“Watson! Remember the break-in at Aerotec Research a few months back? We finally have a lead.
“Yesterday I was contacted by courier that Professor Moriarty would meet me at the Portland Club, where he offered me a deal: He would reveal the location of the missing bomb-sight specs, if I’d play a rubber of bridge against him for 100 pounds a point.”
“Good heavens, Holmes! You couldn’t afford to lose 10 points.”
“Yes, but he allowed me to confer with Lestrade, who convinced Scotland Yard to back me. They couldn’t risk putting you into the game, so Lestrade was my partner. Moriarty played with his chief goon, Colonel Moran. As West I won the cut for deal and bid and made a contract, and so did Moran, Lestrade and Moriarty on each successive deal — and that was it. The fourth deal ended the rubber.”
“Sorry, Holmes. Moriarty closing it out with a vulnerable game was a quirk of fate, but I guess he was bound to get lucky sometimes. I hope it didn’t cost the Yard too heavily.”
“You’re jumping to conclusions, Watson. The Yard didn’t lose a tuppence, and in fact acquired a hefty sum (less my fee of course) as well as a roll of microfilm with blueprints of the bomb sight. Whether to arrest Moriarty was an issue, but he had come forth voluntarily, so Lestrade was willing to let him walk.”
“So how much did you win? What was the score?”
“Scotland Yard has sworn me to secrecy until month’s end, but I can tell you the results were all different. Each level, strain, number of tricks won, and number of overtricks was unique. We also covered the entire gamut of risks, though one had to occur twice perforce.”
“Amazing, Holmes. What about honors? Let’s see… 100 honors would be… um… 10,000 pounds right there!
“Watson, your mathematical ability makes me wonder why you chose a medical career.But honors were never claimed. Indeed, almost the opposite, as with all the commotionthe Chairman of the Portland Club claimed we were dishonorable members.”
What is the most points Holmes could have won by?
1. Before reading further, solve it yourself or make your best guess: A. 960 B. 1180 C. 1270 D. 1440 E. 2250 F. 3190
Quit
*Solvers had to calculate this on their own, as the original contest had no multiple choice.
Congratulations to Duncan Bell, England, who was first in the clubhouse with the winning solution. This is Duncan’s second win in a row, and his third in the last four puzzles — a new force to be reckoned with, as I alluded last month. Tim Broeken, Netherlands, my all-time leading winner, had to settle for second place; and Joseph DiMuro, California, completed the medal group in third.
Countrywise, I will unabashedly flaunt that the leaderboard reveals a rare win for my homeland: United States (7), Canada (6), England (3). So there! Our bidding and play may be suspect, but we damn sure know how to keep score.
Jon Greiman: Clearly, Moriarty took a pounding. You could also say he was ‘schooled’ — as long as it was Elementary.
Which brings me to the epilogue of the story:
“Watson! We were tricked! Moriarty reneged on his agreement.Instead of handing over the microfilm as promised, he swallowed it!Lestrade then arrested him on the spot.”
“I knew you couldn’t trust that guy! So how will you recover the blueprints now?”
“Alimentary, my dear Watson.”
A change of pace this month with a puzzle more about arithmetic than bridge, but all is fair that challenges the mind. The rubber-bridge element was also an alien encounter for some, as many of today’s players have never even played it. Most money-bridge clubs now play Chicago style (4-deal rounds) — including the one in my story:
Richard Morse: As a member of the Portland Club, I found this very amusing, and I alerted the Chairman to your problem. We now play Chicagos, re-cutting for partners after each round, but doubtless they played straight rubber bridge in Holmes’s day.
The reason for the demise of rubber bridge is obvious: A rubber ends when one side completes two games,which could take any number of deals (in theory a rubber could never end). Therefore, the time needed foreach rubber varies immensely, which makes partnership changes and rotations awkward for bridge clubs.
Finding the winning solution is mostly a matter of trial and error. A good start is to give Holmes the highest possible nonvulnerable making score on Deal 1, which is 7 NT redoubled (1980). Then on Deal 3, the highest possible vulnerable making score that’s not a game, which is 1 (or 1 ) redoubled with six overtricks (2580). Alas, both win 13 tricks, which is disallowed, so the least expensive change is to keep the grand and score just five overtricks (2180) on Deal 3, for a plus total of 4160 points.
Next we must give the bad guys two games (else the rubber won’t end), one of which must be doubled to cover the gamut of all risks, and each must score an overtrick or two since “zero overtricks” is already taken with Deal 1. To minimize their score, the nonvulnerable game (Deal 2) should be doubled with one overtrick, and the vulnerable game undoubled with two overtricks.
Suppose we try 2 doubled making three (270) on Deal 2, and 4 making six (180) on Deal 4. Adding the rubber bonus gives Moriarty 950, subtracted from 4160 nets a whopping 3210 points, or 321,000 pounds.
Oops, that doesn’t compute, because Deals 3 and 4 both win 12 tricks. The only undoubled game with two overtricks to win fewer than 12 tricks is 3 NT, but notrump was already used on Deal 1. Aha! Let’s change the redoubled grand slam to spades (1940) which costs just 40 points, then Deal 4 can be 3 NT making five (160). The totals are then 930 versus 4120 for a net 3190 points, or 319,000 pounds. This is the maximal gain, and the solution is unique, except the majors on Deals 1 and 2 can be swapped, and Deal 3 can be either minor.
Jonathan Siegel: No rigorous proof, but I think 3190 is the best you can do… It’s better to make a grand slam (Deal 1) and five redoubled overtricks (Deal 3) than a small slam and six redoubled overtricks. Since Holmes’s grand has zero overtricks, Moriarty’s side has to be at least +1 and +2 on its contracts, and it’s better for the doubled contract to be +1 on Deal 2, when they’re nonvulnerable.
Dan Baker: One diamond redoubled +6 vulnerable seems obvious for Lestrade, but a grand slam for Holmes scores more than the sixth overtrick in 1 redoubled (and a small slam) would. That means Moran and Moriarty must get one and two overtricks, both making game. The only two-overtrick undoubled game that gets fewer than 12 tricks is 3 NT, and since this limits the one-overtrick game to 10 tricks (and 3 NT can’t be used twice) it must be doubled (2 × +1). This also allows Holmes’s grand slam (7 ) to be redoubled.
Over the years my veracity has often been questioned, but you can trust me explicitly. I solemnly swear that everything I write here is the truth, the whole truth, or anything but the truth.
Jamie Pearson: Next contest: Construct a deal where 1 redoubled making six has any chance of happening.
You won’t have to wait… just follow the bouncing ball:
Tina Denlee: On Deal 1 Holmes bid 7 , which Moriarty doubled with the A; but it was elementary from Moran’s behavior he had no spade to lead, so Holmes redoubled. On Deal 2, trying to recoup their losses, Moran and Moriarty switched to the Tribliana bidding system: 2 (majors) Dbl Rdbl (you pick) P; 2 Dbl AP, stealing a cheap game. On Deal 3 Lestrade opened 1 , Moriarty doubled, and Holmes redoubled; Moran had nothing to say so he passed. Oops! This was a penalty pass per Tribliana standards, so Moriarty also passed, regrettably to watch Lestrade score five overtricks. After that, Moriarty designated Moran as permanent dummy to achieve a normal result of 3 NT making five.
Foster Tom: Holmes reached 7 with Q-J-10-9-8-7 — — K-Q-J-10-9-8-7 opposite A-K 8-7-6-5-4-3-2 5-4-3-2 --, doubled by Moriarty on his right with 3-2 A-K-Q-J A-K-Q-J-10-9 A, and redoubled by Lestrade with the A-K of trumps.
Interesting layout. I suppose Moran (forever in doubt) led a trump. When Holmes led the K, he had a prevision of Zia’s dubious tip, “If they don’t cover, they don’t have it,” so he ruffed as his only chance, dropping the bare ace from Moriarty. Bravo! No doubt Holmes also observed that ‘Moran’ is just one letter off from ‘moron’ which surely supports his deduction.
Grant Peacock: How do I collect my fee?
Charles Blair: I would have thought Holmes would partner the Honorable Ronald Adair.
The Donald: Your reference to a “tuppence” being nearly worthless inspired my latest bill before Congress. I proposed that the U.S. Mint replace the half-dollar with a new coin to be called a trump-pence. The Vice President and I believe this will greatly boost the economy.
That makes sense… from nearly worthless to totally.
Acknowledgments to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)© 2017 Richard Pavlicek
by Richard Pavlicek by Richard Pavlicek