All readers are encouraged to send answers and/or new problems to Steve Robinson, 2891 S. Abingdon St. #A2 Arlington, Va, 22206. In addition to the winner receiving a free play at the WBL Unit Game, Steve will play with anyone who gets a perfect score or who exactly matches all five of his answers. If you send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the above address along with your answers, Steve will send you a copy of the new problems to ensure that you can meet his next deadline. You can pick up a copy of the problems at the WBL Unit Game in Maryland and can send answers or requests for problems to robinswr@erols.com. WBL Solvers Club uses Washington Standard as published July 1996.

Washington Standard, the book, is out. If you are a serious bridge player, this book is a must. You can purchase a copy from Steve for $20.00 at the Unit Game and at tournaments or can send him a check for $23.20 which includes $3.20 for priority mail.

South Holds    -K3    -K10987    -J1028    -K32	The Bidding Thus Far    South    West    North    East     Pass     1     1 NT     Pass     ?????*    * System On
The Panel's Votes    Action    Score    Expert's    Votes    Panel's    Votes    2     100     6     61      2     80     1     1      3NT     70     1     17      3     20     0     1

Six experts show their five-card heart suit. They didn't think much about their diamond holding and are willing to play in a 5-3 heart fit.

Lublin: "2---and then three notrump."

Parker: "2---Transfer to hearts. This seems pretty clear cut, the same bid I would make if partner opened one notrump."

Adams: "2---Silly me, but were this not a solver's problem, three notrump would not even occur to me."

Hopkins: "2---To be followed by three notrump choice of games."

Woolsey: "2---Not a hand to mastermind. We could be quite weak in the spade department. Partner is allowed to make the right decision if we transfer and bid three notrump."

In this auction, one doesn't have to worry about spades as much since even if East leads a spade, he won't have an entry.

Kruskal: "2---There seem to be three possible bids: (1) Just bid three notrump ignoring any chance of a heart fit, (2) Look for an eight-card heart fit with a Jacoby transfer, and (3) Look only for a nine-card heart fit with Stayman. The risk of playing in hearts is that the opponents could get a diamond ruff. This was infrequent and even when it did happen the contract usually made. The risk of playing in notrump was the opponents could run the spade suit. While this was not common (a very rough estimate 10% of the time when we have a heart fit), it is not worth worrying about."

One expert ignores the heart suit completely.

Schwartz: "3NT---Diamond ruffs are a concern if we are off a red ace so I can't give partner an option...Partner will never realize his K97x diamonds are three stoppers, not one."

I'm in the middle. I don't want to play in a 5-3 heart fit but I don't want to miss a 5-4 heart fit. I'm a Stayman bidder. If partner bids 2, I'll play 4 otherwise I'll play three notrump. One is first taught that the priority is to find your eight-card major suit fits. As one gets more experience, one learns that not all eight-card major suit fits must be played in four-of-a-major.

South Holds    -A43    -A108765    -2    -543	The Bidding Thus Far    South    West    North    East    ---     ---     1     Pass     ?????     Not playing 2-tier splinters
The Panel's Votes    Action    Score    Expert's    Votes    Panel's    Votes    4     100     1     18      2NT     70     2     10      4     70     3     34      3     50     1     5      1NT     50     1     1      Pass     20     0     1      1     20     0     5      3NT     20     0     1      5     20     0     2      2     20     0     3      2     20     0     1

Three experts bid 4, a splinter showing diamond shortness, an opening bid with at least four-card support. The big problem with 4 is that there's no room for partner to invite a slam. He has to either signoff in 4 or bid above game. There's nothing in between. He expects you to have an opening bid and he also has a right to expect you to have something in clubs. If I held KQJ/KQJxx/AJx/Qx and my partner bid 4, I would keycard and bid 6. 4 should promise an honor in each of the unbid suits.

Adams: "4---Many minimums that will produce cold slam, many others will require only a finesse."

Hopkins: "4---The diamond singleton with trump length is the prominent feature of my hand, so I am going to overbid slightly to show it. I can think of minimum hands where we have little play xx/KQxxx/KQJ/Qxx to where we are cold for slam Kx/KJxxx/Axxxx/x."

Would partner sign off over 4 holding KQ/KQJxx/Axx/xxx? You would be getting a minus score in a constructive auction.

One expert is a Law breaker. With a ten-card fit and some distribution, you bid to the four-level. Here we have an eleven- card fit and he bids at the three-level.

Parker: "3---Limit raise. After considering 4 splinter, 4 preemptive and two-notrump heart raise, 3 seems best. I am too good for 4, and not good enough for a forcing hand. If partner is 3523 we will have 2-3 losers with no place to put them. If partner has a really good hand he can make a move over 3 and I will be delighted to put down this dummy."

Two experts bid two notrump, a game-forcing four-card raise. If I held KQJ/KQJxx/AJx/Qx, I would take control and bid six notrump when I find out that we are off an ace.

Schwartz: "2NT---Tough one. 4 might get the opponents into the auction and partner will be disappointed with my hand if he RKCB's. At least with two notrump I can try to control the auction. Even considered 3, but many minimums can easily make game."

Two notrump allows the opponents to enter the auction at the three-level. Its very easy to enter the auction knowing the opponents have a nine-card fit.

Woolsey: "2NT---Too dangerous to splinter with no room for partner to maneuver. He could make a try which gets us too high. Jacoby is fine, since if partner has a singleton I can evaluate opposite that."

The next call has merit if this was a non-competitive auction. However, it allows the opponents to enter at the two- level. The opponents must have a fit and we probably have ten HCPs in hearts taking at most one defensive trick.

Kruskal: "1NT---I think this was the most difficult hand. Being an overbidder, my initial inclination was to splinter with 4. I am so weak, however, that partner will overbid with balanced, strong notrump hands when his diamond holding seems right. One notrump turns out to be a nice temporizing bid. Now, if partner shows extras I can push towards slam. Otherwise it probably is not there. (If partner sometimes opens one notrump with a balanced 15-17 hand, the splinter is more attractive.)"

After hearing all the arguments, I like my answer, 4, the best. Preempt the opponents, bid game, not get too high. Payoff only to those hands where all partner needs is a singleton diamond.

South Holds    -Void    -43    -AQ86542    -AK54	The Bidding Thus Far    South    West    North    East     ---     ---     1     Pass     2*     Pass     2     Pass     3     Pass     3     Pass     ?????     * Game Force
The Panel's Votes    Action    Score    Expert's    Votes    Panel's    Votes    3NT     100     6     57      4     70     1     5      4     50     1     10      4NT     40     0     2      Pass     20     0     5      4     20     0     2

Six experts end the auction.

Lublin: "3NT---Ends all auctions."

Parker: "3NT---And hope not to get shut out of both hands. Sometimes an opponent has a doubleton K and you take a lot of tricks. Too big a position to pass or play a 4-2 heart fit."

Adams: "3NT---I can imagine going down quite a lot if partner is void in diamonds, but with one diamond, three notrump is not so bad."

Hopkins: "3NT---Maybe partner will have something nice like the singleton J and Qxx. I plan to struggle in this apparent misfit with the rest of the field and get a reasonable score for not getting too high."

Woolsey: "3NT---It's a dirty job, but somebody has to bid the notrump if we belong there -- and why shouldn't we? Sure it's a misfit, but nothing else figures to play particularly well either."

Kruskal: "3NT---There are two reasons to get beyond three notrump. First, 5 might be a safer contract. This turned out to be rare, and besides this is matchpoints. Second, slam is still a possibility. The two small clubs turn out to be very difficult to eliminate. You can sometimes ruff one of them or throw one on the spade ace, but not the other one. And there was typically another (likely) loser somewhere."

One expert forces to game.

Schwartz: "4---These type of hands don't play well in three notrump so am trying for 4 or 5. Partner is unlimited so pass is out."

I'm a 4 bidder. Whatever partner does I'm happy.

South Holds    -Void    -K7532    -9872    -AJ84	The Bidding Thus Far    South    West    North    East     Pass     Pass     1     Pass     1 NT     Pass     2     Pass     3     Pass     3 NT     Pass     ?????
The Panel's Votes    Action    Score    Expert's    Votes    Panel's    Votes    4     100     3     6      4     80     2     8      Pass     70     3     66      5     20     0     1

Lublin: "4---I wouldn't have bid 3 but if I did I would bid 4 here."

Three experts go down with the ship.

Parker: "Pass---Why second guess partner. Three notrump ends all auctions. I have described my hand."

Most players would have passed 2 so you have overbid.

Adams: "Pass---Seems the theme of this set is to find an excuse to not make the normal bid out of some strange fear. Not my style."

Hopkins: "Pass---I can only guess partner has sixteen-seventeen with a flat 5332 type pattern. I see nowhere to go unless I unilaterally elect to escape to our likely 4-3 club fit. A good hand for some variation of Bart."

Three experts agree with me and run from three notrump. At least the void will be worth something.

Schwartz: "4---Partner should have four clubs without three hearts. With my hand a passed hand, three notrump can't have much play. Wouldn't have bid over 2 to begin with."

Woolsey: "4---Hands with voids should generally play in a suit contract if there is a fit. Partner pretty much has to have four clubs. If he is 5-2-3-3 he would have either opened one notrump or rebid two notrump."

Kruskal: "4---My initial inclination was to pass. It turns out that I am so weak that three notrump will almost surely go down. The best hope for three notrump is that partner has ace doubleton of hearts, and they split. (Partner cannot have three hearts, or else he would have bid 3 rather than three notrump.) The best hope is that we can use our assets playing in clubs, the opposing shortness in the majors, and cross ruff the hand. It is possible that partner is 5-2-3-3 and we end up in our Moysian, but this risk turns out to be slight. (Once again, if partner might open one notrump with this shape the risk is even smaller.) This is one of the few auctions where I would play pulling three notrump to four-of-a-minor is natural and invitational."

Eight HCPs and a void opposite a maximum of seventeen does not spell three notrump.

South Holds    -AK76    -Q3    -107654    -A2	The Bidding Thus Far    South    West    North    East     ---     ---     1      Pass     1      2 NT*     Pass     3      ?????     * Heart and clubs
The Panel's Votes    Action    Score    Expert's    Votes    Panel's    Votes    3NT     100     3     10      4     80     2     25      5     70     2     20      4     60     1     11      3     20     0     1      Dbl     20     0     11      4     20     0     1      Pass     20     0     2

One expert agrees with me and bids at the correct HCP level. With thirteen HCPs opposite a minimum, sometimes garbage opening bid, the four-level is high enough. Any missing diamond honors will be offside.

Hopkins: "4---I'll bid what I'm fairly sure we can make and see if anything develops."

Three experts gamble on three notrump. If partner has heart help, do we have nine tricks? Partner could have heart help and the club suit could be our downfall. QJx/Axx/KQxxx/xx for instance. Three notrump is the brass ring and sometimes you catch it.

Adams: "3NT---Last chance to bid this. Can't double with five cards in diamonds. If we stop hearts, this should make. Even if three notrump is going down, opponents might save."

Woolsey: "3NT---The best gamble. There might be no game at all, but I can't risk missing a vulnerable game with this hand opposite an opening bid. Since partner doesn't have spade support, the odds of him having something in hearts go up. 5 requires too much of a perfecto."

Kruskal: "3NT---There are really no pleasant choices. I could double to show values, but I do not want partner leaving it in: Given our big diamond fit 3 is too likely to make, or go down just a little when we have game. Furthermore, if three notrump is right I want to play it from my side. 5 almost never makes when three notrump does not also make, so there is little point in looking for it. That leaves three notrump. This will leave us in a silly contract a fair percentage of the time, but the good news is the opponents will not double. For IMPS you do not have to be right that often, especially vulnerable, to bid game."

Three experts bid game in diamonds.

Schwartz: "5---Any other conditions of contest would bid 4 with diamonds rated to be offside and a likely useless queen of hearts. Not good enough for 4."

Parker: "5---Good fit and prime cards better suited for offense than defense. Double may be big loser if partner has AKQ of diamonds and Kx of clubs."

Lublin: "4---I would bid 4 on the way to 5."

If I knew that I could take nine tricks if partner had a heart stopper I would try three notrump. I like 4 since partner knows we're vulnerable and can bid game with a suitable hand.

Expert / Problem	1	2	3	4	5	Score
Kit Woolsey	2	2NT	3NT	4	3NT	470
Clyde Kruskal	2	1NT	3NT	4	3NT	450
John Adams	2	4	3NT	Pass	3NT	440
Robbie Hopkins	2	4	3NT	Pass	4	420
Steve Robinson	2	4	4	4	4	410
Glenn Lublin	2	4	3NT	4	4	410
Steve Parker	2	3	3NT	Pass	5	390
Alan Schwartz	3NT	2NT	4	4	5	360

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