The Bridge World

MASTER SOLVERS CLUB

Scores for the July 2024 Contest

Problem A

Matchpoints
East-West vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ K 8 6

♥ A

♦ A K 10 8 7 4

♣ A 9 2

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	—	Pass	Pass
1 ♦	Pass	2 ♦^*	Pass
?^†

^*BWS: invitational-plus raise
^†BWS: 3♥ = splinter

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
3 ♥	100	6	31
6 ♦	90	6	5
2 ♠	80	5	18
2 ♥	70	2	18
3 ♣	70	2	11
4 NT	60	3	6
2 NT	50	1	1
3 NT	0	0	6
4 ♦	0	0	2
3 ♦	0	0	1
5 ♦	0	0	1
else	0	0	0

Problem B

Imps
North-South vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ Q 8 3

♥ A K J 6

♦ A Q 8 6 4 2

♣ —

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	3 ♣	Pass	Pass
Double	Pass	4 ♠	Pass
?

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
5 ♣	100	10	52
5 NT	80	5	2
Pass	70	5	24
5 ♦	60	2	6
6 ♠	50	2	5
6 ♦	40	1	1
5 ♠	0	0	6
4 NT	0	0	4
else	0	0	0

Problem C

Matchpoints
East-West vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ J 10 4

♥ 6 5 3

♦ K 10 5

♣ Q J 9 3

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	—	1 ♥	Pass
1 NT	Pass	2 ♦	Pass
2 ♥	Pass	2 ♠	Pass
?

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
2 NT	100	18	48
3 NT	60	4	8
3 ♥	50	1	35
4 ♥	50	1	4
3 ♣	40	1	1
3 ♦	0	0	3
else	0	0	1

Problem D

Matchpoints
Both sides vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ K 8

♥ 9 6 4

♦ J 2

♣ K 10 8 7 6 5

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	—	1 ♠	Pass
1 NT	Pass	2 ♣	Pass
?^*

^*BWS: 2 ♦ = Bart: five hearts or, on a natural continuation, stronger than a direct bid

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
3 ♣	100	14	64
2 ♦	70	8	12
2 ♠	60	1	7
3 ♠	40	1	1
4 ♣	30	1	4
Pass	20	0	10
5 ♣	0	0	1
else	0	0	1

Problem E

Matchpoints
Both sides vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ A 9 3

♥ 5 4

♦ A 9 5 4 3

♣ 7 6 5

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
Pass	Pass	1 ♣	Double
1 ♦	1 ♠	Pass^*	Pass
?

^*BWS: denies three-plus diamonds

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
1 NT	100	11	43
2 ♣	80	8	38
Double	70	4	6
Pass	70	2	12
else	0	0	1

Problem F

Imps
Both sides vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ 10 6 4

♥ —

♦ A J 10 8 7

♣ A Q J 8 7

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	1 ♠	2 ♥	Pass
?^*

^*BWS: simple new-suit bid nonforcing

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
3 ♦	100	10	42
3 ♣	90	7	17
2 ♠	70	3	16
Pass	50	3	20
2 NT	40	2	4
3 ♥	0	0	1
3 ♠	0	0	1
else	0	0	0

Problem G

Imps
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ A 7 4 3

♥ K J 7 6 5

♦ 9 7 6 4

♣ —

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	1 ♣	2 ♠	3 ♦
?

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
4 ♠	100	14	78
3 ♥	80	6	3
5 ♠	60	2	1
4 ♣	50	2	4
Pass	40	1	0
3 ♠	0	0	9
4 ♥	0	0	3
else	0	0	2

Problem H

Imps
Both sides vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ J 10 9 4

♥ 10 9 4 2

♦ 6

♣ K Q 10 8

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	1 ♣	Pass	1 ♥
Pass	3 ♥^*	Pass	3 ♠
Pass	4 NT	Pass	5 ♥
Pass	6 ♥	(All Pass)

^*denies singleton diamond

What is your opening lead?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
♦ 6	100	10	31
♣ K	80	5	34
♥ 2	80	5	14
♣ Q	80	1	1
♠ J	60	4	18
♥ 10	0	0	1
♥ 4	0	0	1
else	0	0	0

MSC CONTEST

These are the scores that were assigned to the problems, as well as the number of votes each solution received from our expert panel, and the approximate percentage of solvers' answers.

See the July issue of The Bridge World to read the panel's in-depth discussion of these contest problems—see how each expert answered and learn how they came to their decisions.