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INTRO.AMA
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1995-09-28
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INTRODUCTION
Most currently popular American bidding systems have characteris-
tics that adversely affect partscore bidding accuracy, close
doubling of partscore contracts, and overtrick prevention. While
these factors are of major importance in a matchpoint contest, they
don't mean much with International Matchpoint (IMP) scoring,
wherein the primary concern is the bidding of hard-to-reach but
reasonable games and slams that the opposition may miss. Perhaps
because of the greater prestige of IMP events, American systems
cater more to IMP than to matchpoint goals. Besides, most players
are too lazy to come up with different systems for matchpoints and
IMP contests.
Here are a few of the shortcomings of current systems in a match-
point contest:
-- Five-card major systems require that a minor suit as weak as 432
(or even 32!) be opened when lacking five cards in a major, and
major "suits" like 5432 are bid the same as AKQ2. The consequent
reluctance to raise with three-card support means that good major
suit partscores with 4-3 fits are seldom found (although bad ones
sometimes are). Good minor suit partscores are also difficult to
find. The result is an over-reliance on bidding notrump. While
notrump contracts are desirable at matchpoints, superior suit
contracts should not be overlooked.
-- Bidding short and/or weak suits does not help partner to choose
an opening lead, the most important play of all at matchpoint
scoring. The practice is also detrimental for establishing "fit"
for partscore (and game too, for that matter) bidding accuracy.
-- After a five-card major opening, it is seldom possible to play
a 1NT contract, a highly desirable matchpoint landing place.
-- When not using weak notrumps, hands such as S-J832 H-AQ9 D-KJ3
C-Q109 are opened with 1C, a bid that does nothing to describe the
notrump nature of the hand. With notrump so important at match-
points, notrump type hands should bid notrump.
-- In systems using weak notrumps, 1NT openings are often required
with hands that are more suit-oriented than notrump-oriented.
Notrump bids should not be made with hands such as S-AK54 H-75
D-864 C-AK32, yet some systems require a 1NT opening with this
hand. If 1NT must be passed, there is likely to be a better suit
contract. Isn't it better to bid clubs and spades, then let partner
decide on a contract? Whether bidding offensively, doubling for
penalties, or making an opening lead, partner cannot count on the
1NT bidder to really have a notrump type hand.
-- "Big Club" systems take away the most valuable natural opening
bid in matchpoint games. A 1C opening keeps the bidding low, avoids
rebid problems, and is frequently useful for lead direction.
-- It is often impossible to play a safe notrump contract when
opener has a strong hand and responder is weak. The 2NT opening
with 20 HCP and the jump rebid to 2NT with 18 HCP are overbids made
necessary by other systemic requirements. One might say with IMP
scoring, "As long as there is no game, who cares?" With matchpoint
scoring, however, bidding the right partscore can earn a top.
-- After a one-over-one response, the forcing nature of a reverse
and subsequent repeat forces require either extreme underbidding
or overbidding with some unbalanced 16-17 HCP hands. The forcing
reverse arose out of the reluctance to raise a major suit response
with three trumps and a good hand. The cure is worse than the
disease at matchpoint scoring, because it becomes difficult to stop
at a good partscore.
-- Three-card minor suit openings allow the opponents to enter the
bidding at a low level. They not only get into the bidding more
easily and more accurately, but also may shut out major suit
bidding space for the opening side. All sorts of gimmicks, such as
negative doubles and support doubles, are needed to combat such
interference. Accuracy in low-level business doubling is lost.
Since it is unlikely that a bidding system can be designed to
satisfy the needs associated with both types of scoring, it seems
obvious that a partnership should use different systems for IMP and
matchpoint scoring.
The amBIGuous DIAMOND system is designed to satisfy matchpoint
bidding requirements. It combines the advantages of real-suit
bidding with the bidding of notrump with all notrump type hands
(and only notrump type hands). It permits, nay, it features, four-
card major opening bids.
The author's book, Four-Card Majors, is a useful accompaniment to
this book. It includes a more detailed comparison of the advantages
and disadvantages associated with four-card major and five-card
major opening bids.
The amBIGuous DIAMOND system was published in the Contract Bridge
Forum, November 1982, and again in April/May 1983. Either the
editor was very much taken with the system, or was asleep at the
switch.