2023 NOVEMBER MSC

[Masse24]

NOVEMBER 2023 MSC
Deadline: SEPTEMBER 30 at 11:59 p.m. (ET)

Submit your NOVEMBER 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 MONTH'S PROBLEMS SEEM A LOT MORE PLEASANT THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO  ...                              (I could hardly get happy with any selection compared to one of the other choices, on several of them )

Problem A:>>  I have always believed that "1D, 2C" auctions should be SAYC- not 2over1gameforce so would happily bid two clubs, but here we are in the real BWS world.  Fortunately, the non-forcing jump to 3 clubs is not at all disgusting unless you are jinxed and just know that the AQ1086  is behind your KJ97xx!  Looks like a one-answer problem...
                                                   --- Three Clubs ---

Problem B:>>  The BWS treatment mentioned in the hint is an OUTRAGEOUS TRAVESTY!   BWS has adopted the "Walsh Diamond" approach, with one rare and minor quibble,  so ONE Spade should be a waffle, with Two Spades instead  showing the 4=?=5=?  game force.  This hand is a poster-child for that idea.  IF I CANNOT bid one spade with this pattern (whatever my point-count might be) and xx(x) in spades, then someday soon  our partnership will fall apart as partner starts likeing to rebid in NT with a stiff/void in diamonds , thinking it's the only way to get to 1NT when it is necessary to stop right there. 
   Now, given that 1S  shows spades in BWS,  we have four equally flawed alternatives: 
1:  bid the 5 great diamonds again
2: support partner's clubs (we DO know that she in not on a short club- look it up)
3:  ignore the wrong-siding problem and bid our points and shape  via  "1NT"
4:  BID ONE SPADE DESPITE IT SHOWING A SUIT, and hope you don't get raised or otherwise fatally mislead pard!
                              ---One Notrump, under violent protest!---

Prpblem C:>> Heaven help us if partner has some 8 points outside of club face cards  and we do not invite.  try playing for game with dummy having only 2 kings [not clubs] , for that matter!.    
                                        --- Three Spades---
Problem D:>> Pass?  3 ?, 4 ?,  3NT?      ---Three Notrump ---

[jcreech]

My initial thoughts:

Problem A:  3   Seems like the best description; it shows nearly half my hand in terms of suit, and my values. My other choice was the inverted raise promising at least one more diamond or something worse.  I could trot out 1 NT, but with nothing higher than a nine, that begs disaster from my side.

Problem B:  2   Best description again.  That diamond suit looks like six, and partner has only promised four hearts and three clubs if 4-4-2-3; the percentages suggest that partner has more clubs, but I would rather play in diamonds opposite a stiff or void than clubs opposite xxx.

Problem C:  3   This is close; if we were red, I would regard the try as automatic, but white at imps, pushing for game is not as important.  With opener sitting behind me, I think it is worth the try for game. 

Problem D:  3 NT  The values are about right, the stop (with potential for a second stop) is right, the question is whether we have the tricks.

Problem E:  2   This is why I like playing weak NT; I bid my NT and follow partner's lead.  On this auction, I have a decent suit to rebid, but tend to promise more length.  Partner's negative double just forced me to rebid a five-bagger when a Moysian is not particularly good (especially in hearts where I would be ruffing with an honor).

Problem F:  Pass  This definitely feels like an underbid, but where am I headed.  I need help for a notrump stopper.  In spades, the wrong hand is tapped.  If partner has three or four diamonds, that would be good, but difficult to get to except with a negative double and you are more likely to hear spades than diamonds.  And clubs, you need partner to have at least five. If partner has a good hand, we will have another chance to bid; he is clearly short in hearts.

Problem G:  2 NT  What I really want is 3 forcing for one-round, then if partner rebids hearts, I can bid notrump.  2NT and 3NT are both possibilities, but I really do not want to hear partner bidding 4 next.

Problem H:  J  Trying dummy's second suit.  It sounds like declarer has the club control, so maybe the king is well placed, and my trump length may give some problems, but I don't want to advertise.  A heart looks wrong with LHO bidding the suit and I don't know if the top honors are together or split yet.  That leaves diamonds, the sequence is also suggestive.

[blubayou]

to  Jcreech  re:  problem B...BWS promises 4 clubs+  for the  1C, 1D; 1major auction.   Please look it up,  and ruin my day  or several of them  if I am wrong   

[jcreech]

to  Jcreech  re:  problem B...BWS promises 4 clubs+  for the  1C, 1D; 1major auction.   Please look it up,  and ruin my day  or several of them  if I am wrong   

Hi Jock,

You may be right because the subsection I read is confusing.  Now I may be misreading this, so I am putting the quote for all to see and help me misinterpret:

Under H. After Our Minor-Suit Opening in the subsection on Opener's Rebids:

(b) with 4-4-3-2 too weak to open one notrump and lacking four-card support, rebid in a four-card suit at the one-level when possible, except with 4=4=2=3 (bid one notrump);

There are two parts to this, and I just noticed that the first part separates the shape elements with "-" and the second part with "=".  I now suspect the "-" can place the shape elements with any of the suits, while the "=" keeps the shape element with the location in the series (i.e., the first element is spades, the second hearts, and so forth.  So 4=4=2=3 would be a possible form of 4-4-3-2.

That being said, the second part would apply for auctions that begin 1 -1 , and if partner held 4=4=2=3, would rebid 1NT, so a rebid of 1 shows at least four clubs, as Jock said. 

However, the first part, read quickly, suggests that with 4=4=2=3, that opener would rebid 1 without a raise of diamonds, but is really aimed at auctions that begin 1 minor - 1 , so that when opener holds four spades and fewer than 4 hearts, the rebid is 1 .  I think this could have been written more clearly.

Nonetheless, the diamond suit, Burns' first law notwithstanding, has a strong potential as a source of tricks, and as many panelists has said over the years, "it is where I live."  I am going to stick with 2 as my initial choice, though Jock's arguments have increased my likelihood of switching before submission.

[blubayou]

Hi, Jim   and all  
   Still on problem B... I do remember vomiting in months past when needing to consult bws2017 about the "bypass or don't bypass" section!   Such a collection of weasel-words  they were forced to write down because the system is a hodge-podge of majority votes  that when put side by side contradict each other.  Welcome to my majorest (minorest?)  BWS nightmare.  ....


Problem E:>>  Partners are supposed to be aware that getting a "favorable response" to their negative double can actually be merely a preference-bid.   I think I will sacrifice this board to remind my good partner that this is a true movie.  Looks like this is not my month to rebid 5-baggers that SHOULD be 6+ - baggers!
                                              ---Two Hearts---




Problem F:>>We don't want to get the bid-em-up ball rolling now with nothing but 7-card fits being likely, and Notrump looking like a dry hole.  Partners are still obliged to reopen 1H when holding two or less, aren't they?  THEN we can guess our way out of this sorry situation and be content  if anybody wants to compete further. Which I sure do not decent 9-count or not..                   
                                                       ---Pass---


Problem G:>> My own system calls for a 2!S rebid with this, or a little bit less, but "everybody's"  jump-shift to 3 clubs--with 3NT to follow obviously-- is just fine.  A mere two-answer question between  3C and 3NT?
                                               ---Three Clubs---

Problem H:>>   ...What Jim said, above.            ---Diamond Jack---

[Masse24]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
todd holes
U.S.A.

PROBLEM A: 3 Clubs
Seems normal. 1NT is just too “out there” for my taste. This also throws a wrench in their finding the heart fit.

PROBLEM B: 1 Notrump
It’s MP.

PROBLEM C: 3 Spades
Worth the invite. 4S is too much.

PROBLEM D: 3 Notrump
What else?

PROBLEM E: 2 Clubs
Difficult. If this were MP I’d be more inclined to lie about hearts with AJT, but at IMPs I’m comfortable with a minor suit fib. So 2C.

PROBLEM F: 1 Notrump
At MP the race to 1NT may be best and 9xxx is just good enough to bid it. Pass (the alternative on this one) looks more attractive than the alternative on B. But the panel will probably disagree.

PROBLEM G: 3 Clubs
100%. And it’s not close. Far too strong for 3D. Same with 2NT. 3NT describes a better diamond suit. There will be panelists who lament the lack of Gazilli, but it’s not on our cc. Nor is an artificial 2S. So we are left with 3C.

PROBLEM H: Diamond Jack
Something is amiss. This looks almost easy, therefore I’m worried.

[veredk]

PROBLEM A: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM B: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM C: 3 Spades
PROBLEM D: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM E: 2 Clubs
PROBLEM F: Pass
PROBLEM G: 2 Notrump
PROBLEM H: Diamond Jack

[blubayou]

SOLUTIONS FOR: Jock McQuade 3 Bag End Hobbiton OR 97030 U.S.A.
PROBLEM A: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM B: 1 Spade    This HAS to be a "punt", since if I DID have spades I would have enough strength to be rebidding 2 over the expected 1NT rebid and would be doing just that now.   (Self-inflicted 20-score?)
PROBLEM C: 3 Spades
PROBLEM D: 3 Notrump   
PROBLEM E: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM F: Pass
[PROBLEM G: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM H: Diamond Jack


A copy of these solutions

[hoki]

Not final, but here goes:

Problem A:  3   fairly "standard" as most pointed out.

Problem B:  2  more descriptive and less of a lie than either 1S or 1NT.

Problem C:  3  agree with the majority (for a change).

Problem D:  3  not with the majority 3NT which might need eight more tricks on top while leaving the three-level free for partner to find another bid.

Problem E:  2 since you really do need four hearts to bid 2H.

Problem F:  1NT, it's rare that panellists worry about little things like stoppers.

Problem G:  3  "normal" game-force.

Problem H:  5  shouldn't really be giving anything away and might have some useful side effect.

[yleexotee]

PROBLEM A: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM B: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM C: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM D: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM E: 2 Hearts
PROBLEM F: Pass
PROBLEM G: 2 Spades
PROBLEM H: Diamond Jack

[jcreech]

SOLUTIONS FOR:
James Creech
Fredericksburg VA 22407
U.S.A.

PROBLEM A: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM B: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM C: 3 Spades
PROBLEM D: 3 Notrump
PROBLEM E: 2 Diamonds
PROBLEM F: Pass
PROBLEM G: 3 Clubs  The only change.  I hate manufactured reverses and jump shifts, but it is easier to understand the jump shift on three cards, than the 2 NT on a stiff in partner's suit.  Rebids of 1 NT and 2 NT are allowed with singletons in BWS, but the sixth diamond speaks for a suit contract when the suit is not solid.
PROBLEM H: Diamond Jack

[jcreech]

November Results

JCreech led the IAC solvers with 710. Masse24 came in second with 700. And a three-way tie for third (VeredK, BluBayou and YleeXotee) with 680.  All were within spitting distance of The Bridge World Honor Roll, which required a minimum of 720.

NAME	BW-SCORE
JCreech	710
Masse24	700
VeredK	680
BluBayou	680
YleeXotee	680

Only six participants this month.

[blubayou]

REALLY ticked off  that the punt of 1 Spade didn't win  problem B  ,  or that i didn't stay with the field's choice of  2D or 1NT  to win the iac contest..  but at least the right rebid did manage a 50  garnering an honorable mention.   Can't waat for the summary to quote the 2 panelist that did choose the 1 Spade rebid   
   We are not suprized that the bottom of the honor roll  took  720 on this largely no-brainer set!

[Masse24]

Nothing especially shocking.
But I thought the second choice on the lead problem was weird. Underleading the K5? That would never cross my mind. Are we banking on partner to have, specifically, the Q?