The Bridge World

MASTER SOLVERS CLUB

Scores for the January 2025 Contest

Problem A

Matchpoints
North-South vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ A Q 9 7 3 2

♥ —

♦ A 10 9

♣ J 7 4 3

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

^*BWS: 2 ♦, 4 ♣ game-force

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
2 ♦	100	24	77
4 ♣	50	0	0
3 ♠	40	1	11
3 ♣	40	1	5
2 ♠	0	0	5
2 NT	0	0	1
else	0	0	1

Problem B

Imps
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ A K 8 4

♥ K 8 4

♦ 8 5

♣ A 8 4 3

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

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
Pass	100	12	45
3 NT	80	7	12
4 ♣	70	2	0
2 NT	70	1	8
3 ♣	60	4	35
5 ♣	20	0	0
else	0	0	0

Problem C

Matchpoints
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ A J 9 5

♥ A J 10 7 6 4

♦ K Q 7

♣ —

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
1 ♥	Pass	1 NT	Pass
?^*

^*BWS: 2 ♠ forcing for one round

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
2 ♠	100	11	44
3 ♥	80	7	31
2 ♥	70	5	17
2 ♦	60	3	7
3 NT	0	0	1
else	0	0	0

Problem D

Matchpoints
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ K J

♥ J

♦ A 10 6 5 3 2

♣ K J 6 3

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
—	—	1 ♣	Pass
1 ♦	Pass	1 ♥	Pass
2 ♠^*	Pass	3 ♦	Pass
?

^*BWS: artificial game-force; 1 ♠ would have shown four-plus spades, any strength.

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
4 ♣	100	13	41
4 ♦	80	6	12
3 NT	60	5	25
3 ♠	40	1	8
5 ♣	40	1	1
5 ♦	0	0	9
4 NT	0	0	2
3 ♥	0	0	1
else	0	0	1

Problem E

Matchpoints
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ A Q 9 4

♥ J 10

♦ A 3 2

♣ 8 7 6 5

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

^*BWS: three spades

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
2 ♠	100	13	33
3 ♣	80	7	44
3 ♦	70	4	7
3 ♠	60	1	1
2 NT	50	1	10
Pass	30	0	2
3 ♥	0	0	3
else	0	0	0

Problem F

Imps
Both sides vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ K Q

♥ —

♦ 9 8 6 5 4

♣ K 10 6 5 4 2

SOUTH	WEST	NORTH	EAST
Pass	Pass	Pass	1 ♠
?

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
2 ♣	100	10	14
Pass	70	7	40
2 NT	60	6	35
1 NT	60	3	5
3 ♣	0	0	5
else	0	0	1

Problem G

Imps
Neither side vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ K Q 5 3

♥ Q 8 2

♦ K 3 2

♣ J 4 2

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

^*three spades

What call do you make?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
2 ♠	100	9	26
Redouble	90	4	16
3 ♥	80	9	38
3 ♦	70	4	4
2 NT	20	0	8
Pass	10	0	7
4 ♥	10	0	1
else	0	0	0

Problem H

Imps
Both sides vulnerable
You, South, hold:

♠ J 5 3 2

♥ 8 6

♦ A 9 7

♣ 10 6 4 2

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

^*East has shown a game-force with fewer than four spades

What is your opening lead?

Action	Score	Panel Votes	% of Solvers
♥ 8	100	16	74
♥ 6	90	2	0
♠ 2	60	4	10
♠ J	50	1	0
♣ 2	40	3	11
♦ 7	0	0	2
♠ 5	0	0	1
♣ 6	0	0	1
else	0	0	1

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 January 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.