Scores 7X15 MainChallenge


December 2002 Scores


Analyses by Richard Pavlicek

The “Visions of Sugar Plums” play contest had 637 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 100101201301Location RankingBot’s Eye View

Number of participants637
Number of locations94
Highest score60
Median score40
Lowest score22
Average score40.64

Top 100

RankScoreCCName123456
160PLWojtek SiwiecDDEBCD
260HRTonci TomicDDEBCD
360DEAlexei VinogradovDDEBCD
459BGZahary ZaharievDDBBCD
559CAonGabriel Nita-SagunaDEEBCD
659RUSergey KustarovDEEBCD
759UScaRob BalasDDBBCD
858HKWalter LeeDEBBCD
958UKenFrances HindenDDABCD
1058USwaN. Scott CardellDEBBCD
1158CAonDavid LindopDDABCD
1258USmaJonathan WeinsteinDEBBCD
1358USilNikolay DemirevDEBBCD
1458RORadu MihaiEDBBCD
1557UKenJohn ReardonEEBBCD
1657UKMarcus ChiloarnusEEBBCD
1757PLAndrzej KrakowiakDDBCCD
1857USilCharles BlairEEBBCD
1956PLDarek KardasEDBCCD
2056CNWeidong YangDDACCD
2155PLSlawek CwiekEDACCD
2255PLWojtek UrbanEDACCD
2355PLJacek MasiarekEDACCD
2455EGAndrew de SosaDEBDCD
2555UKenJulian WightwickDDBBBB
2654UKenGareth BirdsallEDFBCD
2754EEMeelis TiitsonEFECCD
2854CAonDale FreemanDEBBBB
2954FRAlbert OhanaDEBCBD
3054HUImre CsiszarDFBBCB
3154FIErkki MalkamakiEAEBCD
3254UScaGrant PeacockEEABCB
3353UKscPaul GipsonDEBCDD
3453SEGunnar AnderssonEEEBCF
3553UKwaJulian PottageDEBDBD
3653AUBill PowellDEBDCB
3752UShiMark BennettDFBFCD
3852CNJacky LiEFECBD
3952UKenAnthony GoldingEDBCFD
4052PTManuel PauloFDEDCD
4152NLPeter van MontfoortEEECBB
4252DEHans FleischhackEEECBB
4352BGChavdar KochkovEEEDDD
4452CHOlivier La SpadaEFABCB
4552CZTomas MeclDEEDBB
4652USvaTibor KoosDEBCBB
4752CAabDaniel BertrandDEBCBB
4852DERainer HerrmannDDEBED
4952USdeBob ZornDEADBD
5051PLKazik DrozdzEABCCD
5151PLMarcin ZbrojaEABCCD
5251USakDave JacksonEFADCD
5351ITAntonio de GregorioDDFCBD
5451NLFrans BuijsenDABDCD
5551USflLois WienerEEECCF
5651USctJim BrennanEEEBAD
5751UKenDouglas DunnDEBDCA
5850NOMagnus SkaarEFACBD
5950CAbcRoss LamDEEDBA
6050UStxRichard HigginsDABCCB
6150AUDavid SternDFFCCD
6250USnvCarol A. StewartEFBCDD
6350USflPeter CleavesEEBCDB
6450ITNicola FarinaDDDCCD
6550UStxJohn StieberEEBCCF
6650USinTim DeLaneyDEBECD
6750USgaTom CarmichaelEEBCDB
6850UScaJeff TangDEBDDB
6950PLRoman KujaczynskiDDECED
7050ATMichael PalitschEFABBB
7150INNeelotpal SahaiEFBCDD
7250AUMerrelyn DalyEFBBCF
7349USmnAndy CaranicasEEEDBA
7449USnyBruce RossEEABDA
7549CLConstantino SifaquiEFBBFB
7649USHomer WangDEADDB
7749UScaEarl SemonesEFEBBF
7849GRLoukas NikainasEEACDB
7949USflRobert GuidaAEECCD
8049USilDavid SheltonEEECDA
8149PTPaulino CorreaEDADCF
8249BGOgnian SmilianovDFBDCA
8349CNQing YeDEBCDA
8449BGLudmil MirovEFBCBB
8549UKscNigel GuthrieDFFDCD
8648ZASid IsmailEEACBA
8748NZPieter VerhoekEDFBFB
8848UScaRon LandgraffEFECBA
8948BRPaulinho BrumEFFDCD
9048USvaRick BinghamEEABDF
9148TWRoy TsaiEDADBA
9248USnjMani GuptaEEEDBF
9348USorJames WeiderEEBDBA
9448PLArek KulawikDDDCBD
9548ILRafi AmadoECBDCD
9648USncTim HemphillEEEDDA
9748CAonDavid GraingerEEBDBA
9848SEP.A. ErikssonEEBCAD
9948ROLaci BaranyiEEEDBF
10048USinDoug AveryDEBACA

Scores 7X15 MainChallengeAnalysesTop December 2002 Scores

Places 101-200

RankScoreCCName123456
10148TRUfuk CotukEABDCB
10247UScaLen VishnevskyEEECAB
10347EEAivar TihaneEFBCBA
10447ILAmiram MilletBDEFCB
10547USValerie StoneEFECBF
10647ZAHarold BernsteinEFBCBA
10747USmiGordon ParnesEEBDBF
10847NLWilliam ClaassenDEBACF
10947ROAndrei CosmanescuEEEDFA
11047USmaK. Scott KimballDEFBBF
11147USilJames HudsonEFEDFB
11247CABill TurnbullEFECAD
11347CApqPeter SchwartzEEBDDA
11447USctGary SeckingerEFBBFA
11547TRDertugrul OnalEDFDBB
11647CAonSheila McDonaldEFECDA
11747HRIvan MosettigEFABBF
11847CAonDoug SmythEEBCFA
11947ROMircea PopescuEEFCFD
12047CAnsDel KnoxEEBDBF
12147BGTchavdar NikolovEFEBFF
12247USflJudith WaxmanEEACBF
12347UKenRoger MortonDDACAB
12447UScaHarvey JaffeDEACED
12546USpaJames MesburEEBDDF
12646ILOr ShohamDCECDB
12746DERoland WatzdorfEFEDBF
12846HKKongo KongEFACBA
12946ROFlorentin AxinteDFDDCD
13046SECarsten KofoedEEBDCC
13146UScaPaul NelsonEFBDBA
13246USscRick GilesEFEDBF
13346USohBarbara BisesiFFEFBD
13446CAbcIan HoEEAACA
13546CAonJerry SmeeEEADBF
13646UScaMike RoneyEFACBA
13746UScaRoger BoyarDDEEBA
13846USwaMarsha RaytonCFECFB
13946LVIvars RubenisEEBDFA
14046USvaMariana KoosECACCB
14146USflDick BurnsEEEDFF
14246UKenPeter ButteryEFECDF
14346CAonMike CafferataDFADFB
14446CAabDavid JohnsonCEABFA
14546TRAltay AlpCEBDBA
14646USpaLois StuartDFEDFA
14746USflPaul FrankEEECEB
14846AURoss CrichtonEFEDBF
14946PEVladana DiazEFFBCF
15046ESFrancisco PlanaDEBEBB
15145CAonJohn CunninghamDDBCEA
15245TWHang ChangEEBDFF
15345UScaClark MillikanDEBAAD
15445UScaRonald KowEFBCFA
15545CAMo WallaceEFABFF
15645USvaBette SegalEECCDA
15745IDMaryadi Surya HartadiEEFCBA
15845UScaRalph WeilEBCBCA
15945SITomaz ButinaEFADBA
16045SEDaniel AubyDEAEBB
16145SEDan WalivaaraFEEBFF
16245ROAlin SalinackiEFBCDF
16345UStxBill ErwinDFADBF
16445USnjVish ViswanathanEDADFF
16545NLMartijn SchoonderwoerdEFACDA
16645CAonMalcolm EwashkiwFDECED
16745AUPeter TallEFACDA
16845USnjJames ConnellDEFDBA
16945ATWerner HacklEFACBF
17045INSriram NarasimhanEEDCDD
17144SISimon PirjevecEEACBC
17244DEHarro WimmelCEBBAA
17344UKenNeil MorgensternFDFACD
17444CAabDick YuenDFBBEA
17544UScaSandy BarnesEFFDBB
17644ILMoshe WhiteCEFCDB
17744CAbcMichael DimichEFBFBF
17844BMSven PrideEEECAF
17944AUTania GariepyFFBCCF
18044UKenRuth ListerEFDCCB
18144TRNoyan EkiciDDDBCC
18244BEJean VerbekeDEFDBF
18344UScaStacy WeeksEEFDBA
18444UKscTim McKayDFADDF
18544USctScott MaramoEFCBFA
18644USmdJerrold MillerFDFCCA
18744USncJim MassonFEACBA
18844EGEhab RagabEFADDA
18944UScaGeorge FisherEEFCBF
19044AUEd BarnesFEACBA
19144FRDaniel TixierEEACEB
19244USncCollins WilliamsEEFDBA
19344USwaJohn GivinsEEBAAD
19444USinMichael SpurgeonCFEDBF
19544TRYavuz OvacikEFBCFF
19644USmnJulie DrexlerFEEDDA
19744HUGyula ArgayBEABBA
19843NLJan de KleijnFEBCDF
19943USnyJay LevyEEBCDE
20043NLDale RudrumDFBDEB

Scores 7X15 MainChallengeAnalysesTop December 2002 Scores

Places 201-300

RankScoreCCName123456
20143CNLigang LingEDACAF
20243UKenDom GoodwinBFEBBF
20343SEBengt-Eric FredrikssonBEECDA
20443USmaFrench WallEECDDF
20543UScoDavid CapreraEFBDAB
20643USflCecil LivingstonEDEEFA
20743USinKenneth WoodmanECACCF
20843USmaArthur ShahianEFACAB
20943HUGreg UdvariFDEDFF
21043USflRobert MarkleyCFCDBB
21143UScaJack ShifferEFCCDA
21243ITDavide GentileEFEDBC
21343CAonRobert BurnsECEFCF
21443SEOve MattssonEAFCCA
21543USflBetty ParkerEFBBAF
21643USgaGladys HardcastleEFEDBC
21743USflFlorence RosenthalEFEABF
21843AUHeather ScottEFBCBC
21943CAabNicolae VartosuCFACBF
22043DKTorben PavingEEFDBF
22143UYSara RathauserEEADBC
22243SGRoddy KokDFFDBA
22343UStxAlbert SekacEFBBEA
22443USdcJonathan SiegelEEFCDF
22543UKenToby KenneyFDACDF
22643IDNoer Imanzal KartamadjanaEDDCBA
22743ROHoria CarlanEFEEDB
22843AUSandy ReganECACCF
22943GRAntonis KokkalidisCFFCBB
23042CAonJeff MayhewEDFDFF
23142DEZuzana HerrmannEFACBC
23242ITPierluigi SessoloDEFCBC
23342SIEgon NovakFEEABA
23442CNChen LeiEFADFF
23542USScott JoehlinCFAECB
23642ILJudy NahmiasEFECFC
23742NLPhilip MokveldCAFCDD
23842USnjLeonard HelfgottDFFCED
23942ZABernard DondeEFECFC
24042FRThibault WolfEFFCBF
24142FIMikko KekkiCEECDE
24242USohAnton HabashEEADDC
24342NLGerrit de RuiterFFBCBF
24442UStnJoseph HawesFEECBC
24542UStxGayle MauldinECABDF
24642CAskJim GrahamEDECAC
24742UScaBrent DraneyEDFFCC
24842BGRossen GeorgievECBDFB
24942UKenJim GrantEFECAF
25042USnjChazz RearickEDFFCC
25142USflMel KleinEFFCDA
25242CAnsMyrna MurphyCEFFCF
25342CAnsGerald MurphyDEACEF
25442USflAlan KravetzEFECAF
25542CAonMihai ValcuBEBCBF
25642UKscGeoffrey LinnittECEDAD
25742UScaPhillip MacklerEFECAF
25842CAonPaul HardyDDADEF
25942ZAPhilip van ZijlEFEDAA
26042SGEugene HoEFFCDA
26142UScaMartin HertzEFCDBF
26242USmiDouglas OgozalyEEEFFC
26342ARRaul MartinoEFACEB
26442CAnsB. Downey GroverEFECFC
26542AUBill HearnEFBBEF
26642AUDiana HearnEFABAF
26742UKenIan CoombsDFFCFA
26842HRZoran BohacekEFFBFF
26942INKrishna ChakravartulaFFFDBD
27042UScaEdward WangFFECFA
27142TRDogan GokbelEABCAB
27242UKenJames MatesDFEDFC
27342USnjDirk EnthovenAEECDA
27441UKenBen CowlingCEEEBF
27541TRErdinc ErbilDDFCAF
27641TRSenih InalEEECAC
27741SGFabian TanEEFABA
27841UScaEugene HungEFBEBA
27941ILAlex DovDEBEAB
28041NZKerry KellyEEADFC
28141UScaYu ChangEFACAA
28241HUZoltan RuzsaDFFFDA
28341SEOla StavasEFADEB
28441CApqNorman WolfeDFFDFA
28541HKAnthony LeungEEACEF
28641UKscKen NicholsonDECFBC
28741INShreerang JoshiEFEDFC
28841UScaAlan HolmesBFECDA
28941NLPeter van der StapDDFCDE
29041ESJames CalabutCEFCDF
29141CAabSheldon SpierEEEEAB
29241USwaOvidiu BurlacuEFAADA
29341NZMark HangartnerEFCDDF
29441ITValter BoettiEFADBC
29541USpaJanet StineFFACBF
29641SEEva StrandbergBEBCDF
29741USmaDonald MacMillanFEEFFF
29841USdcRon ZuckerFEBEBB
29941UKenCarlos DabeziesDCBEDD
30041USflMuriel AltusEEBABC

Scores 7X15 MainChallengeAnalysesTop December 2002 Scores

All Others Above Average

RankScoreCCName123456
30141LVAigars GermanisEFEEBF
30241UStnCharles CohenEEADAF
30341CApqAnsar BurneyEFBDAA
30441UKenPaul HugginsEFDDCA
30541USpaJohn PolicellaAEEACA
30641USiaBob McCurdyEFFCED
30741SGXinning LanEFADBC
30841FRGilles KorngutEFAEDB
30941UScaRai OsborneDEADEF
31041AUJudy JessopCEACAA

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 7X15 MainChallengeAnalysesTop December 2002 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
149.361PLPoland14
248.4020CNChina5
345.8033UKscScotland5
445.253DEGermany8
544.2214RORomania9
643.504BGBulgaria10
743.4413USilIllinois9
843.4056USctConnecticut5
942.1746USvaVirginia6
1042.085CAonOntario25
1142.0053ITItaly9
1241.9241NLNetherlands13
1341.719UKenEngland34
1441.2966USinIndiana7
1541.2510USwaWashington8
1641.25120CAnsNova Scotia8
1741.2096USncNorth Carolina5
1840.8960UStxTexas9
1940.6395ILIsrael8
2040.57125USpaPennsylvania7
2140.5647CAabAlberta9
2240.4386ZASouth Africa7
2340.2092USnjNew Jersey10
2440.14113CApqQuebec7
2540.047UScaCalifornia56
2640.0029FRFrance8
2739.9055USflFlorida29
2839.8936AUAustralia28
2939.4459CAbcBritish Columbia9
3039.40157IDIndonesia5
3139.3830HUHungary8
3239.1740PTPortugal6
3339.1776USUnited States6
3439.13101TRTurkey15
3538.71222SGSingapore7
3638.40159SISlovenia5
3738.3887NZNew Zealand8
3838.0534SESweden20
3937.8512USmaMassachusetts20
4037.5371INIndia17
4137.43186USmdMaryland7
4237.40133USohOhio5
4336.2574USnyNew York20
4435.60182BEBelgium5

RankAverageBestCCLocationEntries
4559.006RURussia1
4653.0035UKwaWales1
4752.0037UShiHawaii1
4852.0045CZCzech Republic1
4951.0052USakAlaska1
5049.672HRCroatia3
5149.5024EGEgypt2
5248.338HKHong Kong3
5348.0089BRBrazil1
5447.5070ATAustria2
5546.0049USdeDelaware2
5646.00149PEPeru1
5745.0027EEEstonia3
5845.0062USnvNevada2
5943.6778GRGreece3
6043.50139LVLatvia2
6143.33112CACanada3
6243.0091TWTaiwan3
6343.00205UScoColorado1
6443.00221UYUruguay1
6542.5044CHSwitzerland2
6642.5073USmnMinnesota4
6742.2567USgaGeorgia4
6842.00178BMBermuda2
6942.00224USdcWashington DC2
7041.7531FIFinland4
7141.33107USmiMichigan3
7241.00306USiaIowa1
7340.6758NONorway3
7440.5016UKUnited Kingdom2
7540.3375CLChile3
7640.00150ESSpain4
7740.00328USalAlabama1
7839.00334USazArizona3
7939.00368USokOklahoma1
8038.7593USorOregon4
8138.33220DKDenmark3
8237.50331CApePrince Edward Island2
8337.50370RSSerbia2
8437.33132USscSouth Carolina3
8536.75244UStnTennessee4
8636.33413USnhNew Hampshire3
8735.50246CAskSaskatchewan2
8835.50460USkyKentucky2
8935.33427ISIceland3
9035.00400USmoMissouri3
9134.75263ARArgentina4
9234.67438IEIreland3
9332.00571MYMalaysia1
9429.00605USwiWisconsin1

Scores 7X15 MainChallengeAnalysesTop December 2002 Scores

Bot’s Eye View

I posed these play 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 have different skill settings (thinking time), and this was set to the highest level within reason.* The scores and rankings, based on six specific problems, are not necessarily indicative of each program’s overall capability.

*More specifically, I do not allow any setting that takes more than two minutes to make a play. I conduct the tests on a 2.0 GHz CPU (512 MB RAM) running Windows 98.

Congratulations to GIB, once again topping all the bots in what proved to be a difficult set of problems. The only other program to beat the average human score was new-kid-on-the-block Jack, winner of the last World Computer Bridge Championship in Montreal.

Finesse Bridge has been removed from my testing as of this month because it is no longer available (its web site even disappeared, or changed ownership). This program, available free, was more or less a fill-in to begin with, rather than a serious contender — well, except maybe to HAL. I tried to get rid of HAL, too, but it lashed back, threatening to destroy my web site with its “conventions of mass destruction.” No court would issue a restraining order, so I may be stuck with it for life.

Presenting matchpoint problems to bots is a challenge because most are programmed for total-point or IMP strategy, in which the only goal is to make the contract. Therefore, to get a better perspective on Problems 3 and 4, I augmented the contracts to 6 S and 4 NT. Now, instead of looking for overtricks (as intended by the problem) the bots could work on making the inflated contract. For uniformity, I did this on all the programs, even those that had a setting for matchpoint strategy.

As usual in my contests with multiple-choice answers, the bots often go off the charts with their actual plays. If the difference is trivial (e.g., a transposition of plays) or effectively the same, I give credit for the listed choice. My indication of “Line G” means the choice was not only off the charts but also inferior (or equal) to the worst listed choice. For scoring purposes, Line G gets the lowest listed award.

December 2002 Rankings
RankScoreCCProgram version123456
143USGIB 6.1.0BDECED
242NLJack 2.0BGECBD
334CABridge Buff 8.0BAGFBD
431UKBlue Chip Bridge 4.0.1EGADEC
530JPMicro Bridge 9.01EGGCGA
627DEQ-plus Bridge 7.1EGFDGG
718USBridge Baron 11.0AGGDAG
812USHAL 9000ACDEEE

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

Thanks to Frans Buijsen (Amsterdam, Netherlands) for his help in running the tests on the Jack program.

Scores 7X15 MainChallengeAnalysesTop December 2002 Scores

© 2002 Richard Pavlicek