2023 MARCH MSC

[Masse24]

MARCH 2023 MSC
Deadline: JANUARY 31 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

Submit your MARCH 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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[jcreech]

My initial guesses:

Problem A:  3 I think I am in the wrong seat to convert the double, so I will bid.  Partner should know that if I had clubs, I would bid them, and if I were rich, I would have made an immediate responsive double, so this is asking for a 3-level best major.  (I would probably have made a responsive double on this hand, but you live with the traveled path, not the one wished for.)

Problem B:  2   My preference would have been to bid diamonds, anticipating the heart bid, then I could show spades.  Since I did not do that, I feel I am stuck with taking the hint, rebidding my spades to show the weakest action.

Problem C:  3   Partner should have five, so I may as well raise and let him know of the fit.  Tempting as it may be, I don't want to reverse into clubs for a delayed support (implying diamond shortness).

Problem D:  Dbl  I am torn between 1NT and double.  1 NT is right on points and shows the stopper, but the stopper is badly placed if West can find an entry to East early.  The hand has the right shape for the double, but if partner chooses diamonds, the support is very anemic.  I would be pleasantly surprised to hear a pass from partner if I double, but with me holding the AQ, I don't expect that to happen even with a stack.

Problem E:  4   I hate opening 2 with a two-suiter, but having done so, I will rebid my spades and hope partner can figure out what to do next.

Problem F:  6   This one will require additional thought.  Partner opened and supported by six-card suit at the four-level.  I have first-round control of all suits, and the opponents are showing a lot of length in my void.  I am very tempted to trot out 5 NT (grand-slam force - bid 7 with 2 of the top three trump).  Walking the dog may allow me to buy the grand, where the GSF may lead to the 7 sacrifice.

Problem G:  3   I hate splintering into a singleton ace, but a slam is very possible, so I need cooperation.  A diamond cue-bid would be wonderful.

Problem H:  A  I suspect I need to produce a Deschapelles coup, so I will look at dummy to decide which suit I need to lead to attack dummy's entry.

[blubayou]

I am leaning toward bidding the most boring, sleepwalking rebid that can occur to any of us  on ALL the bidding problems --except problem F, where i am certainly slam hunting.   This is not a good sign hence we have no  Early-Bird  guesses until late on  the eighth.


A:>> (1)  Competing to 2NT for a make THINKING THAT THE OPPS' OVERCALL IS ALSO MAKING  is not this kind of 9-count.  (2)  moving on to some 4-3 or4-2 major fit  makes me ill.  (3) raising  -- forget #3.  raising is o-u-t out.   That leaves going for the +200--and getting -180 once in a while.  final word:                                                     ---PASS---
B:>>   Right now the hint has me aboard.  Our two  non-openers have not "blossomed".  I will sign off, and the opp's are welcome to their 3H competition.  Somebody talk me out of THIS one.
                          ---2 Spades---
                         
C:>>  This is such a beautiful problem,  it would be a shame  to start with the obvious simple raise.  Bidding "around the clock" --  3 clubs now, then a heart jump  ( or splinter to 5!D should north rebid his hearts.  Then, there is the temptation to rebid the spades first and who knows how many fun bids will we have in the later rounds.  For the real bashers,  there may be the mighty leap to 5     meaning exclusion RKC but that's not gonna float in the MSC.

D:>>  The heart AQ, along with the correct point-count cannot be denied.  If I reopened with a double and heard a spade response, i swear  I would convert to notrump even then.
                          ---1 Notrump---

 E:>>  Five Clubs may help partner bid slam holding the measly black suit help we need;  Four Spades will not.
That is enough for me to stop worrying about hitting a completely worthless dummy which would means the four level  is out last chance of a plus ( two black singletons might might bring home 5 clubs after all)
                 ---Five Clubs---

F:>>  I didn't think of Jim's dog-walking idea so was content  with the cue-bid for an answer.  It would be ideal if partner was moved to Blackwood after that--very nice.  What bid shows 3 of five + a void, by the way.
                 ---Four Spades---
 
G:>>         __Three spades---    ( and leave him in 3NT hehehe )


H:>>   Deschapelles Coup  from trick one!   for a 30 score I suppose
                 --- Diamond Queen ---

[jcreech]

B:>>   Right now the hint has me aboard.  Our two  non-openers have not "blossomed".  I will sign off, and the opp's are welcome to their 3H competition.  Somebody talk me out of THIS one.
                          ---2 Spades---

Don't look to me to talk you out of this choice - I may have had different reasons, but I agreed with the choice.

D:>>  The heart AQ, along with the correct point-count cannot be denied.  If I reopened with a double and heard a spade response, i swear  I would convert to notrump even then.
                          ---1 Notrump---

My luck at the table is such that no matter which way I go, it will be wrong.  With NT, they will either find the entry to East's hand that brings my AQ to a single stop, or West has so many entries it doesn't matter if they lead into the AQ.  By the end of the month, I may be bidding 1 NT like you, or you may be doubling like me.

F:>>  I didn't think of Jim's dog-walking idea so was content  with the cue-bid for an answer.  It would be ideal if partner was moved to Blackwood after that--very nice.  What bid shows 3 of five + a void, by the way.
                 ---Four Spades---

I look forward to you developing the BluBayou control-showing bid, and then getting The Bridge World to add the bid to MSC 2037.

H:>>   Deschapelles Coup  from trick one!   for a 30 score I suppose
                 --- Diamond Queen ---

Did someone fail to tell you that dummy's entry is in spades?  Well, it might be.  But then it could be in diamonds.  The question is, do you want to put all your eggs in one basket?  The  Q may get you the 30 or 100, but then, so could the  A.

I hope you, Jock, and everyone else takes this in the spirit that was intended - one part serious, one part tongue-in-cheek.   

[blubayou]

For  problem F,  I meant "what response to the hoped-for "blackwood"  shows A+A+A+void.. in case that wasn't clear.  And YES  a little  rough & tumble in the conversation -- just like at the after-party at the pizza joint at 11PM --  is definitely welcome  here in the forum 

[jcreech]

For  problem F,  I meant "what response to the hoped-for "blackwood"  shows A+A+A+void.. in case that wasn't clear.  And YES  a little  rough & tumble in the conversation -- just like at the after-party at the pizza joint at 11PM --  is definitely welcome  here in the forum 

Then the response for this hand would be 6C, showing an odd-numbered step with a void.  It also shows the first ace possessed if below the agreed upon suit.   6H, showing a void above the agreed upon suit - I answered as I misremembered not as the explanation is now - ty Todd for the correct answer.  See:  https://www.pattayabridge.com/conventions/RespRKCBvoid_main.htm#:~:text=Responding%20to%20Roman%20Keycard%20Blackwood%20with%20a%20void.,is%20count%20the%20void%20as%20an%20extra%20ace.

[Masse24]

F:>>  I didn't think of Jim's dog-walking idea so was content  with the cue-bid for an answer.  It would be ideal if partner was moved to Blackwood after that--very nice.  What bid shows 3 of five + a void, by the way.
                 ---Four Spades---

6 . If the number of keycards is odd and the void suit is higher ranking than the trump suit, jump to six of the agreed trump suit.

[Masse24]

PROBLEM E:

Like Jim, I am loath to open 2 with two suiters. Most of the time. This hand, however, demands it.

It seems partner has some values and some hearts, though not a suit good enough to respond 2 (maybe KTxxx or similar?). So WHAT IS 4 ? Surely it cannot be an offer of strain. Can it? We have shown a two-suited hand. To offer a new suit at the four level is nuts. So what is it?

I think it's a good club raise (flag bid). It does NOT necessarily show a control (there is not enough room to pack all of that into the bid). Could it include the A? Yes.

How to find out . . .

Has anyone ever made an Exclusion KCB bid in partner's suit?

[DickHy]

Has anyone ever made an Exclusion KCB bid in partner's suit?

A belated Happy New Year! to everyone.  I'll just throw in my sixpennyworth on this one.  Yes, twice, both when I had a 2 opener.  After 2 relay and my rebid, the suit that partner bid might be pretty weak.  I remember one auction: 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 3 - 4 -5 (Exclusion). 

I can't remember the other auction, but I went off in the ensuing slam.

[jcreech]

Has anyone ever made an Exclusion KCB bid in partner's suit?

A belated Happy New Year! to everyone.  I'll just throw in my sixpennyworth on this one.  Yes, twice, both when I had a 2 opener.  After 2 relay and my rebid, the suit that partner bid might be pretty weak.  I remember one auction: 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 3 - 4 -5 (Exclusion). 

I can't remember the other auction, but I went off in the ensuing slam.

Hey Dick,

Good to see you posting anything on this forum again.  Please feel free to add your sixpennyworth to the MSC answers.  I've missed your perspective, and would love to see it represented again.

[blubayou]

[/i]
PROBLEM E:
It seems partner has some values and some hearts, though not a suit good enough to respond 2 (maybe KTxxx or similar?). So WHAT IS 4 ? Surely it cannot be an offer of strain. Can it? We have shown a two-suited hand. To offer a new suit at the four level is nuts. So what is it?

I think it's a good club raise (flag bid). It does NOT necessarily sh ow a control (there is not enough room to pack all of that into the bid). Could it include the A? Yes.   

   Hmm;  We have bid spades once and clubs once, abeit above 3NT.  Partner has bid hearts once. I can't rule out thaat we belong in diamonds by what has been bid so far--I don't even insist that south must have ten+ black cards.. so I would treat 4 Diamonds as a bid I COULD RAISE  while realizing that 4   must wear many hats.


edited to get Blu's comments separate from the quote from Todd -jcreech

[Masse24]

MARCH GUESSES:


PROBLEM A: Pass
Partner is likely 34 or 43 in the majors. In which major does he have four? I choose to sidestep the problem and pass.

PROBLEM B: Pass
Stronger than 2 , but not quite as pushy as 3 (which may be best as it is very informative). Tough problem.

PROBLEM C: 3 Hearts
Support with support. Making the best use of space, if I could rebid 2 and promise six I would. But that is not BWS. If I did rebid 2 then support hearts later, it might be construed as Hx.

PROBLEM D: 1 Notrump
WTP? Unanimous by the panel?

PROBLEM E: 6 Clubs
I would like to get fancy with a bold 5 , but I'm worried it could be misunderstood. I believe Kantar wrote about an exclusion bid in his partner's first suit but had never had the guts to try it. Me too.

PROBLEM F: 4 Spades
Worth a slam move.

PROBLEM G: 3 Spades
I never, ever splinter with a stiff ace. But I will here. I would like to bid a forcing 3 . And it should be forcing. But in a search through BWS I did not find that it was so this is my next best "slam move" option.

PROBLEM H: Spade 2
Should be the most popular choice by both the panel and solvers. Am I missing something?

[bAbsG]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
Babs Giesbrecht

PROBLEM A: Pass
PROBLEM B: 2 Spades
PROBLEM C: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 1 Notrump
PROBLEM E: 5 Clubs
PROBLEM F: 4 Spades
PROBLEM G: 3 Spades
PROBLEM H: Spade 2

[ccr3]

Solutions for March
A: 3d: Really debated on this one. Hard to visualize winning 6 tricks leaving the double in. Yet 3d is a bit to high.
          Finally 3d because my partner's cards are behind the opener.
B: 2S: Must bid something to show some value but not enough to bid 3d.
C: 3H: Hope to set up spades, the longer suit for pitches. Plenty of entries in dummy.
D: 1NT: another teaser. I don't think partner will have enough to use Stayman to find the spade contract.
           Double would not work if partner bids diamonds having the heart lead through my hand. So....
E: 6c: Gives partner a choice. But what's 4D? I think it implies he prefers clubs. Slam is somewhere, but how high?
F: 4S: Ideal slam try.
G: 3c: Only because of the footnote. Showing shape. Fingers crossed.
H: 2S: decided to go passive this time.

[veredk]

PROBLEM A: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM B: 2 Spades
PROBLEM C: 2 Spades
PROBLEM D: 1 Notrump
PROBLEM E: 4 Spades
PROBLEM F: 4 Spades
PROBLEM G: 4 Hearts
PROBLEM H: Spade 2