2023 February MSC

[Masse24]

FEBRUARY 2023 MSC
Deadline: DECEMBER 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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[yleexotee]

Aha, Surprise! I am going first.
A - X. It's a 3 loser hand, so a suit won't do it for initial bid.
B - 3H, going low with this I hope. not ready to bail out on 3s.
C - 3nt. i think this is going low, but I can't quite think of how to proceed.
D - Pass, 2h is in consideration, but I'll bail out on the psuedo diamond fit.
E - 3H. It's not checking on heart fit, that's already denied, but it's letting p know I don't have club stop. so passing the buck.
F - 3H. asking for a stopper.
G - X and bidding hearts later. but could be convinced of a spade fit.
H - 3H for now. I'm going to test that heart stopper

FILED my answers. stuck with them all.

[jcreech]

My initial thoughts:

Problem A:  4 - Preempts work!  I will flip-flop on my answer until the very last day but for now it is the simple overcall.  Spades could be right if partner has a boatload, either red suit could be right with a modest fit.  Is there a sensible route to slam, if it is there?  Probably not, even though ♠ xxxxx   ♥ Jx   ♦ xx   ♣ xxxx would certainly have a  play.

Problem B:  3   What worries me about bidding either red suit is that partner could have continued showing his shape, so bidding either could fall into a poorish fit.

Problem C:  3 NT  Partner asked for a spade stop, and I have one.  The question is whether I am being a wimp by not jumping to 4 NT (hopefully quantitative under the circumstances).

Problem D:  2   Torn between three weak calls.  The 1 NT has already given partner the warning to tread carefully.  I am going with hearts so my hand will be worth some tricks.  I am hopeful that partner has three having bypassed clubs (though that might indicate real diamonds and a stiff heart).

Problem E:  3   Looking for 3 NT, but could end up in a spade contract.

Problem F:  3   I am wanting to avoid 3 NT without a stopper or 5 without heart shortness

Problem G:  Dbl  I have enough strength to double and bid my hearts, and who knows, partner may show up with spades.

Problem H:  3  Not sure what to expect for dummy's raise of hearts after bidding both minors.  I don't expect much in declarer's hand for the fourth-suit forcing.  My suspicion is that either the hearts are 4=3=3=3 or that partner and I have the 4=4 fit.

Something must change among my answers - too many hearts!

________________________

No changes, I couldn't find any substitutions that I liked better for the hearts.

SOLUTIONS FOR:
James Creech
FREDERICKSBURG VA 22407-9355
U.S.A.

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

[blubayou]

A:   If our majors were flipped,  DOUble, then 4S over 4H might get 20+ votes. But here,  DOUble, then 5H over 4S surely won't come close to that.   The best way to recover from the underbid most uf us will be making here is for the opps  to somehow come up with a club raise,  so we can rebid 5D.   I am not counting on this, but...
                        --- Four Hearts---   anyway.


B:   I will bid my one card [other then their trump queen].  If partner isn't coming again with a heart rebid,  I would rather be somewhere else.   In fact I DO rather be someplace else!
                        --- Three Diamonds---


C:   Do we all realize that pard's 3 Spades will usually be a waffle?  What can an ordinary opening had lacking a spade card AND a heart suit do after all??  It's too early to get rowdy yet--just do what Hamman says for now.
                       ---Three Notrump---


D:   I have never shown a 5-card red suit after this auction, but.....Jim put a bee in my bonnet:: in hearts, I AM worth some tricks, more than usual COMPARED TO WHAT a crappy dummy this is for spades. we will not speak  of  dropping pard in 2 ,  ok?  ...This TRULY  a "misery preference"  to 2 spades--worse even than  most 6-to-9 with a doubleton trump   compared to the alternative of 2
                          ---Two Hearts---

E:   I know bidding 3   now is 'kitchen bridge' when not having 5+ length in diamonds,  but i don't see the harm.  If partner supports diamonds now, correcting to 4   cant be that bad, so the first-impulse rebid of 2NT is not needed with our 10xx club holding.    The panel will probably split between a spade raise and that automatic  rebid in NT, though . I know I am not changing to a spade raise this month--after all  north may have 6-4 majors and then we can't get to 4
                        ---Three Hearts---


F:  Tooo SIMPLE!   In no style I know of, or ever want to know of, does                                                             "1   (1 ) double 2 ; 3   (pass) THREE SPADES "   show five+ spades!  there is no need at all  for some mystery cue-bid if you agree with this.   This is a one-answer problem  or Bob's my uncle --  with the distant other answer being to drop pard in three diamonds --  scoring a minus 50.
                              ---Three Spades---
  P.S.  some rascal mentioned  tha  when playing "NEGATIVE FREE BID"  this 3 spade rebid does show a real suit.  Fine.  I HAVE heard of this convention--yes,  but do I WANT to hear of it--no.

G: Like "F" above, there is absolutely no need to look beyond the one obvious answer--in this case "double".   I can't believe they didn't present a second round of bidding and ask us what to call after some 7-bid auction.
                               ---Double---      madness

H:   

[blubayou]

PROBLEM H:>>    bidding:                pass
                                             1                1
                                                       pass
                                              2               2
                                               3               3NT.... swish


Dummy can be counted on to have a 3-suter as bid.  Declarer ,however seems to have used artificial  4SF for his 2 Heart rebid.   ..Now, I have put off  for 3 weeks deciding WHICH little heart to lead, but suddenly see that hearts is not the suit to attack!   Wouldn't East, with a small singleton heart bid 3 spades to "command"  west take the notrump?  So his 3NT will deliver some heart helper.  yukk.  it comes down to a guess between the doubleton ten  and jack-third , just like last month.
   This makes 3 deals in a singe month where 3 spades shouldbe treated as some sort of "last train to notrumpville".  i hope i am right all 3 times.

[blubayou]

SOLUTIONS FOR: Jock McQuade, 3 Bag End, Hobbiton OR 97030 U.S.A.
PROBLEM A: 4 Hearts
PROBLEM B: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM C: 3 Notrump
pPROBLEM D: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM E: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM F: 3 Spades
PROBLEM G: Double
PROBLEM H: Diamond 10
A copy of these solutions will be e-mailed to you for your records.

[wackojack]

 
What I would do at the table 

A: Double

Too good for 4♥.  Not sure what 5♥ would mean.  Safest to double and then bid 5♥ over partner’s expected 4♠.  Problem:  If partner instead bids 4NT which I assume would be natural then I would like to bid 6♣ to show the void.  However, partner might well bid 7♠ with a hole when 7♥ was a laydown.  So over 4NT I would be conservative and bid 6♥.

B:  3♥

Say partner has ♠ AKxxx, ♥ KQJx, ♦ KJx, ♣ x.  Then 4♥ looks good.  Would partner make a re-opening double with less?  Maybe?  Also it is match points so go with the field 3♥.

c: 3NT

What is partner telling me? Most likely a balanced 12-14 with no spade stop. If so  with my semi balanced hand and the A♠ I must bid 3NT.  Could partner have an unbalanced hand with ♦ support say ♠ x, ♥ Qxxx, ♦ AQx, ♣ AJ10xx when we would want to be in 6♦?  Or even the same with ♣AKxxx when 7♦ is a laydown?  Then partner should take out my 3NT into 4♦ to tell me this news.

D: 2

Not playing Gazzilli partner could have 18-19.  So I must not pass.   I think a preference bid of 2♠ is about right.

Further thought and rant:  In my book 2 will deny a 3 card suit otherwise I would raise immediately.  I pity those poor souls who have to respond 1NT when they have a weak 3 card raise.   

E: 2NT

I have a balanced 13.  So I will bid a forcing 2NT.

F:  3

With a minimum unbalanced 1♦ opener, partner would pass.  So 3♦ shows extras.  But is it forcing?  I am not promising any more than a 4 card suit with 5HCP.  So it is not forcing.  I have about 2 tricks more than promised so I want to be in game and slam is not out of the question.  What would 3♥ mean?  Normally when there is still an unbid suit (clubs) a bid of the opponents’ suit would be telling partner “I have a ♥ stop so you can bid 3N in safety if you have ♣s stopped” However, there is something wrong with this generalisation when you can only bid the 4th suit above the level of 3NT.  Therefore 3♥ cannot be telling partner of a ♥ stop.  It must be a “tell me more” asking bid.  Nevertheless, I am hesitant to do so because say partner has something like ♠ xx, ♥ Ax, ♦ AKJxxx,  ♣ KQx.  Then he will bid 3NTand we have missed 6♦.  I am too good to bid 3♥.  I will keep things going by bidding 3♠ which will be showing a control and not extra length and will not promise a ♥ stop. 

G: 1

I don’t think there is much risk in 1♥ being passed out when a game is on our way.  1♥. The odds are that West will help us by rebidding 2♦ and now I show my good 4 card spade suit

H: 10

What does a raise of the 4th suit show here?  East cannot have a 4 card ♥ suit here unless 5413 distribution.  Could West be showing a 1-3-5-4 distribution with no ♥ stop?  Perhaps.    Maybe the “beginner’s” lead of the 10♦ is best finding partner with a 5 card ♦ suit and more importantly not giving a trick. 

[Masse24]

February Guesses:

PROBLEM A: 4 Hearts.
It’s a 30-point deck and I’m looking at two-thirds of it. We need so little from partner to make slam a good bet. But I don’t have a good way to convey that. What is 5 Clubs? Some huge hand with club shortness obviously. Anyway, preempts work.

PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts.
Although pass is possible at Matchpoints, it’s a bit much with these poor, scattered values. Partner is asking me to bid, and since the major scores better, I go with it.

PROBLEM C: 3NT.
Like “A,” I worry this is not enough. But let’s see where partner is going with his cuebid. If he passes, we are where we belong.

PROBLEM D: 2 Spades.
Really torn between the “book” 2 and a heart suit just good enough for consideration. But I’ll stick with the “known” 5-2 fit rather than the hoped for 5-3.

PROBLEM E: 3 Hearts.
Keeping 3NT alive and highlighting the club problem. Assuming partner has a stopper, I want the lead coming into him.

PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts.
WTP? I’ve shown my spades, now it’s time to show my values.

PROBLEM G: Double.
Don’t like 6-4 Michaels.

PROBLEM H: Diamond Ten.
Second choice is Club 9. Still hate lead problems.


NO CHANGES. ABOVE ANSWERS SUBMITTED.

[veredk]

PROBLEM A: 4 Hearts
PROBLEM B: 3 Diamonds
PROBLEM C: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM D: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM E: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM G: Double
PROBLEM H: Diamond 10

[wackojack]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Jack Goody
Guildford
U.K.

PROBLEM A: Double
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM D: 2 Spades
PROBLEM E: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM F: 3 Spades
PROBLEM G: 1 Heart
PROBLEM H: Diamond 10

[ccr3]

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

[bAbsG]

SOLVER: Babs Giesbrecht
Your Solutions for the February 2023 Contest 
-------------------
PROBLEM A: Double
PROBLEM B: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM C: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM D: 2 Spades
PROBLEM E: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM F: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM G: Double
PROBLEM H: Heart 3

[blubayou]

LOL, Todd    re:  problem Bee.  POOR values, yes, but SCATTERED values  is an overstatement?
    Ohh,  I completely forgot about that club queen  sorry

[Masse24]

LOL, Todd    re:  problem Bee.  POOR values, yes, but SCATTERED values  is an overstatement?
    Ohh,  I completely forgot about that club queen  sorry

Evenly distributed? 

[jcreech]

LOL, Todd    re:  problem Bee.  POOR values, yes, but SCATTERED values  is an overstatement?
    Ohh,  I completely forgot about that club queen  sorry

Evenly distributed? 

I don't think Jock is giving full weight to those three 10's.  They are typically undervalued anyway.  Being a fan of KnR, I know that Todd would never fail to give them credit.