WHAT'S NEW IN BRIDGE
This department acts as a sounding board for new ideas that the staff thinks have promise. Many useful concepts were first published in this department. Often, players adapt one of these new methods to create a part of a personal system. Other times the principle survives but the specific application does not. And some of the suggestions, failing to stand the test of time and experimentation, disappear forever.
New Responses to Two Clubs
by Marshall Miles
A sound general principle of slam bidding is that the stronger, more distributional, hand should be captain, and the weaker, more balanced, hand should describe itself.
| WEST ♠ A Q J 10 x x ♥ — ♦ K Q J x ♣ A Q x |
EAST ♠ K ♥ 10 x x x x ♦ A x x ♣ K x x x |
If West can discover that East holds the king of spades, ace of diamonds and king of clubs, he can bid seven spades. If West can discover two of these three cards, he can bid six spades. It is nearly impossible for West to describe his hand so well that East can place the contract with assurance.
Many players like to play an almost automatic two-diamond response to a two-club opening. In effect, this gives opener two bids before responder bids at all. This method conflicts with the general principle just stated. If the weaker hand should describe itself so that the stronger hand can place the contract, responder should not waste a round of bidding just to keep the bidding level low for opener. This sort of bidding is very illogical.
| Opener | Responder | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ♣ | 2 ♦ | ||
| 2 ♠ | 3 ♠ | ||
| 4 ♠ | 5 ♣ |
| Opener | Responder | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ♣ | 2 ♦ | ||
| 3 ♦ | 3 ♥ | ||
| 4 ♥ | 4 NT |
Responder should have shown his values and let opener take control (or at least assume joint control) of the bidding.
The rule stated was only general. Obviously there are exceptions. For one thing, the more the weaker hand knows about the stronger hand, the better it can tell which cards are important and which features of its hand are not of interest to partner. For example, if responder knows that opener has a void in hearts, responder won't bother to show his heart honors. Also, if responder's bid prevents opener from rebidding two notrump, as he had intended to do, or if the level of responder's bid makes it difficult for opener to show a two-suiter, then we must compare the benefit of responder's accurate description with the harm done to opener.
My primary recommendation is very simple. Reverse the current meanings of the two-heart and two-notrump responses. Two hearts should say, "I have at least a smattering of high cards but no suit I feel like showing. Game will be easy, and possibly a slam, depending on how we fit and whether either of us has a little extra." A two-notrump response is a positive response showing a decent heart suit. The minimum requirements for the two-heart response are (a) two kings; or (b) any seven points including an ace, or a king and two queens; or (c) any eight points including an ace or a king. There is no maximum.
The nicest thing about this two-heart response is that it interferes very little with opener's bidding. At least one-third of the time opener was planning to rebid two notrump, and he can still do that. (A natural two-notrump response would often make the weak hand the declarer and foul up the bidding. Who knows how the bidding should go after two clubs—two notrump—three notrump?) The only time the response costs a round of bidding is when opener planned to rebid two hearts—and even in that case responder's information more than compensates for the loss of a round of bidding. Opener knows that responder isn't broke, has no six-card suit or good five-card suit. So, if responder later bids a new suit, it tends to be a cue-bid in support of opener. And a two-diamond response now yields important negative inferences.
| WEST ♠ A Q J 10 x x ♥ A K x ♦ A x ♣ A x |
EAST ♠ K x x x ♥ x ♦ Q x x x ♣ x x x x |
| 2 ♣ | 2 ♦ | ||
| 2 ♠ | 4 ♥ | ||
| 4 ♠ | Pass |
The four-heart bid is a splinter, showing a singleton heart and good spade support. Opener still doesn't get excited, because if responder's queen of diamonds were the king, the bidding would have started two clubs—two hearts. (Yes, responder might hold something like,
♠ x x x x x ♥ x ♦ K Q x x ♣ x x x,
but the odds are against it.)
| WEST ♠ A K Q J x x ♥ A Q 10 x ♦ x ♣ A x |
EAST ♠ x x x x ♥ x x x ♦ K J x ♣ K J x |
| Opener | Responder | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 ♣ | 2 ♥ | ||
| 2 ♠ | 3 ♠ | ||
| 4 ♥ | 4 ♠ | ||
| Pass |
Responder has already shown some values. They are not favorably located, so he signs off.
My second suggestion concerns how responder shows a very good suit. If he has a one-loser suit (missing the ace or king) opposite a two-club bid, he should jump to the four level, bidding the suit one below his real suit. Two clubs—four diamonds would show,
♠ x x ♥ K Q J 10 x x ♦ x x ♣ J x x,
or,
♠ A x ♥ A Q J 10 9 x x ♦ Q x x ♣ x.
Two clubs—four spades would show,
♠ Q x ♥ x ♦ Q x x ♣ A Q J 10 x x x.
or,
♠ J x x x ♥ x ♦ x x ♣ K Q J 10 x x.
Why bid below the real suit? It gives responder a chance to show extra values later. With,
♠ x x ♥ K Q J 10 x x ♦ x x ♣ J x x.
responder will pass if opener simply bids four hearts. But with,
♠ A x ♥ A Q J 10 9 x x ♦ Q x x ♣ x.
he will move on with four spades, and will not let the bidding drop short of slam. Any new-suit bid by opener over responder's initial response is an asking-bid in that suit. If opener bids four notrump (Roman key-card Blackwood), responder should show only values outside his suit, since he will always have exactly one key card in his suit.
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