Scores 7W31 MainChallenge


March 2001 Scores


Analyses by Richard Pavlicek

The “Another Time, Another Place” bidding poll had 294 participants, and everyone scoring above average is listed here. Ties in the rankings are broken by the date and time of submission (earliest wins). At the end of this page is a “Bot’s Eye View,” which shows how various computer programs fared.

Top 100101Location RankingBot’s Eye View

Number of participants294
Number of locations77
Highest score60
Median score48
Lowest score25
Average score47.39

Top 100

RankScoreCCName123456
160USwaJosh Sinnett3 NT2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
260SEThomas Alm3 NT2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
359USilKent Feiler3 NT2 D2 H4 NT4 D3 C
459NLTjeerd Kootstra3 NT2 D2 H4 NT4 D3 C
559NLPeter van Montfoort3 NT2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 S
659INManoj Kumar Nair3 NT2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 S
759UKenGareth Birdsall3 NT2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 S
858NLLeo JongensD2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
958FIErkki MalkamakiD2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
1058USnyJim Dooley3 NT2 D2 H4 H3 D3 C
1158USmaJonathan Weinstein3 NT2 D2 H4 H3 D3 C
1258HKSimon Cheung3 NT2 D2 H4 H3 D3 C
1358USriEvelyn RecchiaD2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
1457USnyAlvin Bluthman3 NT2 D2 H5 D3 D3 C
1557USnyJohn Sheehan3 NTD2 H4 NT3 D3 C
1657UKenNeil MorgensternD2 D2 H4 NT4 D3 C
1757UScaHarold Simon3 NT2 D2 H5 D3 D3 C
1857EGAndrew de SosaD2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 S
1957USilLarry RobbinsD2 D2 H4 NT4 D3 C
2057SERoger KarlssonD2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 S
2157USnyTom BarryD2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 S
2256USilWill Engel3 NT2 D2 H6 D3 D3 C
2356NLGeon Steenbakkers3 NT2 D2 NT4 NT4 D3 C
2456SEErnst van Groningen3 NT2 D2 H6 D3 D3 C
2556SEIngemar AssarsjoD2 D2 H4 H3 D3 C
2656NLLutsen Jansen3 NT2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 NT
2756USwaHarry Steiner3 NTD2 H4 NT4 D3 C
2856FRAndrei VarlanD2 D2 H4 H3 D3 C
2956HUImre Csiszar3 NT2 D2 H6 D3 D3 C
3056DEClaus Guenther3 NT2 D2 H6 D3 D3 C
3155UScaTony MelucciP2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
3255CAonPaul HardyD2 D2 H5 D3 D3 C
3355PLMarcin PrzywitowskiD2 D2 H5 D3 D3 C
3455INArvind Srinivasan3 NT2 D2 H6 D4 D3 C
3555USflFlorence RosenthalD2 D2 NT4 NT3 D3 C
3655USmdJerrold MillerDD2 H4 NT3 D3 C
3755USwaCraig ZasteraP2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
3855INGowniyan Vaideeshwar3 NTD2 H4 NT4 D2 S
3954AUKieran Dyke3 NT2 D2 H4 H3 D2 NT
4054CAonDaniel Korbel3 NT2 D2 H4 H3 D2 NT
4154USpaSteve White3 NT2 D2 H4 H3 D2 NT
4254UScaJohn R. Mayne3 NT2 D2 NT4 H4 D3 C
4354CHJohn WeisweilerD2 D2 H5 D3 D2 S
4454USmoKit NowickiP2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 S
4554NLPeter IjsselmuidenP2 D2 H4 NT4 D3 C
4654HRVedran ZoricD2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 NT
4754USdcSimon SteelD2 D3 C4 NT3 D3 C
4854ITTudor GheorghiuD2 D2 H5 D4 D3 C
4954USmsMichele HolmP2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 S
5054UScaRich Pavlicek3 NT2 D3 C4 NT4 D2 S
5154INVenkatesh Ramaratnam3 NT2 D2 H6 D4 D2 S
5254USvaChris MaclauchlanDD2 H4 NT3 D2 S
5354AUHerry AllixD2 D3 C4 NT3 D3 C
5453USilJames Hudson3 NTD2 H6 D3 D3 C
5553AUPeter Gill3 NTD2 H6 D3 D3 C
5653DEUlrich Voigt4 C2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
5753TRUfuk CotukD2 D3 C4 NT3 D2 S
5853USalBob Simkins3 NTD2 H5 D4 D3 C
5953CAonSusan KorbelP2 D2 H4 H3 D3 C
6053USnyCharlie Champagne3 NT2 D2 H5 H3 D3 C
6153EEMeelis Tiitson3 NTD2 H4 NT3 D2 NT
6253DEJulius Linde3 NT2 D2 H5 D3 D2 NT
6353USvaGordon Brown3 NTD2 H6 D3 D3 C
6453USdcJonathan SiegelD2 D2 H6 D3 D2 S
6553AUBen Alexander4 C2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
6653USilBruce ScottP2 D2 H4 H3 D3 C
6753UStnCharles PriodeD2 D3 NT4 NT3 D3 C
6853NOEinar Sivertsen3 NT1 S2 H4 NT3 D3 C
6953INNeelotpal SahaiD2 D2 H6 D4 D3 C
7053UKenChris Measures4 C2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 C
7153CAMike Beath3 NTD3 C4 NT3 D3 C
7252USgaBill BickfordP2 D2 H5 D3 D3 C
7352USncMichael Lavine3 NTD2 H6 D4 D3 C
7452USnyBarry Rigal3 NT2 D2 NT6 D4 D3 C
7552USmaLeo Zelevinsky4 C2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 S
7652HRDean Pokorny3 NT2 D3 C5 D3 D2 S
7752NLJoop Simmelink3 NTD2 H6 D3 D2 S
7852NOSverre JohnsenD2 D2 H4 H3 D2 NT
7952NLFrans Buijsen3 NT2 D2 H6 D3 D2 NT
8052UScaDoug BurkeP2 D2 H5 D3 D3 C
8152INSubhash Gupta3 NTD2 H6 D4 D3 C
8252SIBarbara Kranjc4 C2 D2 H4 NT4 D3 C
8352UStxAlex Kolesnik3 NTD2 H6 D3 D2 S
8452USohBruce Moore3 NT1 S2 H4 NT3 D2 S
8552JPMark LaForge3 NT2 D2 H4 NT4 D3 NT
8652SEPer-Ola CullinP2 D2 H4 H4 D3 C
8752USnmMark Jones3 NT2 D2 H5 S3 D3 C
8852UKenJames MatesDD2 H4 H3 D2 S
8952CAabDaniel Bertrand3 NT2 D2 H4 S4 D2 S
9052DEChristian GlubrechtPD2 H4 NT3 D3 C
9152USvaRick Bingham3 NT2 D2 H6 D3 D2 NT
9252ILSteve Rogers4 C2 D2 H4 NT4 D3 C
9352RSGoran Ocokoljic4 C2 D2 H4 NT4 D3 C
9452UScaMilton SpinnerDD2 H5 D3 D3 C
9552AUCaroline MillerDD2 H5 D3 D3 C
9652UScaJohn Hoffman3 NT2 D2 H5 H3 D2 S
9752USmaDick WagmanD2 D2 H4 S3 D3 C
9852UKenDave WarrenDD2 H4 H3 D2 S
9951UStnCarl SardellaPD2 H4 NT3 D2 S
10051AUNiclas JonssonP2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 NT

Scores 7W31 MainChallengeAnalysesTop March 2001 Scores

All Others Above Average

RankScoreCCName123456
10151NLBas Lodder3 NT2 D2 H6 D4 D2 NT
10251USmaSteve Stein4 C2 D2 H4 H3 D3 C
10351CAonJeffrey SmithD2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 NT
10451NLMicha Keijzers3 NT1 S2 H4 H3 D3 C
10551CAmbGlenn RobertsD2 D2 H5 D3 D2 NT
10651USmdMitch EdelmanP2 D2 H6 D3 D3 C
10751HRTonci TomicDD2 H6 D3 D3 C
10851DEUwe GebhardtD2 D2 H4 NT3 D3 NT
10951UScaMarina FomenkovaDD2 H4 NT3 D2 NT
11051FRDany WaldbergP2 D2 H5 D4 D3 C
11151DKPeter SkafteD2 D2 H4 H4 D2 NT
11251IDDayle GilliattDD2 H4 NT3 D2 NT
11351USRalph KuhlmanPD2 H4 NT3 D2 S
11451CAonAllen McDonald3 NTD2 H6 D4 D2 S
11551USflMark RaphaelsonD2 D2 H4 NTP3 C
11651UStxHerbert WiltonDD2 H5 D4 D3 C
11751UScaBill Cubley4 C2 D2 H4 NT4 D2 S
11851NZDean Eidler3 NT2 D2 H4 HP3 C
11951USmiDouglas OgozalyDD2 H5 D4 D3 C
12050USDean FrearDD3 NT4 NT3 D3 C
12150AUBill Jacobs4 C2 D2 H4 H4 D3 C
12250FRFrancois Dellacherie4 C2 D2 H4 H3 D2 S
12350NZJohn Kruiniger4 CD2 H4 NT3 D3 C
12450UScaArkadiusz SitekD2 D2 H6 D3 D2 NT
12550AUSartaj Hans3 NTD2 H4 NT3 D3 NT
12650CHDima NikolenkovD2 D2 H6 D3 D2 NT
12750USncToby Weinstein3 NTD2 H5 D3 D2 NT
12849USalRick Farver4 C2 D2 H6 D3 D3 C
12949USwaKeller WightmanP2 D2 H4 S3 D3 C
13049IDNoer Imanzal Kartamadjana4 C2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 NT
13149RUAlex Perlin4 C2 D2 H4 H4 D2 S
13249UKenAndy Holland3 NT2 D2 H5 D4 D3 NT
13349USnyGerry Wildenberg4 C2 D2 H6 D3 D3 C
13449USnjLeonard Helfgott3 NTD2 H5 D4 D2 NT
13549PTNuno LemosD2 D2 H4 H4 D4 C
13649USilCharles BlairDD3 C4 H3 D3 C
13749TWHang ChangP2 D3 C4 H3 D3 C
13849TRHasan Gedik3 NTD3 C4 NT3 D2 NT
13949USnjArline Fulton4 C2 D2 H5 D3 D2 S
14049AUBill PowellD2 D2 H5 S4 D3 C
14149PLJacek Gackowski3 NT2 D2 NT4 NT4 D3 NT
14249RSZoran Radojcic3 NT2 H2 H5 D3 D3 C
14349CAnsDel Knox3 NT2 H2 H5 D3 D3 C
14449RULeonid Ulanovsky4 C2 D2 H4 NT3 D2 NT
14549THTim Bolshaw3 NT2 D3 C4 NT3 D3 NT
14648USnyFranco Baseggio3 NTD2 H4 H3 D3 NT
14748FRJean-Claude Duong3 NT2 H2 H4 NT3 D2 NT
14848SEArne Jordestedt3 NTD2 H4 H3 D3 NT
14948CApqPeter Schwartz3 NTD3 C5 D4 D2 S
15048BESebastien LouveauxP2 D2 H4 H4 D2 NT
15148NOMagnus Skaar4 CD2 H4 H3 D3 C
15248NLElse OostmanD2 D2 H5 DP3 C
15348USflLino RussoPD3 C4 NT3 D3 C
15448CAonChuck ArthurP2 D3 C5 D3 D3 C
15548USohRod ClayD2 D2 S6 D3 D3 C
15648USflAlberto DhersP2 D2 H4 NTP3 C
15748HKHongyan ChenPD2 NT4 NT3 D2 S
15848NOChristian Vennerod3 NT2 D2 H6 D4 D3 NT
15948USmaBob BoudreauPD2 H5 D3 D2 S
16048CAabBarney PatersonDD2 NT5 D3 D2 S

Names with accented or non-English letters have been converted to an English representation with a 26-letter alphabet. Many people use erratic capitalization, so I determine proper case by algorithm; if this does not correctly display your name, please advise and I will add it to the exception list. If you wish to contact someone whose name you see listed (such as a lost friend) give me permission to send your address to that person, then he or she can contact you. I will not give out e-mail addresses (these are private and go nowhere from me).

Scores 7W31 MainChallengeAnalysesTop March 2001 Scores

Location Ranking

This table lists all the participating locations, ranked by the average score of their entries. The “Best” column shows the best finish (by rank) of any player in that location. Locations with less than five entries are ineligible for the top ranking and grouped separately.

RankAverageBestCCLocationEntries
150.934NLNetherlands15
250.893USilIllinois9
350.1810USnyNew York11
449.7130DEGermany7
549.502SESweden10
649.5039AUAustralia12
748.436INIndia14
848.1617UScaCalifornia19
947.477UKenEngland17
1047.2511USmaMassachusetts8
1146.8033PLPoland5
1246.6432CAonOntario11
1345.009FIFinland5
1444.00137TWTaiwan5
1542.9235USflFlorida12
1642.5073USncNorth Carolina6
1742.0071CACanada5
1841.2048ITItaly5
1939.00113USUnited States8

RankAverageBestCCLocationEntries
2058.0013USriRhode Island1
2157.0018EGEgypt1
2256.0029HUHungary1
2355.001USwaWashington4
2454.0041USpaPennsylvania1
2553.5047USdcWashington DC2
2653.0036USmdMaryland2
2753.0052USvaVirginia3
2853.0061EEEstonia1
2952.3346HRCroatia3
3052.0067UStnTennessee2
3152.0082SISlovenia1
3252.0085JPJapan1
3352.0087USnmNew Mexico1
3451.2528FRFrance4
3551.0057TRTurkey2
3651.0058USalAlabama2
3751.00105CAmbManitoba1
3851.00119USmiMichigan1
3950.5093RSSerbia2
4050.2568NONorway4
4150.0084USohOhio2
4250.0089CAabAlberta2
4349.6743CHSwitzerland3
4449.6783UStxTexas3
4549.5072USgaGeorgia2
4649.00131RURussia2
4749.00143CAnsNova Scotia1
4849.00145THThailand1
4948.0012HKHong Kong3
5048.00149CApqQuebec1
5148.00150BEBelgium1
5247.00112IDIndonesia3
5347.00164ZASouth Africa1
5447.00168BRBrazil1
5547.00169USmnMinnesota1
5647.00172USneNebraska1
5746.67135PTPortugal3
5846.5049USmsMississippi2
5946.00111DKDenmark3
6045.00188UKscScotland1
6144.50185ARArgentina2
6243.5092ILIsrael2
6343.25118NZNew Zealand4
6443.00134USnjNew Jersey3
6543.00226CAnbNew Brunswick1
6642.67223CAbcBritish Columbia3
6742.50191UKUnited Kingdom2
6842.0044USmoMissouri3
6942.00173UScoColorado2
7042.00192USscSouth Carolina3
7140.00243USnvNevada1
7240.00245USokOklahoma1
7340.00252BGBulgaria1
7439.50241RORomania2
7539.00257CZCzech Republic1
7639.00260USinIndiana1
7730.00288GRGreece1

Scores 7W31 MainChallengeAnalysesTop March 2001 Scores

Bot’s Eye View

I posed these six bidding problems to some of the well-known bridge computer programs, and the results are tabulated below. (These results are not included in the “number of participants” shown above, nor in the calculation of the median or average score.) Most of the programs had different skill settings (thinking time), and this was set to the highest level.

Bridge Baron topped all the bots with an excellent score of 55. Second place went to Q-plus Bridge with 51, and third went to Blue Chip Bridge with 50. The scores and rankings, based on six specific problems, are not necessarily indicative of each program’s overall capability. The only thing certain is that if you managed to equal HAL’s score, you should be locked up with the key thrown away if you ever touch a deck of cards again.

March 2001 Rankings
RankScoreCCProgram version123456
155USBridge Baron 11.0D2 D2 H5 D3 D3 C
251DEQ-plus Bridge 6.14 C2 D2 H4 H3 D3 C
350UKBlue Chip Bridge 3.4.04 C2 D2 H5 D3 D3 C
448JPMicro Bridge 9.01P2 D2 H5 D3 D2 NT
547USGIB 4.1.24 C2 D2 H6 D4 D2 S
642CABridge Buff 8.04 C2 D2 H4 NTP2 NT
734USFinesse Bridge 2.5P2 D2 S5 SP3 C
815USHAL 90004 CP2 S5 H2 NT3 NT

Participants (alphabetical)
ProgramAuthor/Creator
Blue Chip BridgeIan Trackman and Mike Whittaker
Bridge BaronTom Throop and Stephen Smith
Bridge BuffDoug Bennion
Finesse BridgeMark and Aaron Marin
GIBMatthew Ginsberg
HALSomeone with a warped mind
Micro BridgeTomio and Yumiko Uchida
Q-plus BridgeHans Leber

Scores 7W31 MainChallengeAnalysesTop March 2001 Scores

© 2001 Richard Pavlicek