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ACBL Unit 147 |
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Washington Bridge League |
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Fred King, President |
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Don Berman, Web Master |
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ACBL Unit 147 |
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Washington Bridge League |
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Fred King, President |
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Don Berman, Web Master |
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Washington Bridge League Solver's Club - Jul/Aug 2006 |
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Moderator: Steve Robinson |
Congratulations to who Rusty Krauss who came in first with a score of 500. He wins a free entry to the Unit Game and will be invited to be on a future panel. I will also play with him at a future Unit Game. Second was Marshall Kuschner with a score of 470. Tied for third were Ron Zucker, Ram Sarangen, Brad Theurer with a score of 450. Sixth was Fred Steinberg with a score of 440. Seventh was Robert Stone with a score of 430. Eighth was Linda Marshall with a score of 420. Tied for ninth were Ted Wilkinson, Lyle Poe, Prahalad Rajkumar with a score of 410. The average score of the 151 solvers was 308. The average score of the experts was 409
All readers are encouraged to send answers and/or new problems to Steve Robinson, 2891 S. Abingdon St. #A2 Arlington, 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.
The book Washington Standard second edition is out. If you are a serious bridge player, this book is a must. You can purchase a copy from Steve for $25.00 at the Unit Game, at tournaments or can send him a check for $29.05 that includes $4.05 for priority mail.
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Problem 1 |
Matchpoints |
Vul: NS |
West dealt |
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South Holds
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What is your bid? |
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You have 
Q109
765
A1032
654. LHO opens 1, partner overcalls 2 and RHO bids 2. You have six HCPs of which four points are very good but two could be worthless. Do you bid 3? Unless you’re playing that double of 2 shows an invitational-to-game raise, which very few partnerships do, you need 3 as an invitational raise. If East had passed, you would have 2 as an invitational raise and then 3 would be a token raise. Over 2 bidding 3 could encourage partner to bid 4. Even 3 could be too high. Partner could have xxAKQJxKxxxxx, a normal overcall, and if the jack of spades is wrong or they lead the diamond nine, seven tricks is the limit. Give partner a better overcall such as xxAKxxxxxAQJx and partner will bid 4 when you invite. 4 has four sure top losers opposite 7xx and if hearts are 4-1 it could be expensive. Passing 2 does not end the auction. Partner knows the opponents are in an eight-card fit and will take action with any excuse. However, if you had Q109A54A1032654, a ten-count of which eight points are good and two are questionable, you would certainly invite. So how much more than Q109765A1032654.do you need to invite?
Six experts agree with me and need at least Qxx of hearts to invite.
Adams: ”Queen---If white, I would bid with the two. Partner bids Hearts over Spades with five-card suits often enough to go for 200 with less. Six working points seems a reasonable compromise to safety and competitiveness. My spade cards make it so that 3 might not have law protection, else bidding would be more automatic. 4333 does not automatically stop me from bidding, but is certainly not an asset.”
White minus scores are bad also. Inviting with the six HCPs, of which two are questionable non-vulnerable, could be bad if partner thinks you have something and bids again.
Rodney: ”Queen---Suppose partner has xxAKxxxxxxAxx or xx/AKxxxxxKQxx. We are likely to be one down in 3, even holding Qxx. Anything less and we're heading for the dreaded -200, and that's assuming nobody doubles.”
This is matchpoints so the opponents can be a frisky doubling you and if you are doubled, you can kiss this board good bye.
Hopkins: ”Queen---I would expect this to give us a 50% play for our contract which is particularly important if we are doubled.”
Woolsey: ”Queen---If I have less the opponents may hold the queen, which along with my queen of spades would argue for a lower trick total than normal. In addition partner may bid game if I raise, so I would like some values.”
The Queen of spades could be worth a trick on defense but is unlikely to be a useful trick on offense. Same if the opponents hold the queen of hearts. If we have eight hearts and they have eight spades, there are usually 16 total tricks. If they can take eight tricks in spades, we should be able to take eight tricks in hearts. (8+8=16). Holding the enemy queen lowers the trick total so there might be only 15 total tricks.
Roman: ”Queen---With such sterile distribution, I want two cover cards to raise.”
4333 hands do not make good dummies in trump contracts.
Landen: ”Queen---So much depends on partner's tendencies. With a rock I'd raise with the deuce, but the Queen seems mainstrain though I don't feel strongly about this problem.”
One expert needs the King of hearts to bid 3.
Schwartz: ”King---Don't want to bid too much with my defensive spade holding. On offense my spade holding is likely to be equivalent to xxx unless partner has an honor. Also can now guarantee that holding the King, a Heart lead won't cost a trick.”
Three experts invite with trash.
Cappelletti: ”Jack---I would consider the queen as "full values" for a raise. But I would definitely raise with Jxx as a "stretch" to try to get opponents higher than 2.”
I’m not sure I would bid 3 holding Jxx, if partner was barred.
Pokorny: ”Seven---At this vulnerability partner has a serious overcall so, most probably, 3 will be made or down one. I shouldn't be afraid to be doubled and it is very important to push them one level higher because 2 is probably a make. So, a quick raise with xxx is obligatory. “
Parker: ”Seven---I would raise an opening bid of 1 to 2 with any three-card support and six or so points, so here I will do the same thing. If I pass it will put too much pressure on partner to have to guess what to do in pass out seat.”
If partner opens 1 and you’re playing forcing or semi-forcing notrump, you should bid 1NT first and then support hearts. A direct raise to 2 shows a hand that would accept at least one game-try. The reason why you don’t raise partner’s 1-opener or partner’s 2-overcall with trash is that you don’t want partner to bid 4 unless he has an extremely good hand. The club or diamond queen might not be valuable but the spade queen is very likely to be worthless.
Another reason not to raise with 7xx is that partner might lead a heart from KJxxx with disastrous results.
Honors in the opponent’s suit should be discounted. Invitational raises have to be stronger than competitive raises. After 1 - 2 - 2, play double as a limit raise and play 2NT as minors. This allows you to bid 3 with non-invitational hands.
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Problem 2 |
Imps |
Vul: Both |
West dealt |
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South Holds
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What is your bid? |
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This is a bidders game and East has told you that he doesn’t think he has enough aces and kings to have a play for a vulnerable 4. RHO would probably invite vulnerable holding AxxxxxKJxxKQJ so he has a weaker hand This means that your partner has some of the missing aces and kings. Give partner as little asxxxxxxxxKJxxx or xxxxxxKxxxQJx and you want to be in five-of-a-minor. This would be a more difficult problem if East had jumped to 4 or you were in direct seat and RHO opened 3. Then LHO could have all of the missing strength. Any finesses you might need figure to be onsides. There is a perfect bid for this situation. 4NT in this situation shows both minors and guess what? You have both minors.
Four experts are wimps. I really don’t understand their thinking. I think I would bid 4NT over any heart preempt and response.
Adams: ”Pass---Maybe they got me, maybe not. I need a lot from partner to make game, and a little from partner to go for a big number. 3 is a good bid.”
You don’t need a lot from partner to make game. Kxxxx of clubs could be enough.
Cappelletti: ”Pass---Rather than guess minors at the four-level, I will stay "fixed" and defend. Not that likely to be missing a game.”
Pokorny: ”Pass---Too much defensive values and too weak suits for bidding 4NT. Double with only two spades would be absolutely horrible.”
Landen: ”Pass---Brutal problem. Can't double with only two spades and 4NT is the only way to show the minors; that seems a bit much. I know they're robbing me but I'm passing and hoping to go plus.”
Four experts agree with me and bid their hand.
Rodney: ”4NT---For the minors! -- Partner doesn't need much for us to make game. E.g., xxxxxxxxxKQxx gives some play for 5 and partner can be better than this!”
Schwartz: ”4NT---Worth overbidding slightly to get to the right stain. With Heart shortness, I can't pass as partner can have as much as 14 and unable to bid with a three-card heart holding.”
Hopkins: ”4NT---I always get it wrong if I double in these situations and partner bids my doubleton, so I am going to insist in playing in one of my suits and hope we have a fit in one of them.”
Roman: ”4NT---Pick a minor partner, and good luck to you.”
Two experts put their eggs in a minor-suit basket. However, what if partner has the other minor?
Woolsey: ”4---I don't like selling out with a singleton in their suit. I don't have a way to show both minors (4NT is Blackwood), and even if I did the five-level may be too high. So I'll shoot out a minor and hope to strike a fit. I choose clubs even though they are weaker so I'll have a four-level runout if doubled. East won't expect that I have a runout, so he may double on a trump stack and let me off the hook.”
There are some auctions where 4NT is Blackwood but I don’t think this is one of them. Over 2, 4 can show the minors, leaving 4NT as Blackwood. Over 3 you’re more likely to have both minors then a solid hand needing only aces.
Parker: ”4---Not double because I want to have some partnership confidence that when I double in these auctions I have four spades or an easy second bid. 3NT is a silly. If I bid diamonds first I can bid clubs over 4, I will pass 4 if partner bids it.”
Doubling would not be wise. If you double and partner bids spades, which is very likely, then what?
This is a bidders game. When in doubt take action.
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Problem 3 |
Matchpoints |
Vul: NS |
South dealt |
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South Holds
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