1,000+ Great Games

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ 1,000+ Great Games / 1_1000 Games.iso / DOSGAMES / MARVIN13.ZIP / MARVEL2D.CVA < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1996-01-19 | 11.8 KB | 271 lines

MARVELOUS TWO DIAMONDS One of the awkward rebids for a five-card 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. 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, or a five-card minor, and spade shortness. In fact, a two-over-one responder has problems with any two-suited hand that lacks sufficient strength to show the second suit (a forcing bid, by an unpassed hand): Opener Responder 1S 2D/2H 2S ? Responder has five clubs, but not enough strength to make the forcing rebid of 3C. The result could be a 5-1 spade contract when a 5-3 minor suit contract is available. The Marvelous Two Diamond opening reduces these problems somewhat. It shows a minimum or near-minimum (good 12 to bad 14 HCP) opening bid with a five-card major suit, a doubleton in the other major, and support for both minors. The ideal hand has 5-2-3-3 or 2-5-3- 3 distribution, but it's okay to have 4-2 or 2-4 in the minors if the four-card suit is very weak and the doubleton very strong (two of the top three honors). 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 in a minor with only 14 HCP when holding two of the top three honors in support. Open 1S with S-Q8732 H-62 D-AQ5 C-AQ3 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 after a minor suit response. In fact, a 2D opening tends to deny a holding of AQ or AK in the short major; responder will assume opener has at most one stopper in that suit. The Marvelous Two Diamond opening is used in first or second seat only. Since a third or fourth seat opener can pass a two-over-one response, the convention is less valuable in these positions (and a minor suit raise or 2NT rebid is always sound). For reasons shown later, the convention is not appropriate for a matchpoint contest. Use it only with International Matchpoint (IMP) or rubber bridge scoring. Responses -- A three-level suit response is a signoff. Responder has six or more cards for a major, five or more for a minor, and no interest in game. Opener can raise a 3H or 3S response, however, if the bid happens to hit his suit. It might seem unnecessary to sign off with a 3D response, since 2D can be passed, but the 3D response may be preferred for preemptive reasons. The major suit three bids imply shortness in the other major, and the minor suit three bids deny as many as three cards in either major. -- A 2H response is a signoff. Responder is not interested in game, and sees no better place to play the hand if opener's suit is hearts. If opener has spades, he rebids 2S over 2H. Responder then passes or otherwise places the contract. -- A 2S response is an artificial relay asking opener to indicate his suit: Opener Responder 2D 2S? 2NT - heart suit 3C - spade suit Responder might pass 2NT if his response was based on spade support and 10-11 HCP or so. With a weaker 4-1-4-4 or even with a weak 5- 1-3-4 or 5-1-4-3 hand, responder must bid 2H and hope opener bids 2S or an opponent bids. With six spades the response is 3S, even with a weak hand, hoping no one doubles. Suppose responder has a weak hand with spade support and a five- card or longer minor. If opener's suit is hearts, responder will sign off in the minor: Opener Responder 2D 2S? 2NT 3C/3D - signoff With a stronger hand, responder could invite game with a 3S, 4C, or 4D bid: Opener Responder 2D 2S? 2NT 3S/4C/4D - invitational Opener will tend to accept a game invitation if his trump holding is better than might be expected (i.e., a strong doubleton support for spades instead of a weak doubleton, good support for a minor instead of three small). If opener chooses not to pass, he will usually just raise responder's minor suit invitation. He may, however, bid his major instead if it is playable opposite a weak doubleton (e.g., AKQxx, AQJxx, KQJxx). If opener's suit is spades, responder will show the spade support by signing off in 3S. Any other suit rebid by responder is a cue bid in support of spades, indicating at least some interest in slam: Opener Responder 2D 2S? 3C 3S - signoff, not invitational 3D/3H/4C - cue bid, forcing A 2S responder may also have a game-going (or better) hand with support for one or both majors, just wanting to know which major opener has. A jump to 4NT after a 2S response is Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB): Opener Responder 2D 2S? 2NT/3C 4NT - RKCB The "agreed" suit for RKCB purposes is opener's major, even if responder does not intend to play in that suit. RKCB is described in a chapter of the book "Strong Bidding." -- A 2NT response shows a heart raise and at least some interest in game; just bid 2H with no game ambitions. 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 game interest. If opener has spades, he passes 2NT. With hearts, he clarifies his hand: Opener Responder 2D 2NT - heart raise Pass - spade suit 3C - good hand, heart suit 3D - fair hand, heart suit 3H - poor hand, heart suit With S-6 H-Q1087 D-AQ83 S-K964, respond 2NT, a 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 respond 2S and pass if opener shows hearts by bidding 2NT. With 5-3 in the minors, you would respond 2S and sign off in the five-card minor if opener shows hearts (safer than passing 2NT). 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. Opener must pass any further bid you make. Don't bid 2NT if you want to be in game no matter which major opener has, because opener will pass 2NT with five spades. Respond 2S with game-going or better hands if you can't place the final contract immediately. -- A response of four in a major is a signoff 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? -- 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 2S first and then bid 4NT (but opener's major will have to be the "agreed" suit). -- A response of 5C or 5D is a signoff. To invite slam, bid 2S, then five of the minor. To summarize: Opener Responder 2D Pass! - five or more diamonds 2S - artificial relay 2NT - heart raise 3C/3D/3H/3S - signoff 4C/4D - invitational Game bids - signoff 4NT - asks for minor preference If responder has a hand such as S-K2 H-42 D-J8732 C-AK97, he has a problem. He can either pass 2D (no need to preemptively bid 3D, with this good hand) or bid 2H. He probably should go for a sure plus and pass. Hands like this are why the Marvelous Two Diamond 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 or rubber bridge scoring the difference is unlikely to matter, and a diamond contract is safer. If Two Diamonds Gets Doubled If the 2D opening is doubled, any bid by responder is natural and non-forcing, and a redouble is to play. If not sure what to do, he can pass the double around to opener, who must bid his major. 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 - signoffs 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 2D 2H Dbl - business 2NT - invitational 2S - weakish spade raise 3C/3D - signoff 3H - cue bid 3S - invitational spade raise 4C/4D - invitational South West North East 2D 3D Dbl* Pass 3H Pass 3S - invitational 4C - signoff * Negative North would bid 3S immediately with a non-invitational hand that lacks heart support. 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.