Ouch. We have to answer by March 31, and no votes so far. I’ll get it started. As usual, few are automatic.
A. 4N. That or pass, and I think I’m too good to pass.
B. Pass. Darn close to automatic, IMO. With 3 10s a 9 and an 8, possibly upgrade to 1NT, but it BWS that’s supposed to be at least a good 15. And only one heart stopper, even though two if partner has even the jack. So pass. 1S is not for me.
C. 1N. Yuck, with no heart stopper. But I’m not going to bid 2D (or 2NT, or double), so it’s this or pass. If partner has a doubleton honor, and LHO has a doubleton honor lower than dummy’s, we’ll have a stopper. Even if he doesn’t, we’ll get in eventually.
D. 1NT. With 3=4=3=3 shape and 10 HCP, I’m not going to give a direct limit raise. Not tempted. Second choice 2H, but I think the more aggressive delayed jump raise is better.
E. 3H. OK, this one does confuse me. Is pass or 3NT conceivable? Double?
F. 3C. Not happy with it, but if it’s only forcing to 3S I think it’s better than 3S or pass. I hope they’re just telling us about 2NT since otherwise we might think it was spiral. I expect very few votes for 2NT.
G. Pass. Maybe it will make as many tricks as spades, and less than 12.
H. C2. Yuck. But I’m a fan of leading the unbid suit. The 2 is the normal card from the holding, against NT.
May guesses:
A. 5N pick a slam
B. 1N
C. double
D. 3H
E. 3H
F. 3C
G. 6N
H. spade 2
A. 4NT. Close to forcing slam, but for it to be odds on, think we need 4 of heart king, diamond ace king, clubs ace queen: partner should accept with four of those.
B. Pass. Perhaps not modern, but I don’t stretch for 1NT overcalls, and other actions don’t appeal.
C. 1NT. Yuck.
D. 2 hearts. Perhaps 3 hearts on a different day.
E. 3 hearts.
F. 4 spades.
G. 4 clubs. Want to invite. Could be convinced 4NT is better since partner might hesitate to bid slam with diamonds headed by the queen.
H. Club 2.
A) 6C
B) Dbl
C) Pass
D) 3H
E) 3H
F) 3C
G) 6S
H) Club 2
From ST by e-mail
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 4N P 1N 2H 3H 4S 4C C2
oirg 5N 1N Dbl 3H 3H 3C 6N S2
SW 4N P 1N 1N 3H 3C P C2
ST 4C Dbl 1N 3H 3H 3C 4N CK
BTDT 6C Dbl P 3H 3H 3C 6S C2
NN
veni vidi vici
Leading 1N 3H 3H 3C C2
Still 3 to go, with about 24 hours to go. Maybe I’ll submit early, but not today with only one more vote, unless we have a leader with at least 3 votes on all of them.
I’ve left ST’s vote for E as 3H. If it were close, I would switch him to double, as his “final” thought, but even without him 3H has a big lead.
A 4N. Very close to passing with the SQJ likely wasted, so 4N is plenty.
B Pass. If we have something, partner will likely be able to act. Intervening here is asking to go for a number.
C 1N. The H9 does it for me. If it were the 8, I would pass.
D 2H. With 9 losers and a quacky 10 count, I’ll go low.
E 3H. Sort of obvious
F 3N If I am going to bid game anyway, I may as well give partner a chance to pass this and get a blind lead rather than play a silly 4-3. I might make this without taking a trick in the majors.
G 4N. It’s this or 5S. 4N is probably better–I hope they have no more than 3 diamond tricks.
H H6. I just need to hit partner with Jx for this to be a good lead, and he could have a lot more. RHO usually has four hearts and LHO is often short.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 4N P 1N 2H 3H 4S 4C C2
oirg 5N 1N Dbl 3H 3H 3C 6N S2
SW 4N P 1N 1N 3H 3C P C2
ST 4C Dbl 1N 3H 3H 3C 4N CK
BTDT 6C Dbl P 3H 3H 3C 6S C2
NN
veni vidi vici 4N P 1N 2H 3H 3N 4N H6
Leading 4N P 1N 3H 3H 3C C2
Still one up in the air. Barring a late vote from NN, I’ll have to wing it.
Your Solutions for the May 2022 Contest
PROBLEM A: 4 Notrump
PROBLEM B: Pass
PROBLEM C: 1 Notrump
PROBLEM D: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM E: 3 Hearts
PROBLEM F: 3 Clubs
PROBLEM G: 4 Notrump
PROBLEM H: Club 2
Not much to think about for G. 3 wanted to invite, 1 to pass, 2 to blast slam. Hence invite, with the more popular invite.
A B C D E F G H Total
procrastinator 4N 70 P 80 1N 80 2H 100 3H 90 4S 10 4C 80 C2 60 570
oirg 5N 60 1N 60 Dbl 100 3H 90 3H 90 3C 90 6N 90 S3 60 640
SW 4N 70 P 80 1N 80 1N 60 3H 90 3C 90 P 0 C2 60 530
ST 4C 100 Dbl 100 1N 80 3H 90 3H 90 3C 90 4N 80 CK 80 710
BTDT 6C 40 Dbl 100 P 70 3H 90 3H 90 3C 90 6S 100 C2 60 640
NN
veni vidi vici 4N 70 P 80 1N 80 2H 100 3H 90 3N 70 4N 80 H6 100 670
Submitted 4N 70 P 80 1N 80 3H 90 3H 90 3C 90 4N 80 C2 60 640
4C 100 Dbl 100 Dbl 100 2H 100 P 100 2N 100 6S 100 H6 100
4N 70 P 80 1N 80 3H 90 3H 90 3C 90 6N 90 CK 80
5N 60 1N 60 P 70 1N 60 3N 70 4N 80 C2 60
6C 40 4S 10 4C 80 S3 60
P 0 
Fairly high scoring month for most people. Among us, only Sweet Tooth’s 710 would make the honor roll, the lowest score necessary to make it.
June guesses:
A 1H. Too much game potential to pass red v white at IMPs. This is a good four-card suit. Partner will usually pass with 0 to a bad 9 and bid with a good 9 or better (a bit less with four-card heart support), which is perfect for us.
B 3S. Too offensively oriented for cooperative-takeout double. (We don’t want partner passing just because he is 4=3=3=3, for example.) Not strong enough for 4C. Spades first because they are stronger and because then we can bid 4H next round if partner acts.
C 3H. Since partner is a passed hand, I won’t make a game try, since he could have bid Drury with what would otherwise have been a good single raise. I don’t make preemptive reraises often, but at neither with spade shortness and six good hearts, it seems clear. If I knew the opponents would bid spades over 3H, I would just bid 4H right now (-50 wins 3 if our teammates are +140), but that seems overly pessimistic.
D Pass. So do I break discipline and pass to go for the magic +200 or do I bid 2N like I “promised”? I am guessing passing dominates unless partner has enough for us to make game, which seems against the odds.
E Pass. With this much strength at matchpoints it doesn’t feel right to volunteer for the minor suits no matter what, so it’s between Pass and 2C. If that club singleton were small and the Q somewhere else, 2C would be obvious. With the CQ this feels like a balanced hand.
F 2S. I’m allowed to have a maximum. If we have a decent game partner will almost always be bidding. If LHO raises I will double for takeout. I’m not going to volunteer myself into NT right away with a vulnerable stopper I can’t hold up. Besides, if I double I am basically committing to bidding 3S over 2N, and I don’t think this hand is quite worth that (and it would somewhat suggest a second suit that I don’t have.)
G 4D I have a massive hand for diamonds and not even half a stop in spades. Maybe I should be able to keep things lower with 2S or 3S, but with no agreement those are too likely to be misunderstood. 3D is a huge underbid. 2N, 3C, and 3H would be serious proposals to play in those strains. Maybe 3S should be a Bluhmer bid (nothing wasted in spades), but I’m afraid it won’t be fielded.
H C3. Come on. I have Axx of trump and there’s room in partner’s hand for an entry. If I knew which red suit were better to attack, I might try that, but I don’t.
June guesses:
A. 1H
B. 3H
C. pass
D. 2N
E. whatever the transfer to diamonds bid is in BWS
F. double
G. 3C
H. club 3
Deadline tomorrow and only two sets of guesses
:ohnoes: answering with less thought than usual
A. 1H. 2N is crazy. 1N too much of an underbid.
B. Double
C. 3D. Suggesting (i.e. faking) strength, and this is where we would most like partner to have values.
D. 2NT. Hope it’s natural, but not sure it is.
E. 2NT, transfer to diamonds
F. 2S. Atl least we aren’t going to miss a vulnerable game.
G. 3N, and hope
H. H10
Sweet Tooth answers via e-mail (sent back on Apr 12)
A) 1H - less flawed than 1NT or Pass, a tip from 1st mentor Mark Oshin (early 1980s)
B) Pass - I’ve said my fill oppos. Passed hand?
C) Pass - wtp?
D) Pass - let them sit in it
E) 2C - pass Stayman response, better than Pass or D transfer?!
F) Double - with this shape, enough to be flexible
G) 2S - unlike 1D-1S-2H-, 3D is not forcing so this is strongest, 3 cover cards
H) C3 - violating Garozzo’s Rule usually brings grief.
NN by e-mail:
A) this feels like a Goldilocks problem. Pass and 1NT are too cautious. Double (and bid) and 2NT are too aggressive. 1H feels just right.
B) Double seems right, even opposite a passed hand.
C) Unless 3H is not forward going (1-2-3 stop), I’m going to pass.
D) The Law suggests bidding. But my 4333 shape says there will be one fewer trick than usual. 2NT is a possibility. But I think 2S might be best. Partner has a doubleton heart so that is a positive. Double will find our fit (even. If pard is 3=2=4=4, he’ll bid 2NT and we can pass! Okay, I vote double.
E) 2C. Easy?I hope partner bids 2D! Note I would prefer a hand without those bits and pieces. I’m really close to a vote for pass.
F) 2S is within my parameters.
G) 3D. I think 2NT denies a fit in this auction, and 3C is natural.
H) H10. A pure guess.
Since on C, 3H is defined as pre-emptive in BWS, I’ve interpreted that as a vote for 3H.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator
oirg 1H 3H P 2N 2N Dbl 3C C3
SW 1H Dbl 3D 2N 2N 2S 3N H10
ST 1H P P P 2C Dbl 2S C3
BTDT
NN 1H Dbl 3H Dbl 2C 2S 3D H10
veni vidi vici 1H 3S 3H P P 2S 4D C3
Leading 1H 2S C3
Only leaders on 3 so far, with problem A unanimous. 5 different answers on F, where we have no agreements on what anything means.
A) 1H. Tempted by double then nt since partner will almost certainly bid 1S, and is unlikely to bury me if she could not bid any number of spades over 1D. The terrible diamond spots lead me to 1H instead.
B) Double. Seems obvious, perhaps I am missing something?
C) Pass. My first instinct was to invite, but the modern trend seems to be to drury with anything even approaching a limit raise, so expect partner to not have too much. I would have opened 2H in fourth chair.
D) 2NT. If I was not willing to bid 2NT, I should have started with 1NT last round.
E) Pass.
F) Double. Close, might bid 2S on a different day.
G) 4 diamonds. I hate inverted minors.
H) Club three. I like taking tricks with small trumps.