home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Cream of the Crop 11
/
Cream of the Crop 11-1.iso
/
games
/
marvin01.zip
/
01_5CDMJ.CMA
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1995-09-17
|
7KB
|
149 lines
MARVIN VS FIVE-CARD MAJORS
An opening bid of 1C or 1D on a three-card suit is quite common
in five-card major systems. Forcing club system bidders may even
open 1D with a weak doubleton and a light hand. The following
defense is aimed at punishing these practices. It may be applied
selectively, e.g., against vulnerable opponents only. It applies
only to direct action taken by an unpassed hand. Balancing and
passed hand actions are standard. It does not apply against 1
openings that guarantee four cards.
Defense Against a One Diamond Opening
-- A 1H overcall is artificial, forcing, a takeout bid. Partner
("advancer") responds as to a takeout double. A response of 2D is
a normal forcing cue bid, while a response of 3D is natural,
invitational. You have to respond 1NT with diamonds and a bad hand,
which unfortunately makes the 1NT response a wide-range bid.
-- A 1S overcall is natural, too good (or spades too weak) for a
preemptive 2S overcall.
-- A 1NT overcall is forcing, showing a simple heart overcall, too
good (or hearts too weak) for a preemptive 2H overcall. Partner
bids 2H to sign off, an action that requires no strength at all.
Other bids are the same as if the overcall had been a natural heart
bid. A 2D bid is a standard cue bid response to the overcall, while
3C or 3D is natural (invitational or forcing, as you prefer).
South West North East
1D 1NT Pass 2D - standard cue bid
2H - sign-off
2/2S - not forcing
3/3D - as you like it
-- A 2NT overcall shows a preemptive jump overcall in clubs.
-- A 2C overcall is artificial and forcing, showing a strong (i.e.,
eight playing tricks) jump overcall in some suit, or an eight-trick
notrump hand based on a solid six-card minor plus stoppers. With
a standard club overcall, too good for a (preemptive) 2NT call, bid
3C if you are strong enough, otherwise pass. Partner bids 2D
(forcing) over 2C to find out what you have, or may bid a very good
suit (also forcing):
South West North East
1D 2C Pass 2?
Pass 2/2/3/3D - strong jump in this suit
2NT - natural, solid minor, stoppers
One quick trick is enough to raise the 2NT bid. If opener's partner
sticks in a bid (e.g., 2), 2NT can be used for the query. The
solid suit for an eight-trick notrump hand is probably clubs, but
could be diamonds.
-- A 2D overcall has the same meaning as a cue bid over a normal
(e.g., four-card) diamond opening. With a natural diamond overcall,
just pass and hope to act later if you can't double (see below) or
bid 3. You may find that opener has a real diamond suit, or that
you can eventually double a notrump contract for a diamond lead.
-- A double of 1D shows a notrump hand of two possible ranges,
16-18 high card points (HCP) or 21-22 HCP, including Qxx or better
in diamonds. With 19-20 HCP, bid 1H and follow with an appropriate
notrump bid, just as you would normally double and then bid notrump
with such a hand. With diamonds weaker than Qxx, a 1H takeout is
probably a good alternative.
The reason for (reluctantly) excluding 19-20 HCP hands is that the
doubler will sometimes have to bid 2NT on his own when holding more
than 18 HCP, a dangerous action with only 19-20 HCP. You can cheat
a trifle on the 16 HCP requirement when the diamonds are extra good
(e.g., KJ97). Be sure to count a little more for tenaces like AQ,
AJx, KJx, etc. Sitting over the opening bidder makes such holdings
more valuable than their normal point count (and makes opener's
honors worth less).
The double of 1D puts opener in a bind right away if his diamond
suit is short. The opponents may have no place to go, and even if
they do, they may have difficulty finding it. (Try to devise a
system for locating the best contract after a double--it's not
easy.) The double has constructive as well as destructive purposes.
A 4-4 major suit fit, or even a minor suit fit, can sometimes be
found when a 1NT overcall would have been passed out.
After a double, all notrump bidding systems are "on": Stayman,
Jacoby, etc. Partner bids 1NT if he would have passed a standard
1NT overcall, assuming he doesn't want to defend against one
diamond doubled.
-- Jump overcalls in a major (or in diamonds) are preemptive. Bid
2NT with a preemptive jump overcall in clubs, 3C with an inter-
mediate club overcall, pass with a minimum club overcall.
Defense Against A One Club Opening
The defense against a 1C opening is similar, except that 1D is the
takeout call, and the meanings of 2C and 2D are reversed:
South West
1C Dbl - strong notrump
1D - takeout, forcing
1/1S - natural overcall
1NT - normal diamond overcall
2C - normal cue bid
2D - strong jump in some suit
2/2/3C - preemptive
2NT - preemptive diamond overcall
3D - intermediate diamond overcall
After a double of 1, advancer can bid 1D to ask for a major. This
denies the strength required for a 2C Stayman bid, and may be based
on a complete bust.
The 2D overcall of 1C bid is forcing, of course. Advancer bids 2H
if he would pass a strong jump overcall in hearts, 2S if he would
pass a spade jump but not a heart jump. Higher suit bids are
natural, forcing. He can bid 2NT to inquire:
South West North East
1C 2D Pass 2NT?
3 any suit - strong overcall in that suit
3NT - solid minor plus stoppers
The complete text of MARVIN VS FIVE-CARD MAJORS comprises seven
single-spaced pages. Besides adding more detail to the above text,
it includes the following subjects:
Bidding after a double
-- Details for responding to the double (or passing it)
-- What if next hand bids over the double
When second hand passes or overcalls naturally
-- What are fourth seat actions when second seat passes or makes
a standard overcall?
Reopening an opposing auction
-- Should you pass or bid if they stop in 1NT?
When there's a 1NT response to a major opening
-- What defensive principles apply after a forcing 1NT response?
This defense originated as a defense against the Precision one
diamond opening, published in the Bridge World magazine, February
1978, and was later extended to cover non-conventional one club
openings as well.