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2010 Christmas Bridge Problem

The problem

Here's a little bridge problem for you. A deal was bid by the "Q-plus" bridge program in "Basic Acol" configuration. How does each bid (and each pass) describe the hands? At the end oif the bidding, what is each hand holding? East is dealer.

East	South	West	North
1	P	1	P
STOP 2NT	P	3	P
3NT	P	P	P

A general commentary

Bridge bidding is a language with the words being the bids. Each bid has (and is required to have) a well defined meaning. At a duplicate bridge club pairs have a card which explains the variations that they use in their bidding. The other pair can and do use a different variation.

At a club it is permissible for a pair who don't understand the meaning of a bid just made by their oppposing pair to ask the partner of the bidder what the last bid meant.

Whilst there are occasions when a specific hand doesn't quite fit the "rules" that you are working to, normally bidding should adhere to the quoted bidding rules.

This problem is to translate the bidding sequence from "bridgeish" into English.

I hope you enjoyed doing it. The rest of this page is based on my understanding of Acol and is at a beginner level.

Steve's translation

East	South	West	North	Translation
1				East has 12-19 points and at least 4 hearts. The points are not necessarily high card points, some could be shape points. He doesn't have more than 19 points. He won't have under 10 points even with a long heart suit.
	P			7 or fewer points. He possibly could have more than that if his bid would have been hearts, as East has already bid that. Or even an opening 1NT trump balanced hand - he would need 16 points to say Double.
		1		6 to 9 points. 4 or more spades. Spades is longest suit, 3 or fewer hearts. Between them, the partners have 18 to 28 points, so if they have top range points, a game bid is possible.
			P	7 or fewer points. He possibly could have more than that if his bid would have been hearts or spades, since their opponents have already bid both these suits. Or even an opening 1NT trump balanced hand - he would need 16 points to say Double.
STOP 2NT				A Jump bid. No trumps means a balanced hand, so 4 or 5 hearts. 2NT means 17 to 18 high card points. The partnerships therefore has 23 to 27 points. Game is still possible.
	P			No new information.
		3		A change of suit, therefore 5 or more of the original suit (spades) and 4 or more of the new suit (diamonds). Therefore an unbalanced hand. Invites game so towards the upper limit of the point range, probably 8 to 9. The partnership has 25 to 27 points.
			P	No new information.
3NT				Enough points for game. Would rather play in NT than diamonds.
	P			No new information.
		P		Not enough to go for a slam, so wrap the bidding up.
			P	No new information.

The hands - how accurate was I?

	North  A84  J7653  95  J63
West  KJ652  9  T872  A52		East  T3  KQ842  AKQ  KT9
	South  Q97  AT  J643  Q874

• East has 17 points in a balanced (5332) hand. He has 5 hearts, but does not have the 3 spades or the 4 diamonds for a fit in suit.
• South has 9 points in a balanced (4432) hand. South could have overcalled with this hand if one of the suits had been 5 cards or more. It wasn't, so he didn't.
• West has 8 points in an unbalanced (5431) hand. He has 5 spades and 4 diamonds. He has 3 or fewer hearts (1).
• North has 6 points with a balanced (5332) hand.

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Last updated 2012-11-25
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