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02STRGNT.CMA
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1995-10-08
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MARVIN VS STRONG NOTRUMP OPENINGS
Yet another defense against notrump openings? Is there no end?
Well, no apologies, because this one does it all: It includes a
call for every one-suited, two-suited, or three-suited hand, as
well as for a strong balanced hand.
A strong notrump is defined as having a minimum of at least 15 HCP.
The following defense, which I have modestly dubbed "Marvin vs
Notrump," applies against all opening notrump bids, with slight
differences for weak and strong notrumps. Common sense dictates the
strength required for all actions, taking into consideration the
HCP range of the 1NT bid. It applies in both direct and reopening
seats. It also applies against 1NT rebids that show a strong
notrump opening (e.g., 1NT rebid by a Precision 1C opener),
provided that the defending side has not bid or doubled prior to
the 1NT bid. A strong notrump is defined as showing a minimum of
15 HCP.
Business Doubles
Doubles by an unpassed hand are for business. It is important to
double if possible. For a discussion of what it takes to double a
notrump opening, see the next chapter, DEFENSE VS WEAK NOTRUMP
OPENINGS. The principles involved in doubling a strong notrump are
the same, except that you need an additional 3-4 HCP.
Partner can pull a direct double if he has a very weak hand and a
suit of at least five cards. He is not allowed to bid a four-card
suit, regardless of how weak he is. With a good hand he can either
jump (invitational) or cue bid 2NT (forcing) if he doesn't want to
defend against a notrump contract.
A business double in fourth seat with scattered strength is so rare
after a strong notrump opening (since the opposing strength lies
over the doubler) that we instead use a reopening double to show
a specific sort of business double: a one-suited hand that expects
to defeat one notrump if the suit is led. Sometimes the wrong lead
doesn't hurt. With S-AK9 H-3 D-KQJ983 C-A32 a spade lead will do
just as well as a diamond lead. You usually have to pass with a
balanced hand containing no long strong suit.
Partner should rarely pull the fourth seat double. He must guess
which suit to lead, probably his shortest suit if it is weak,
preferring a major to a minor, and preferring the weaker of equal
length suits. If he is really in doubt, as when holding two small
major suit doubletons, he can bid 2C to ask for your suit (with
clubs you pass, of course) rather than risk making the wrong lead.
After a business double, all subsequent doubles are also for
business. The opponents cannot play the hand unless they play it
doubled, so passes of opposing bids following a double are forcing
passes. You don't have to bid with a strong hand that can't double
the opposing suit, out of fear that partner will pass. He won't.
An alternative to the business double is discussed later.
Simple Suit Overcalls
Simple suit overcalls at the two level are artificial, unlimited
(and therefore forcing), all showing one of three types of hand:
1) A three-suited hand, short in the bid suit
2) A two-suited hand, with the two suits just below the bid suit
3) A one-suited hand with the suit below the bid suit
For this purpose, clubs and spades are "touching," and clubs rank
"above" spades. The three-suited takeout is especially valuable in
the reopening position, when you know 1) partner has some strength
and 2) that he is probably going to lead your short suit. Be
conservative with a short major in this position, however, because
partner is likely to have length in that suit only.
-- An overcall of 2C shows both majors plus diamonds, or both
majors only, or spades only. The best three-suited distribution is
5-4-4-0, but 4-4-4-1 is also good. Might be 4-5-4-0, 5-4-3-1, or
4-5-3-1. Sometimes I do it with 5-3-4-1 or 4-3-5-1, what the hell,
but 2C implies at least four spades.
Partner ("advancer") chooses one of the three suits. He bids a
four-card or longer major, perhaps jumping invitationally (but a
heart jump must have a toleration for spades in case partner has
spades only), preferring spades over hearts. He may (holding some
high cards) bid a three-card major in preference to a four-card
diamond suit. Lacking three cards in a major, he might have to bid
a three-card diamond suit. Finally, with 2-2-2-7 he bids 3C
(whew!). Passing 2C is okay, of course, if overcaller is a passed
hand.
If advancer bids 2D in response to 2C, overcaller bids 2H with both
majors only. Advancer picks a major, preferring spades with equal
length. Accordingly, it is better to pass a doubtful hand rather
than overcall with 4-5 in the majors. If overcaller has spades
only, then of course he bids spades over either 2D or 2H.
-- An overcall of 2D shows both majors plus clubs, or spades and
clubs, or clubs only.
-- An overcall of 2H shows both minors plus four or five spades,
or minors only, or diamonds only.
-- An overcall of 2S shows (when playing a double as business--see
below) both minors plus hearts, or hearts and diamonds, or hearts
only.
With a good hand, advancer can bid 2NT to inquire about the nature
of overcaller's hand after any of these overcalls.
The 2NT Overcall
An overcall of 2NT shows spades and diamonds, or hearts and clubs
(pointed suits or rounded suits). Advancer bids 3C with more clubs
than hearts; otherwise bids 3D with more diamonds than spades;
otherwise bids 3H. He can bid 3S with seven or more. Overcaller
corrects as necessary. 3NT inquires.
An Alternative Sort of Double
Business doubles of strong notrump openings are rather rare, so it
might make sense to assign the double an alternative meaning. The
best candidate meaning is to replace the 2S overcall described
above with a double. The 2S overcall requires a rather good hand,
since advancer is forced to the three level. If instead a double
is used to show a three-suited hand with short spades, or hearts-
diamonds, or hearts only, the bidding can stop at the two level.
Advancer can still inquire with a 2NT bid.
This alternative double even permits overcaller to show a 4-6 hand
in spades-hearts. When advancer bids 2 or 2 in response to the
double, overcaller bids a surprise 2. Of course he must be strong
enough to play a 3 contract opposite a bad hand, when advancer
lacks spade support.
The 2S overcall then has a different meaning: spades plus diamonds
(one of the meanings of a 2NT overcall) and a limited hand. If
advancer fits spades better than diamonds, the bidding can stop at
2S. A 2NT overcall retains the same meaning, because a forcing bid
is needed with spades-diamonds and a big hand. Why not have 2S show
"spades plus a minor"? Because spades-clubs are easily shown via
a 2D overcall.
There are two disadvantages to this alternative approach: 1) the
defense against strong and weak notrump openings is no longer
identical, and 2) the ability to double for business is lost.
Some of the business double loss is regained when advancer has
enough to pass the double, or (more likely) can double a 2S takeout
by third seat. If advancer doubles 2S, overcaller should pass with
a three-suited hand, but may pull the double with a two-suited or
one-suited hand, depending on what he has in spades.
This alternative double and alternative 2S bid are always used by
a passed hand, who could hardly make a business double.
If next hand redoubles, a bid over the redouble is a "free bid,"
promising some values.
Jump Overcalls
Jump overcalls in a suit are natural, preemptive, even in the
reopening position. Showing a one-suited hand via an artificial
overcall therefore implies too much strength for a preemptive bid
(but a hand that is not suitable for doubling 1NT, if doubles of
1NT are being played as business).
The complete text of MARVIN VS STRONG NOTRUMP OPENINGS comprises
nine single-spaced pages. Besides adding more detail to the above
text, it includes the following subjects:
How to respond to the 2NT or 3NT inquiry bid
-- How does overcaller show the nature of his hand?
When third seat doubles an overcall
-- What happens when opener's partner doubles the overcall?
When third seat bids freely
-- What happens when opener's partner bids over an overcall?
When opener bids
-- What if opener bids again?
After a voluntary takeout
-- When partner passes 1NT and next hand bids, then what?