Washington Bridge League Solver's Club  -  Jul/Aug 2005

Moderator: Steve Robinson    

Congratulations to Matthew Mallory who came in first with a score of 480. He wins a free entry to the Unit Game and will be invited to be on a future panel. Tied for second were Mark Rosen and Barry Bragin with a score of 460. Tied for fourth were Jackie Sincoff, Arnie Frankel, Ben Stauss and Richard Ferrin with a score of 440. Tied for eighth were Brad Theurer and Raghavendra Rajkumar with a score of 430. Tied for tenth were Bill Otey, Tom Musso, Steve Carton, Walt Flory and Charles Sadowski with a score of 420. Tied for fifteenth were Jason Rosenfeld, Don Berman, Larry Kahn, John Montgomery, Barbara Summers, Manuel Paulo, Mike Kovacich, Fred Allenspach and Robert Stone with a score of 410. Tied for twenty-fourth were Arnold Kling, Gerald Lerner, Dave Smith, Bruce Kretchmer, Jim Murphy, Terry Jones, Kenn Pendleton, and Donna Rogall with a score of 400. The average score of the 234 solvers was 313. The average score of the experts was 402.

All readers are encouraged to send answers and/or new problems to Steve Robinson, 2891 S. Abingdon St. #A2Arlington, VA, 22206-1329. 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, I 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. You can also see and answer the problems at the WBL web site. WBL Solvers Club uses Washington Standard as published July 1996.

I personally score all the problems. If a majority of the solvers vote for an answer, and the answer is reasonable I will give that answer 100 points. I will not give 100 points to an answer that I consider bad no matter how many experts vote for it. There are times when I want to make a point. I will give that answer 100 points and will therefore give the majority answer 90 points. For the other answers I consider how good the answer is and how many experts vote for it for its score. If you submitted an answer that got 20 points, that bid would get a bad score at the table. A good exercise would be to figure out why I gave your answer 20 points. You might have misread the problem.

     When opener opens 1 and rebids 2, he could have a minimum hand such as xxxxKQxxxAQxx. He could also have a very good hand such as KJxxKQJxxAKxx or QxxxKQJxxAKQx, a hand that is not quite good enough to force to game. Since opener can have as much as 17 HCPs, it’s right to raise clubs. Even if 3 goes down, the opponents might be able to make two-of-a-major. Opener bid 3, which shows at least 14 HCPs with three-card spade support. But if you play in spades, dummies three spades have to do double duty. They’re needed to draw trumps and ruff the losing hearts. If spades split 4-2, I’m not sure you can handle the hand. This hand must be played in clubs.

Another clue is opener’s previous bid. If he had three good spades and four poor clubs, he might have raised 1 to 2. I would raise spades holding KQxxKQJxxKxxx, but bid 2 holding JxxxKQJxxAKxx.

     Two experts invite partner to make the decision. How does partner know which contract is best? Why couldn’t 4 be a cuebid? You could have an extra club.

Woolsey: ”4---I can't be making a slam try since I am a limited hand, so this has to be choice of games. Either 4 or 5 could be right. Partner can look at his black suits and hopefully make the right decision.”

Hopkins: ”4---I want partner to pick the contract. I'm hoping he can read the message. For example, with KQxxKQJxxA109x, I would like to play 4. With Qxx-KQJxxxAQxx, I want to play 5. With KxxxKJxxxAKQx, I want to try 5. Hopefully partner will choose based on where his strength is.”

Four experts agree with me and make the decision to play in clubs.

Adams: ”5---3 was a courtesy raise. I've a pretty good hand considering. With little wastage in Hearts, game seems likely. Need another club to cue-bid. My Spades are not good enough to try the Moysian.”

Lublin: ”5---Hope to throw spade losers away on diamonds.”

I agree with Lublin.

Cappelletti: ”5---Partner has either 3-1 or 3-0 in the majors AND a reason for not raising 1 to 2 directly (perhaps three small). Thus he probably has most or all of the missing 15 points in the minor suits. Should make 5 cold or at least good play.”

Steve Bunning: ”5---Partner is likely 3154 with enough extra strength to consider game opposite invitational values. With two aces and little wasted in hearts, bid the game. A club contract should prove easier than the Moysian spade fit.”

Two experts make the decision to play in spades. Since you could have five spades, partner is never going back to clubs.

Parker: ”4---We know that partner is 3154 with about seventeen points. With fewer he would have passed 3. We should have a good play for game and ten tricks should be easier than eleven. Give him something like, KxxxKQJxxAKxx and 4 plays better than 5.”

King: ”4---Partner is showing extra values and 3154 shape. Ten tricks in spades should be easier than eleven in clubs.”

In the example hands, 5 plays very easily. Play AK of clubs and run the diamonds. In 4, you have to worry about hearts and a 4-2 spade break.

One expert goes conservative.

Landen: ”4---I have nothing really special for my previous bidding. I don't feel the need, not vulnerable, to stretch to bid an eleven trick game (5) or try for ten tricks in a seven-card fit (4). If vulnerable, I would probably bid 5.”

Two experts try for slam. If partner were 3055 with a good hand, he would have jump-shifted.

Schwartz: ”4---Slam is still possible particularly if partner is 3055. Might as well show something on the way to 5. Don’t think 4 should be an offer to play in diamonds.”

Roman: ”4---Critical to show the diamond card here. We could belong anywhere from 4 to 7 - Kxx-KQxxxxAKQx.”

     Partner’s hand is limited by his failure to jump shift so he can’t really have your example hand.

     What can partner have for his 5-call? If he held xQxxxAxxxxxxx, he would raise 3 to 4. He could even have as much as xQxxxAxxxxQxx to raise to 4. 4 doesn’t stop partner from investigating further. Jumping to 5 shows a better hand such as xQxxxAQxxxQxx or xQJxxAQJxxQxx. He should have all of the missing queens as well as the Ace of diamonds to jump to 5. 5 shows a hand that should be in slam unless you’re missing two keycards or the top two clubs. Notice that 7NT is either cold or has good play opposite three queens and the ace. Opposite xQxxxAQxxxQxx 7 needs hearts 3-2 while 7NT will make whenever hearts are 3-2, diamonds are 3-3 or when there is a squeeze. Either red Jack would make 7NT cold.

     The experts are trying to tell partner what they have. The problem with all of the expert’s bids is that there is no consensus about the meanings of any of these bids. How can you make a bid when only your clone knows what it means?

     6 shows the ace of clubs but what else does it show?

Adams:”6---We are playing a grand as partner can't lack the HQ for the 5 call. Over 6 or 6NT, I will bid 7. Partner should work out that I have both minor suit Kings and am looking for tricks for 7NT. Second choice is 6 directly, focusing on our source of tricks, but partners can get confused and think that denies the club king.”

I’m confused about your follow-up.

Landen:”6---I assume 5 asks me to bid six with good hearts. Well, I have pretty good hearts and I'm interested in bidding seven. If partner signs off in 6 I'll probably pass. 6 by partner will get us to seven of something. I'll continue with 7 showing the diamond king and let partner decide between 7 and 7NT.”

There’s not even a consensus about what 5 means.

Woolsey:”6---Partner has shown his controls, so his eyes are going to be glued upon his heart holding after I make a grand slam try. He won't get it wrong.”

This assumes that you’re playing with someone with the same understandings that you have. Unless you’re cloned, there is no such person.

King:”6---I think 5 is asking for a club control. I will show a first round control. With only a second round control I would bid 6.” 

So what is partner going to do over 6?

What does 7 mean? To play with 5404, or choice of red suits?

Parker:”7---This shows top controls in all suits. 5 ask for total controls across all suits. If he wanted to find out just about hearts he could bid 5NT. If he has good diamonds and poor hearts we want to play 7NT, if poor diamonds and good hearts we want to play in hearts. He can bid 7 with good diamonds and I will be 7NT otherwise he bids 7.”

I think one reason partner bid 5 is because he’s worried about clubs. Wouldn’t you bid the same holding AKQJxxAKJxxJx?

What does 5NT mean? The two usually meanings of 5NT is choice of slam or grand slam force. Which meaning applies here?

Hopkins:”5NT---Should be Grand Slam Force. I'm willing to be in a 68%+ grand slam.”

AKxx opposite Qxxx is 32% to have a loser. You don’t want to be in 7 down with 13 top tricks.

Cappelletti:”5NT---Better check for Q in case partner has something like xJxxxAQJxxQxx.”

If partner has that hand you have 13 tricks in notrump.

Is 6 a choice of slams or is a cuebid?

Roman:”6---When I next bid 7, partner will know to correct to 7NT with something like xxQxxxAQJ10xxx.”

How can partner have less than AQ of diamonds and a Queen for his 5-call?

Schwartz:”6---5 should be a general slam try. If partner can bid 7 opposite the DK and the outside controls, I can try 7NT.”

Lublin:”6---Assuring partner no losers. Also says bid seven with one of top three heart honors.”

     A Lublin-ism. He makes a bid, assigns a meaning based on his hand and assumes partner will know what it means. I think all of the experts have done that in this problem.

     One expert agrees with me and ends the auction.

Steve Bunning:”7NT---Partner is inviting slam, but we know he has only one ace and no kings. He likely has extra heart length, spade shortness and a queen or two. With a 26-point monster and every AK, bid the grand. Hearts might make seven and notrump only six, but the reverse is also possible. Go for the matchpoint gold and bid 7NT.”