agreements, just a general idea that surely it shows a hand that opener thinks might belong in 5 , I'll just bid 5 .

[wackojack]

On G:

Ofcourse 2 is a reverse by definition since 2 ranks higher than 2 .  One would also conclude that the BWS prompt is saying that 2 is not a game force.  Nor would we expect it to be.  I take it that partner has an unbalanced hand with at least 5  and 4  and 15+ HCP

Nevertheless we have to guess what the following bids should be showing and these are my guesses.

2 : 7-10 with partial guard in F1
2NT:  7-8 with a stop in  inviting 3NT  not lebensohl
3 : Weak long  s non-forcing
3 : 7-8 no stop in  non - forcing
3 : 9-10, 3 good  likely 2 small  likely 2344 GF
3 :   I have the A ??
3NT: 9-10  stop
4 : Long    s invite game in  s
4 : 4+  s  : game force  inviting cue bids 

[kenberg]

Jack, mostly (not completely) I agree with your guesses.  The problem is that it really does come down to guessing. If there are no further agreements then there are no further agreements. Since it is hard to imagine a 1NT response that is better suited for playing in 5 opposite a very shapely opening bid, and since it is hard to imagine why pard would bid this way if he did not regard 5 as at least a possible final contract, I figure I'll just bid 5 . I can imagine a hand where 6 comes in, but with "no further agreements" I will just forget about it.

If we were to set out agreements then the first thing is to decide whether 2NT is or is not Leb. After 1m-1NT (6-10, not 7-10)-2M I think 2NT is often, and perhaps best, played as natural. A modest hand that is not enthusiastic about anything. Opener can pass, or opener can rebid 3m and I'll pass.

But a big purpose for Leb is to give responder, when he wants to play in , to sign off in 3 , invite going on in , and force to game showing . With your agreements, 3 can be a fit with absolutely minimal values, it just says "no, I am not rebidding a passable 2NT if you have all those ,and 4 is forcing. I think this mighty be the right choice of agreements but does partner think so?

Now a quote from BWS

"  In response to one diamond: two clubs is forcing to game; three clubs is invitational. A one-notrump response shows 6-10 points."

So we have to include the possibility that responder, after 1 -1NT - 2 wants to bid 3 with 6 highs since he might well want to do this with too few to bid 3 over 1 . Also 1 - 1NT precludes a hand such as Qxx/xx/Qxx/KQJxxx since with that hand it would go 1 - 3 . Probably it would go that way with Qxx/xx/Jxx/KQJxxx. This makes it unlikely that, after 1 - 1NT - 2 , responder will want to invite game in . Not impossible, but pretty unlikely. Which, I suppose, means that 4 could show a good hand with a fit and a control. 

But I am not betting on what 4 would show.

In a sense, this problem is a good problem for IAC, or more generally for the typical player. Currently, I have no partner with whom I have discussed 1 - 1NT - 2 and, apparently, even if we have agreed to play BWS, we have not really discussed this auction (so long , something inn , but beyond that?). It's hardly unusual for me to say "I am not really sure just what would mean what here and I doubt partner is either so I think I will just make a guess. Bidding 5 will no doubt be taken as meaning I am up for playing in 5 ".

[kenberg]

SOLVER: Ken Berg
         
-------------------
PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: 3 Spades
PROBLEM C: Pass
PROBLEM D: Double
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 2 Spades
PROBLEM G: 5 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Heart 10

 

[msphola]

A.P
B.X
C.3
D. 2N
E.P
F.X
G. 3D
H. 3

[blubayou]

Problem F:  The thrust of the system note is foremostt , that OPENER is not obliged to bid one more time,  as he is when the bidding goes  "1X, 1Y[suit];  2 Red" . The responder must rebid, but the OPENER need not, which is a big difference.  It means that a gadget 2NT rebid is not in effect  --CANNOT be in effect,  and  "2NT"  3 Clubs" and 3 Diamonds"  all mean exactly what they sound like--emently passable.   Small Blessings!
  A few months ago,  I PASSED the reverse  and got hammered.  To this day and forever,  I claim I was right and the panel +  BWS2017 are wrong  

[wackojack]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Jack Goody

Guildford
England

PROBLEM A: 1 Heart
PROBLEM B: 4 Clubs
PROBLEM C: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM E: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM F: Double
PROBLEM G: 4 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Spade 6

[hoki]

A - double and 1NT over 1S; plus 90 is better than minus 70, Jock;
B - double,  pard is a passed hand, so I see this is a partscore deal;
C - 3H, purely competitive with many alternatives if wanting to invite game;
D - double but strongly disagree with the first double, 1NT being perfect;
E - pass;
F - 2S, not strong enough for double and then 3S;
G - 3D, I always thought that a reverse while not GF promises another bid;
H - S6, the singleton club looks far too dangerous to me.

[veredk]

PROBLEM A: 1 Heart
PROBLEM B: Double
PROBLEM C: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM E: Pass
PROBLEM F: Double
PROBLEM G: 4 Diamonds
PROBLEM H: Club 3