I thought I had already created this thread, but no. So creating it and copying the first response into it.
A. Double. Not going to pass. 2H was my initial thought, but better to suggest at least 3 cards in partner’s suit, in case he has a long suit
B. 3C. Not going to miss a vul game, so make most natural bid
C. 3H. Hope it’s inviting a long-suit game try
D. 3H, with double and 3NT also tempting
E. 4C. WTP?
F. 4H. Let partner know right away if we should have been in 3NT.
G. 3N. Since possibly if 3NT isn’t making, 2NT wasn’t either.
H. H4. Hate it, but surely leading a major, and this seems more likely to set them. Also more likely to give away overtricks, but overtricks don’t matter so much at imps.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator
oirg P 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
SW Dbl 3C 3H 3G 4C 4H 3N H4
Klaymen 2H 3C 4S 3H 3S 3D P H4
ST
BTDT
NN
veni vidi vici
Leading 3C H4
A. 2 hearts. The intermediates give safety, and think this will help more on defense/the lead than a double. With partner a passed hand and RHO having the boss suit, more oriented toward those considerations than competing/finding a game.
B. 3 diamonds. Yuck.
C. 4 spades. On the fence, would invite if I thought I had an intelligent way to do so.
D. 3 hearts.
E. 3 spades. I don’t know what is standard, but in my style, there is no playing a minor on this start. I will pass any of 3NT, 4 hearts or 4 spades.
F. 4 hearts I guess. Are 3 hearts and 4 clubs showing stuff in that suit? I don’t understand the footnote. Wish I had a way to force below 3NT.
G. 3NT. The tens made me do it.
H. Heart 4. Fourth best from my longest and strongest, just like when I learned the game.
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 2H 3D 4S 3H 3S 4H 3N H4
oirg P 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
SW Dbl 3C 3H 3G 4C 4H 3N H4
Klaymen 2H 3C 4S 3H 3S 3D P H4
ST
BTDT
NN
veni vidi vici
Leading 3C 4S 3H 4H 3N H4
A) close decision between 2H & double. Partner is a passed hand, so game is unlikely. A big penalty is a possibility if I overcall, so I will start with a double, viewing this as a partscore hand where we need to compete at the 3-level.
B) 3C. I force to game when I would have opened my hand.
C) Pass. matchpoints. 3H second choice.
D) Double. More flexible than 3H. Too much to pass.
E) 4C. Gotta show both, I think.
F) 4C if this shows clubs along with my diamonds. At matchpoints, slightly aggressive to bid 4H.
G) 3C. Even with my 10’s, this seems a bit light for 3NT, and 3D should be safer than 2NT.
H) What is 1S? Was it natural, or artificial game force? If natural, I think I want to start with DK.
Asterisk in the problem says E-W use BWS. BWS notes say
So natural
Also, 2S instead of 1S would apparently be fourth-suit forcing, per
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 2H 3D 4S 3H 3S 4H 3N H4
oirg P 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
SW Dbl 3C 3H 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
Klaymen 2H 3C 4S 3H 3S 3D P H4
ST Dbl 3C 3H 3H 4C 4C 3N H4
BTDT
NN Dbl 3C P Dbl 4C 4C 3C DK
veni vidi vici
Leading Dbl 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
We now have a leader on all 8 problems
Well, this can’t be good … I agree with the consensus on all of them except the lead (and I never get those right)
A) Dbl
B) 3C
C) 4S
D) 3H
E) 4C
F) 4H
G) 3N
H) Club 5
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 2H 3D 4S 3H 3S 4H 3N H4
oirg P 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
SW Dbl 3C 3H 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
Klaymen 2H 3C 4S 3H 3S 3D P H4
ST Dbl 3C 3H 3H 4C 4C 3N H4
BTDT Dbl 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N C5
NN Dbl 3C P Dbl 4C 4C 3C DK
veni vidi vici
Leading Dbl 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
Looks like this one is set. It would be nice to get votes from VVV, but each leading choice leads by at least 2.
Maybe comments can help with the write-up you send in. (The goal should be to be quoted a few times.)
A Dbl. With partner a passed hand, let’s compete the partscore as safely as possible.
B 3C. How else will partner know I need hearts stopped. Can’t imagine not forcing game with AKxxx in a major and a side ace.
C 3H. Despite that double, heart honors will be useful. 4S is tempting as S A9x gives play, but even S AKx is still slightly odds-against.
D 3H. Hearts too much better than spades to double, and too good to pass.
E 4C. The notes don’t say it’s not natural. If it’s natural, failing to bid it seems perverse.
F 3H. I think I’m supposed to have something spectacular to go past 3N here, and that’s not this hand. The notes define this bid as having no relationship to hearts, whereas 4C would show a club control.
G 3N. We’re red at IMPs with a source of tricks.
H H4. Leading a minor would be leading a suit where they have more length than I. Leading a spade doubleton seems fruitless when partner is unlikely to have entries and I have two. (Spades are nonetheless worthy of some consideration to be passive, as they do not appear to have extras.)
Just a comment on F: Partner can have a 5=3=3=2 12-count. Do we really want to make a slam try? (In the BWS notes, 3H is a strong raise of diamonds that bears no relation to hearts; 4C is specifically a control-bid supporting diamonds; and 4H is not specifically mentioned in the 1N response section of the notes and is only a splinter due to general principles. I think it’s useful to vote with all this in mind rather than the biased editorial summary.)
A B C D E F G H
procrastinator 2H 3D 4S 3H 3S 4H 3N H4
oirg P 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
SW Dbl 3C 3H 3H 4C 4H 3N H4
Klaymen 2H 3C 4S 3H 3S 3D P H4
ST Dbl 3C 3H 3H 4C 4C 3N H4
BTDT Dbl 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N C5
NN Dbl 3C P Dbl 4C 4C 3C DK
veni vidi vici Dbl 3C 3H 3H 4C 3H 3N H4
Leading Dbl 3C 4S 3H 4C 4H 3N H4OK, proposed answers (including comments) here. I expect to submit on Monday, later than they wanted, hopefully still OK. Since we have leaders on all, really only comments are an issue.
Many comments based on VVV, with H from procrastinator.
A. Dbl With partner a passed hand, let’s compete the partscore as safely as possible.
B. 3C. Can’t imagine not forcing game with AKxxx in a major and a side Axxx. This also alerts partner that I may not have a heart stop.
C. 4S. Giving away no additional info to defenders.
D. 3H. Hearts too much better than spades to double, and too good to pass.
E. 4C. The notes don’t say it’s not natural. If it’s natural, failing to bid it seems perverse.
F. 4H. Risk going beyond 3NT to describe the hand in case there is a diamond slam.
G. 3N We’re red at IMPs with a source of tricks. And if 3N doesn’t make, possibly 2N is also down.
H. H4. Fourth best from my longest and strongest, just like when I learned the game.
Submitted, for better or worse, but they do say “Please review for accuracy. If a correction is necessary, please notify editor@bridgeworld.com”, so if anything looks wrong let me know ASAP.