District 8 Solvers Forum -- February 2010

    by Tom Dodd, Branchburg NJ

Kent’s themed columns have inspired me to introduce a few of my own. Since bridge players are often (unfairly) categorized as the type of people who enjoy listening to elevator music (some do I’m sure!), I will strive to dispel that myth here and now. For I am a rock ‘n roller- - born at the beginning of the meteoric rise of The King, weaned on the British Invasion, schooled during the advent of hard rock and heavy metal right through the Progressive Age, Punk, New Wave, etc. whatever all that means. As Billy Joel once sang, “It’s all rock and roll to me.” 

We’ll do it as a countdown -- hey, the web is full of top 100 lists -- and in the interests of time and space, we’ll keep ours to 25. So you’ll have to wait for four more TD columns to see the top seven. Without further ado, let’s get started: The top 25 rockers of all time. Note, this list is my (and my better half’s!) personal choice and not attributable to the Advocate (Who knows? Some of you may like elevator music).

#25 - Styx

Styx (1972-current) is the only band on our countdown with deep Midwest roots. Formed in the late 1960s in Chicago, they took the name Styx in 1970 and sold more than 50 million records since.

One of the first US bands to perform to packed houses in outdoor stadiums, their music covered the spectrum -- soaring power ballads, harmonic progressive rockers, heavy guitar-fueled rock and roll, and a fusion of rock and folk or blues tunes. Talented musicians all, they reproduced the sound from their albums to the stage as well as being consummate showmen.

Styx and its current lineup (right) still tour regularly. I highly recommend the experience. Their homepage is online at www.styxworld.com
 

1.  IMPs, both vulnerable 
  

What is your call as South holding:  AQ98   A65   J   KQJ107 ? 

Problem 1 initially looked to me like many Styx songs -- straightforward, not too complex, easy on the ears. Then I opened the answer file and saw to my horror that more than half the panel was marching to the tune of several different drummers:

NELSON: “3D. Partner has majors and I really like my hand. Partner doesn't promise a rose garden, but it won't take much for slam so here goes my cuebid as well ... on my way to some number of spades (six)?”

RABIDEAU: “3D. I don't think I've ever done this in my life -- but it feels right.”

Sorry, "Rose Garden" and "Feels So Right" are country tunes -- they don’t make the list.

PAULO: “4S. I see partner's cuebid as promising both major suits and some values.”

FEILER: “3S. 2D shows both majors. I don't see much point in bidding 3C and it might muck up the auction. 3S will skip the foreplay and start some hot and heavy cuebidding.”

FELDHEIM: “3D. Absolutely game forcing with slammish overtones. Barring horrendous breaks, KJxx  Qxxx  xxx Ax is enough for 6S. And that's a minimal cuebid.”

SENG: “3S. I’d like to Blackwood, but partner doesn’t doesn't know what the trump suit is. 3S must be forcing and it allows partner space to cuebid the club ace.”

MERRITT: “3S. This is either pick a major or a game-forcing hand. Things look good for us either way.”

These comments actually made me go and look up the meaning of North’s cue-bid- had it somehow changed in the past few years? Nope. Straight off TBW’s website- “A cue-bid advance of a take-out double “shows at least game interest and creates a force until a suit is bid twice or game is reached.”  Nothing about majors- nada.

WALSH: “3C. Showing my best suit while keeping the auction low. There's lots of slam potential here, but information is still needed.”

STRITE: “3C. It's a strong auction. If we don't start describing our hand at the 3-level, when will we?”

MATHENY: “3C. Since partner has forced, I will show the clubs before the spades. A club game (or slam) may be right.”

WALKER: “2S. No reason to jump or make the vague 'return cuebid' of 3D, as partner's cuebid absolutely promises another bid. He doesn't have to have both majors (he would bid 2D with a hand such as   KJ76   KJ5   1032   A54), so 2S seems the best (possibly only) way to sort out major-suit fits. It also rates to get a more helpful rebid from partner.”

BRIDGE BARON: “2S. No need to do anything exotic yet in a game-forcing auction; just start by finding out if we have a spade fit.”

I was torn myself between 2S and 3C. Something good can be said for both calls. What swayed me was the simple fact that this is about the last hand where I want to be playing in some 4-3 spade game, with the possibility of a diamond force looming. This is IMPs after all, so there is no shame in playing our game (or slam) in our best suit.

SPEAR: “3C. This is forcing, then 3S over 3H by pard is still forcing. Then Blackwood over 4S, knowing major-suit finesses will be onside if needed.”

HINCKLEY: “3C. No reason, especially at IMPS, to not bid your suits naturally. There is still plenty of time to find your best game (or slam) -- which might well be a 4-3 heart fit.”

#24 - Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi (1983-current) is the first East Coast band on the countdown. Jon Bonjovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres hit the rock scene in the early 1980s and have sold more than 120 million albums and been playing to packed houses, both indoor and outdoor ever since.

If you haven’t caught it yet, their 2009 special “When We Were Beautiful” is a no-holds barred tribute to this band of brothers from New Jersey, as they refer to themselves. If you can score some tickets the next time they’re in your area, treat yourself to the experience.

Their website: www.bonjovi.com
 

2. Matchpoints, NS vulnerable 
  

What is your call as South holding:  64   AQJ4   J10754   72 ? 

The calls were all over the lot on this one -- various raises (some via cuebids), with some panelists advocating strength, others caution. I’ll take a Richie Sambora solo or a Jon high-C over any of these.

SENG: “2D. Not sure how we're playing a double here. Whatever it is, I'm not sure I have it.”

WALSH: “2C. Maybe a slight overbid, but 2D or 3D would be underbids.”

WALKER: “2C. Cuebid raise is enough for now. A heart fit is unlikely, but maybe partner can show a second suit if I (and the opponents) give him room.”

MATHENY: “2C. This has become a very good hand so we must show strength.”

KNIEST: “2C. Have to show a little speed here; need to hear partner's rebid.”

FELDHEIM: “Double. Showing 4 hearts and the ability to compete, planning to violently support diamonds later. An immediate jump in diamonds is less informative and rates to backfire. It also makes it harder for partner to be involved.”

NELSON: “Double. After my responsive double, I will of course support diamonds, but I must check out if we have the heart fit on the way.”

STRITE: “Double. Suggest the hearts before we bid diamonds at whatever level necessary.”

FEILER: “2H. A peculiar, sort-of, kind-of psych. We can't outbid them in diamonds. This might throw a monkey wrench into the opponents’ bidding and help partner defend.”

MERRITT: “2H. I am setting up for later. This auction surely isn't over and no other bid seems more descriptive. We aren't looking to sacrifice at these colors.”

Believe it or not, Scott was the only panelist who so much as mentioned the unfavorable vulnerability, which is why these big leaps are so mystifying.

BRIDGE BARON: “4D. Just a hair too weak for a 2C bid, so will it be a mixed-raise jump cue of 3C or a preemptive 4D? Bridge Baron's evaluation of the AQJ of hearts as defensive values tips the scales toward preempting, hoping to persuade the opponents to bid too high.”

PAULO: “4D. I show my support immediately, forcing the opponents to make the last guess.”

Unfortunately, I’d be quite certain North has looked at the vulnerability and might expect a little more, at least distribution-wise, to make an informed decision, even if E-W don’t bid the expected 4S.

RABIDEAU: “3D. I don't suppose Snapdragon is on our card...” 

For those who don’t know the term, Snapdragon is not a flower, but a double that shows the 4^th-suit (and, as some play it, tolerance for partner’s overcalled suit). It’s not “officially” used by BWS. Here's another idea chosen by two panelists:

HUDSON: "3C. Too strong for 3D or 4D, too balanced for 5D, and 2H doesn't take up enough of their bidding room."

The jump cuebid is commonly called a "mixed raise", which shows a distributional raise with better-than-a-preempt high-card strength, usually around 6-9 points. It's part of Bridge World Standard and seems to match this hand. The downside is that 

MAYNE: “3D. 3D is chicken. If I were on the panel, I'd vote for 4D.”

I won’t say anything if you don’t.

#23 - Billy Joel

I can’t say enough good things about this consummate showman from the Big Apple. Billy Joel (1970-current) has sold more than 100 million records and still fills the big halls and stadiums with his unique voice and style. We caught his show in Madison Square Garden a couple of years ago and it was fantastic! 

Billy has been inducted into both the Songwriters’ (1992) and the Rock Hall of Fame (1999). If you get the chance to see Billy and his band, GO!

 www.billyjoel.com
 

What is your call as South holding:  832   Void   AKQ987   AK43 ? 

At first glance, this would appear to be a simple problem. There’s not much North can hold in the way of high cards outside spades, and yet a nagging doubt lurks in my mind. After all, North’s spades don’t have to be as long and strong as my diamonds, and it was ingrained into me as a young bridge player to try and play your slams, especially the big salami, in the safest suit. So how to continue? Let’s start with a few players not committed to playing at least at the six-level. They were pretty sure of what their next call means.

KNIEST: “5H. Have to get pard to focus on trumps. I'll pass 5S. I can't be worried about hearts here, as I would have bid 5S to ask about a heart control.”

RABIDEAU: “5H. If partner signs off at 5S, I'll be thinking about this one for awhile (e.g., aggressiveness of all concerned, state of the match, etc.).”

FELDHEIM: “5H. What's the problem? One must presume that if partner holds AKQxxx in spades, he'll know what to do.”

PAULO: “5H. I invite partner to bid slam with a good suit.”

It had better be more than good. To my simple mind, a 5H call here is a buck-passer. If you choose this course, you are postponing the inevitable decision for a round, and you get the bonus of laying some blame on North in the postmortem if things don’t go as they should. I can hear the argument now: “How could you not bid a slam with AKQ sixth of spades, when I showed…”

SPEAR: “4NT. Blackwood for spades, playing their side for the ace of hearts. But my confidence level is not high enough to bid 7S if pard has two keys and the Q of spades. This bid has been successful for me in the past, although I know I am overdue for a bad result.”

I’m willing to take the plunge here and agree that 4NT is Keycard Blackwood and that 5NT is the modified Grand Slam Force (GSF). Bridge World Standard (BWS) doesn’t specify the meaning here, except for saying that if North had opened 1S and the next hand bid 4H, then 4NT is Keycard Blackwood and 5NT is the GSF. Is this situation that different? Maybe.

But ... what does Blackwood it accomplish? Even SPEAR admits that AKQ of spades does not make him happy trotting out a grand.

MERRITT: “5H. I will continue with 6S. I don't like to make a bid that doesn't really mean anything, but hopefully partner can raise to 7S looking at solid spades.”

MAYNE: “5H. Gotta try for slam; 5S might focus on heart cards.”

So what does 5H focus on? Spade quality? Not when you assume that you have Keycard Blackwood and GSF at your disposal. Of course, even that’s not a given, according to this panelist:

FEILER: “5NT. This means, ‘Partner do something intelligent for a change.’ At least that's what I hope it means.”

Then there's the "Partner, please read my mind" approach:

HUDSON: "5S. I hope partner can tell from his hand that this is asking for good trumps rather than for a heart control. If we belong in diamonds -- or clubs -- too bad!"

I'm all for letting partner use his brain, but the bottom line is that a jump to 5S asks for a heart control. Even if partner is looking at six solid spades, I don't think you can expect him to read enough into your bid to violate the system and bid 6S with xxx of hearts.   

Normally, my editor and I don’t see eye-to-eye on these slam-level auctions (probably why she’s the editor and I a lowly writer), but here, we are almost on the same wavelength:

WALKER: “6S. Slam obviously depends on partner's spades, but there's no way to ask, so this is my best guess. 5H is guaranteed to get you 5S, then what? A jump to 6H might convince him I have all controls outside spades, but could also imply 4-card support (and induce him to bid 7S with AKQxx or AKxxxx ... not a good bet when bad breaks are likely)."

Again to my simple mind, you either captain this hand or leave the decision to North. I say leave the final decision to him or her. Hearing me chirp 6S at this point, don’t you think North, if looking at solid spades, will figure out the rest of my hand and take the final plunge? Hey, any way you shake it up, it’s still rock ‘n' roll to me!

#22 - Van Halen

Van Halen (1978-current) is our first West Coast band, formed in California in the mid-1970s, and still rocking packed houses after 30 years in the spotlights and over 80 million records sold.

Led from their inception by the Van Halen brothers, Eddie and Alex (and now Eddie’s son Wolfgang), along with bassist Ross Anthony and the powerful vocals of David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, a Van Halen concert is an experience like no other. Van Halen was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 2007.

www.van-halen.com
 

4.  IMPs, EW vulnerable  
  

What is your call as South holding:  K   AQ10    J987    KQJ65 ? 

Finally, a problem we can sink our teeth into. As expected, only two calls were advanced. The “My partner will kill me if I open a notrump with a singleton” panelists were taking the “safe” road.

NELSON: “1C. Starting with the only bid, which is 1C. I am not a 1NT opener with this hand.”

RABIDEAU: “1C…and rebid 2H or 3C over partner's 1H or 1S response, respectively.”

BRIDGE BARON: “1C. Bridge Baron is just strong enough that it is prepared to reverse in 2D. A 1NT opener with a singleton is implicitly forbidden in Bridge World Standard.”

SENG: “1C. After partner bids 1S, I’ll reverse into diamonds, then declare 3NT and get a heart lead!  (Or get partner to lead a club against their spade contract.)”

Since when is this sort of hand worth a forcing reverse? Keep in mind, North is a passed hand here, and though the odds favor it being our hand to play, shouldn’t we be seeking out our best chance for a plus? A reverse guarantees the hand will go to at least the 3-level (unless you can somehow maneuver to stop in 2NT) and those who know “The Law” can tell you the odds are against a plus even at that level.

Or you could plan to underbid the hand, like this:

WALSH: “1C. This is philosophical. The crowd may decide on 1NT, but I'd rather not expose myself to a Jacoby transfer. If partner bids 1S, I'll bid 2C. Responder needs to make some sort of move for game to be a good bet.”

At least one of these approaches could work out. For my money, why not just get the hand off your chest in one fell swoop? C’mon ... it wouldn’t be the first time you mixed a club in with your spades, would it?

FEILER: 1NT. “The right point range, a chicken in every pot, queeny-jacky, looks perfect.”

MATHENY: “1NT. If I open 1C, I’ll have a rebid problem over partner's expected 1S response.”

HUDSON: "1NT. It limits my hand, discourages opposition bidding. I don't want to reverse with this hand."

KNIEST: “1NT. Trying for an easy auction. I'm not reversing into Jxxx.”

WALKER: “1NT. The alternative -- 1C and a 2D reverse-- is the best way to talk partner out of a good 3NT or into an ugly slam. If considering a reverse with a dead-minimum 16 HCP, I at least want to have two decent suits.”

Not to mention the stiff king is needed to even hit the bare minimum for a reverse rebid.

MERRITT: “1NT. Okay, I am weak. The gods of the Solvers Forum want me to open an off-shape NT, so I did. But opening a one-bid and rebidding 1NT, 2D, 2C, 3C or 3H all seem worse.”

Weak? About as weak as one of Eddie’s or Alex’s incredible guitar or drum solos!  Rock on, guys!

#21 - Emerson, Lake and Palmer

An ELP (1969-1979; 1985-86; 1996-98) concert experience is truly unique. The three incredible musicians from England formed in the late 1960s and pioneered the prog rock era with their unique compositions.

They were also consummate showmen, often playing three-hour shows without an opening act, with Keith Emerson playing a half-hour of classical music (in tux and tails!) on a concert grand during intermission. If they ever reunite, I will be one of the first in the ticket line.

www.emersonlakepalmer.com
     

What is your call as South holding:  7   Q86543   K942   AJ ?

Another simple looking problem whose results floored me even more than that night in 1976 when Keith Emerson came out for intermission at the ELP concert and played 30 minutes of non-stop Mozart.

FELDHEIM: “4H. Certainly a tactical overbid with a six-card suit. I'd rather not defend at the four-level and I'd rather not give West a chance to compete cheaply. If North's cuebid is based on good hearts, we have no defense.”

SPEAR: “4H. My favorite kind of game try. Try to make game after bidding it! Wasted spade values by pard will probably doom this game, while values in the red suits may allow it to make. East-West could misjudge with a phantom save, and my stiff spade lead offers some defense.”

This last thought is the only redeeming feature of this leap of faith. Pressure, pressure, pressure.

STRITE: “4H. I like my hand enough not to leave it up to pard, vul at IMPs.”

SENG: “4H. Thanks for making it vulnerable at IMPs. Partner needs the heart king, diamond QJ and any ace (plus maybe the heart jack) – or less if he has honor doubleton in diamonds and four trumps.”

And when West doubles and North puts down some normal looking hand like KJxxx, Kxx, Axx, xx, you can explain why you decided to pick this moment to take a 500-point sack against a partscore. Even minus 100 loses 6 IMPs if we can make exactly 3H. Talk about not trusting partner to do something right!

The in-betweeners.

RABIDEAU: “3H. I don't want to disobey The Law and sell out to 3C, but it sounds like partner has a lot of spades (no support double from West) and, if not chunky, they won't be much use on offense.”

WALKER: “3H. This should show a little extra playing strength (usually a 6th trump), not extra values.”

Extra playing strength? Goodie, I have a sixth trump. Without it, I doubt we’d get an argument that this hand isn’t even worth the overcall, much less a free rebid. The most interesting numbers I’ve ever seen came from:

BRIDGE BARON: “4H. Simulation says, with an expected score of +395.5, 4H is a clear winner over 3H (+129) and defending 3C (-86.5).”

I don’t see us ever defending 3C on this hand, which is why I side with those who advised caution:

MAYNE: “Pass. I'm going to play partner to have not forgotten I overcalled.”

HINCKLEY: "Pass. Partner's 2C cuebid could be based on a heart raise or a forcing diamond hand. My hand is defensive in nature, so I'll pass and learn partner's intentions.”

My thoughts exactly. Why take control with a dog, when you have no idea where this hand might belong at the moment? I would be amazed if the auction went all pass from here.

#20- Steely Dan

Steely Dan (1972-current) was the brainchild of musical geniuses Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who met in upstate New York during their college years. The rest is magical musical history, a fusion of rock and jazz with intricate overlaid harmonies that has sold more than 30 million records and mesmerized their fans for almost 40 years.

They were inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 2001. One of the few bands in our top 25 that I have not yet seen live (they did not tour during my collegiate years), but I own all of their albums and hope to see them live soon!

www.steelydan.com
 

6.  Matchpoints, none vulnerable 
  

What is your call as South holding:  QJ875   K   K64   J972 ? 

"Go back, Jack, do it again." Why do I have a feeling this hand is the North hand from Problem 4, and that the South there decided in some flight of fancy to start 1D and rebid 1NT, devaluing the stiff king? Wouldn’t it be ironic?

For the life of me, I couldn’t come up with a reason to continue bidding here. We’re in a decent spot, East-West haven’t made a noise as of yet, and I fully expect a nice plus depending on the lead and suit breaks. I could be way off, of course. North might hold 10xx of hearts or worse and we go set a trick or two when EW couldn’t make anything -- unlikely but possible. So why is almost half the panel moving forward?

SPEAR: “2S. Hope pard is not one of those scientists who rebid 1NT with a stiff spade. (I am in that camp myself, so I would pass 1NT with my regular pard.)”

Spoken like the man who opened 1NT with a stiff!

HINCKLEY: “2C. Close decision between passing and my choice of 2C, rebidding 2S next to show a mild invitation. I'm not taking the hand to 2NT or beyond without a known spade fit.”

BRIDGE BARON: “2C. Book bid: 10 HCP, five-card spade suit. This is why we play New Minor Forcing.”

NELSON: “2C. I am making a new-minor forcing bid on this hand. It’s very possible to have game in spades.”

PAULO: “2C. Checkback Stayman. I assume that, at matchpoints, it involves some risk when partner can't bid any major suit.”

Isn’t the risk magnified the higher we push the level?

WALKER: “Pass. A soft 10-count isn't enough for an invitational new-minor force and there's no reason to insist on spades, especially since partner occasionally has a singleton for the 1NT rebid. As in Problem 4, the king looks more like a notrump card than a ruffing value.”

FEILER: “Pass. This should be a plus score. Maybe not our highest plus score, but...”

RABIDEAU: “Pass. This would be a tougher problem at IMPs.”

Yup, but it is matchpoints -- and a plus is a plus is a plus is a plus…

MATHENY: “Pass. Not enough to invite.”

SENG: “Pass. Is this even worth 10 points?”

Is a plus!

Stay tuned to my future columns for more of the top 25 rockers. Any suggestions, I’ll look and listen to anything…reasonable. Requests for previews of the upcoming bands, fuggedaboutit. Complaints? File ‘em away for later…

    February Panel and Solver Scores

Thanks to all who sent in answers to this set. Congratulations to Dave McNitt of Elkhart IN and Chris Grande of Mishawaka IN, who topped all Solvers. They're both invited to join the April panel. 

Special congratulations to Jim Hudson of Elmhurst IL for placing first in the 2009 Solvers Contest and earning the lavish prize of a seat on the panel for 2010. See Solvers Honor Roll in this issue for a list of the top runners-up in the 2009 contest. Thanks to 2008 winners John R. Mayne and Bill Walsh for their excellent contributions to the panel during the past year.

The six new problems for April are below. This is the second of the six sets in the 2010 Solvers Contest. Your annual score is based on your best three submissions, so there's still plenty of time to join in. Please send your solutions on the web form by March 31.

Note: The web form comments box has a length limit, so if the form rejects your bids, you may need to condense your comments before you resend your answers. Please post your bids through the web form so they're included in our automated scoring. It's also helpful if you use the same email address for every submission during the year.

April moderator: Scott Merritt -- merritt604@gmail.com