Cream of the Crop 11/Cream of the Crop 11-1.iso/games/marvin01.zip/MARVEL2D.CVA

Text File | 1995-09-05 | 12KB | 257 lines

                     MARVELOUS TWO DIAMONDS


When playing four-card majors, one of the awkward rebids for a 1H
or 1S opener comes after a two-over-one response in a minor, when
opener has support for the minor but lacks the extra strength
implied by a minor suit raise to the three level. He must just
rebid the major, which could result in a 5-1 or even 5-0 trump fit
when a 5-3 or 6-3 fit is available.

A less serious situation occurs when the response to a 1S opening
is 2H and opener lacks the extra values required for a 2NT rebid.
He does not need extra strength to raise hearts, but he does need
three card support. If he must bid 2S with a 5-2-3-3 hand,
responder might have to pass with six hearts and spade shortness.

The Marvelous 2D Opening reduces these problems somewhat. It shows
an opening bid and a five card major suit, balanced hand, and three
cards in each minor: 5-2-3-3 or 2-5-3-3. It is permissible,
however, to have a 5-3-2-3, 5-3-3-2, 3-5-2-3, or 3-5-3-2 hand when
the minor suit doubleton is very strong (two of the top three
honors) and the three card major very weak (10xx or worse).

The reason for requiring weakness in a three card major is to
reduce the chance that a good contract will be missed because
responder thinks opener has a doubleton. A heart tripleton is a
bigger flaw than a spade tripleton, because responder has a way to
check for spade support (explained later). Besides, a 2H response
to 1S can be raised with xxx and a minimum. Don't open 2D with 5-3
in the majors when the spade suit is not strong (a second flaw).

It is also permissible to be 2-4 or 4-2 in the minors, when the
doubleton is very strong (two of the top three honors) and the
other minor no better than 10-high. When making this particular
distortion of the 2D opening, the rest of the hand should be
exactly what partner will picture: 13 HCP, a good five card major,
and a weak doubleton in the other major. With more or fewer points,
or a weakish five card major, or a strong doubleton in the other
major, open normally.

The maximum strength for a 2D opening is a poor 14 HCP. Don't open
2D with a 14 HCP hand that could raise a two-over-one response in
either minor or could rebid 2NT. It is permissible, for instance,
to raise a two-over-one response with only 14 HCP when holding two
of the top three honors in partner's minor. With S-Q8732 H-62 D-AQ5
C-AQ3 open 1S and raise a minor suit response. You would rather not
play 2S opposite a doubleton with that weak suit, and a minor suit
raise is not too much of a stretch, nor is a 2NT rebid if the
response is 2H.

Similarly, rather than open 2D with S-Q8732 H-AQ D-K87 C-QJ8, open
1S and rebid 2NT over a minor suit response. In fact, a 2D opening
should deny a holding of AQ or AK in the short major; responder
will assume opener has one stopper at most in that suit.

The Marvelous Two Diamond bid is played in first or second seat
only. Since a third or fourth seat opener can pass a two-over-one
response, the convention is not needed in these positions (and a
minor suit raise or 2NT rebid is always sound).


                            Responses

-- With insufficient strength to invite game, you can sign off in
2H, 2S, 3H, 3C, or pass 2D. If opener has spades, he will correct
a 2H response to 2S, or raise a 2S response. He must pass a 3C or
3D response.

With six spades you sign off in 2S. There is no fear of opener's
passing with five spades, because he must raise to three (preemp-
tively) if that happens. Then you might decide to bid game after
all. With five spades your heart holding tells you whether to bid
2H or 2S. Bid 2H with three or more hearts, 2S with fewer. If
you're lucky opener will have three little spades when his suit is
hearts.

In order to sign off in hearts, as when holding six hearts and
short spades, responder jumps to 3H. Opener can raise only in the
unlikely event that hearts is his five card suit. It's okay to
respond 2H if you're very sure that game will not be missed when
he has hearts. With S-5 H-K98764 D-652 C-Q82, just bid 2H, followed
by 3H on the next round. Since your side is headed for a negative
result (perhaps doubled) unless opener has hearts, it is better to
keep the bidding low so the opponents can come in easily. Better
to be -120 than -150 or more.

-- With an invitational hand responder can bid 2NT (heart raise),
3S, or four of a minor. The spades must be a good suit, usually six
long, playable opposite a weak doubleton. A minor need only be five
cards long, since opener must have support. There is no way for
responder to invite game in her own heart suit (a jump response of
3H is a sign-off) or in notrump. She either bids it or she doesn't.

                      Opener    Responder
                      2D        2NT - heart raise, not forcing
                                3S/4C/4D - invitational

Opener will tend to accept an invitation if his trump holding is
better than might be expected (i.e., a strong doubleton or three
card support for a major instead of a weak doubleton, adequate
support for a minor instead of three small). If opener chooses
not to pass 4C or 4D, he will usually just raise responder's
suit. He may, however, bid his major instead if it is playable
opposite a weak doubleton (e.g., AKQxx, AQJxx, KQJxx).

With S-6 H-Q1087 D-AQ83 S-K964, bid 2NT (heart raise). If partner
has hearts, he will bid. If partner has spades, he will pass 2NT.
If the hearts and spades were reversed, you would have to bid 2H
and hope it doesn't get passed out. The hand is too weak to bid
3D (asking for opener's major) and then 3NT over the probable 3H
response.

When opener has hearts he can clarify his hand somewhat instead
of just bidding 3H:

                      Opener    Responder
                      2D        2NT - heart raise
                      Pass - five spades
                      3C - bad hand, bad heart suit
                      3D - in between sort of hand
                      3H - good hand, good heart suit

These bids will help responder in deciding whether to bid game or
stop at 3H. If responder has S-97 H-642 D-AK32 C-K987, he will bid
game over 3H, but settle for 3H over 3C.

Don't bid 2NT with heart support and no hope for game; just bid 2H.
If opener bids 2S you can pass, bid 2NT, or three of a minor,
according to your hand. When you have responded 2NT, opener will
bid 4H over an opponent's 3S, 4C, or 4D overcall if he likes his
hand, so you had better have some interest in game.

-- With a good hand responder can bid 3D to ask opener to bid his
major. Responder usually places the contract after hearing opener's
response, but a 3S bid over 3H is forcing. Provided that he has at
least a doubleton in a weak minor, responder can gamble that opener
has the minor stopped in deciding whether to bid 3NT or not:

                      Opener    Responder
                      2D        3D?
                      3H        3S - forcing
                                3NT/4H/4S - sign-offs
                                4C/4D - mildly invitational

Opener raises 3S with three small spades or a doubleton honor, bids
3NT otherwise. Responder has S-KQ1087 H-43 D-AKJ4 C-62. He might
have bid 3NT over 3H, but 3S is a better bid considering the spade
strength and club weakness. If opener can't raise spades, let him
play the notrump contract. The 4C and 4D bids are not sign-offs,
since responder must have had interest in game to bid 3H.

                      Opener    Responder
                      2D        3D?
                      3S        4D
                      4H        Pass!

Opener has S-KQ965 H-A7 D-KJ9 C-986, responder S-32 H-KQ842 D-AQ873
C-2. The 4H bid shows a good doubleton or three small in hearts,
and a willingness to play 5D. Alternatively, he could bid 4S with
a good hand for diamonds and strong spades that can play opposite
a doubleton for support: S-AKQ65 H-76 D-KJ9 C-986  Opener would
pass 4D with S-AJ965 H-75 D-KJ9 C-KJ3.

A jump to 4NT after a 3D response is Roman Key Card Blackwood
(RKCB):

                      Opener    Responder
                      2D        3D?
                      3H/3S     4NT - RKCB

-- A response of four in a major is a sign-off but is unlikely to
be weak. Why preempt in a major when opener no doubt has the other
major and may have a good 3-3 in the minors besides?

If responder has a hand such as S-K2 H-42 D-J8732 C-AK97, he has
a problem. He can either pass 2D or bid 2H. He probably should go
for a sure plus and pass, hoping that there is no game in notrump.
Hands like this are why the Marvelous 2D opening should not be used
in a matchpoint game. There is too good a chance that a better
result could be obtained in a major suit or notrump partscore. At
IMP scoring the difference is unlikely to matter, and a diamond
contract is safer.

-- There is no way to invite slam; responder must make the decision
on his own. A jump to five of a minor, for instance, is a sign-off.
A response of 4NT to the 2D opening is unusual notrump, asking
opener to take a choice between the minors. Opener bids 5C with
equal length, disregarding any difference in honor strength. To use
Roman Key Card Blackwood, respond 3D first and then bid 4NT (but
opener's major will have to be the "agreed" suit).

To summarize:         Opener    Responder
                      2D        Pass! - five or more diamonds
                                2NT - heart raise
                                3D - asks which major
                                2H/2S/3C/3H - sign-off
                                4H/4S - sign-off


                  If Two Diamonds Gets Doubled

If the 2D opening is doubled to show a diamond suit, then
responder's pass does not show diamonds; it is non-committal and
forcing. Opener must bid 2H or 2S if the double comes around to
him. Opener must pass a redouble, which shows good diamonds.


                 If Two Diamonds Gets Overcalled

If the overcall is in a major or in notrump, then a double is for
business. If in a minor (through 4D), a double is negative--asking
opener to bid his suit. All new suit bids are non-forcing and there
are no artificial responses:

                       South  West   North
                       2D     2S     Dbl - business
                                     2NT - invitational
                                     3H - heart raise
                                     3S - cue bid, strong
                                     3C/3D - sign-offs
                                     4C/4D - invitational

The 3S cue bid doesn't exactly ask for a spade stopper, but opener
will no doubt bid 3NT with spades stopped.

The free 2NT response will usually be based on a long minor and a
single stopper. Opener should not raise unless he has a strong
spade doubleton or good support for both minors. The raise to 3H
is strictly competitive and should be passed. Responder must bid
4H with game interest, a bid that may push the opponents into a
phantom save.

                   South  West   North  East
                   2D     3D     Dbl*   Pass
                   3H     Pass   3S - forcing
                                 4C - mildly invitational

                   * Negative


              Further Advantages of the 2D Opening

Besides avoiding a rebid problem, the 2D opening has some preemp-
tive value. It also has the merit of describing a hand pretty well
in one bid, which is always good. Occasionally it will result in
a good contract that is unreachable by standard methods. Since the
bid is not weak, there are good possibilities for penalizing the
opponents if they enter the auction.


                          Disadvantages

The main disadvantage is that it uses up a bid (2D) that could be
used for other, more frequent purposes. It also prevents the hand
from being played in one notrump, often a good contract for hands
of this type. This is another reason that the convention is
unsuitable for matchpoint contests.