October 2006 - 28

Art by Shane McDermott

Bidding Lab

Ideas and innovations from ACBL members
Continuation after
partner's double of
a weak 1NT
By Mike Savage

More and more players are employing the weak 1NT opener (as weak as
10-12 high-card points), so it will pay
you to learn a good defensive scheme
for this annoying treatment.
A double of a weak 1NT is typically made with a balanced hand with
at least full opening values (I suggest
14-15 HCP or more) but also might
have a long, good suit and some
entries. Partner will convert (by passing) with balanced or semi-balanced
hand of 8-9 or more HCP. But what
if partner isn't balanced and has one
long suit or a two-suiter and doesn't
want to sit for 1NT doubled?
Some partnerships play Cappelletti/
Hamilton and some play "systems
on" (as if partner had opened 1NT).
Here's a more natural, perhaps better
approach that is, I hope, simple to
remember. Two of any suit is to play,
three of any suit is natural and invitational and 2NT is artificial, showing
an invitational or better two-suiter (a
few partnerships play a jump to three
of a suit and 2NT as game forcing) -
with responses over the semi-forced
3 relay the same as two-level
28

Cappelletti/Hamilton. Here are the
responses when partner doubles the
weak 1NT:
2, 2, 2, 2 = To play.
3, 3, 3, 3 = Invitational.
Raise to 4/ with good support
or good values and the trump ace or
king.
2NT = Relay to 3 showing a twosuited hand of invitational or better
strength.
3 = Semi-automatic. Denies
a one-suited hand with a long,
very good major and could have
a long club suit - or a good long
diamond suit with at least one
three-card major.
Responses: (same structure as Cappelletti/Hamilton at the two level)

3 = Five-five or better in the
majors with invitational or better
values.
3 = Five-card or longer heart
suit, an undisclosed minor, invitational.
3 = Five-card or longer spade
suit, an undisclosed minor, invitational.
3NT = Five-five or better in the
minors with invitational or better
values.
3 = Usually a six-card diamond
suit and tends to deny a three-card
major.
3 = Usually a very good six-card
or longer heart suit.
3 = Usually a very good six-card
or longer spade suit.
3NT = Usually a very good sixcard club suit with no more than
2-2 in the majors.
Don't be too concerned about
finding 4-4 major fits. If your side
has balanced or even semi-balanced
hands and the balance of power,
you'll usually prefer to defend 1NT
doubled. If opener or responder runs
(and most weak notrump partnerships
have run-outs in place) that's different. If a pass after partner's double
is forcing and demands redouble, or
if a redouble is for takeout, you can
simply ignore their interference with
shapely hands and still use the same
structure shown above.
When you have a balanced hand
with values to pass 1NT doubled,
pass an announced forcing pass or
redouble. If they run to a suit, double
them or buy it through 2.
❒

Bridge Bulletin
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2006
