May 2011 - 50

Claim with Colchamiro

Mel Colchamiro
www.melbridge.com

Don't use Meckwell?
There are many conventions that have been invented
to intervene after a strong (15-17) 1NT opener. Here they
are in approximate historical order: Landy, Ripstra, Astro,
Becker, Brozel, Cappelletti (also called Hamilton), DONT,
Woolsey and Meckwell. In the Nineties, Cappelletti ruled
the roost as the convention of choice, but then DONT
adherents grew in number and DONT became the most
popular defense vs. 1NT. Recently, the Meckwell defense
has seen an increased number of adherents, especially in
the northeast and Florida. Will it surpass DONT?
There is a historical link among the conventions: Woolsey is a derivative of Cappelletti; Brozel is a derivative of
Astro; DONT is a derivative of Brozel; and Meckwell is a
derivative of DONT.
Which convention is better: DONT or Meckwell?
DONT (Marty Bergen) and Meckwell (Jeff Meckstroth
and Eric Rodwell) have much in common, although there
are differences:
Double
2
2
2
2
2NT

DONT
any one suit
 & higher
 & major
&

minors**

Meckwell
a long minor or &
 & higher*
 & major


minors**

* Strict Meckwell is clubs and a major. Some, however,
play that the higher suit could be diamonds.
** Some play it shows an unknown strong two‑suiter -
very rare.
50 Bridge Bulletin May 2011

Comparisons
As can be seen in the chart, the differences between
DONT and Meckwell are in how they treat double and a
direct 2 bid. According to Jeff and Eric, the reason they
created Meckwell was to be able to bid a long heart suit
right away, mostly for its preemptive value, but also to
allow the advancer the option to raise to 3 or 4 immediately with the appropriate hand. After double, DONT
advancers don't know immediately that partner has hearts.
Another price that DONT users pay is that the DONT
double hides four possible hands types (long in any one of
the four suits) whereas a Meckwell double conceals three
possible hand types (clubs, diamonds or both majors). So,
the Meckwell double is slightly less ambiguous than the
DONT double - slight advantage to Meckwell.
DONT's relative strong point vis-à-vis Meckwell is that
its 2 bid shows both majors immediately. This puts the
advancer in a better position than Meckwell players who
don't know if double means long clubs, long diamonds or
both majors. Accordingly, Meckwell advancers are more
or less relegated to the forced 2 response. They can't
preempt or advance towards game because they don't
know their partner's hand type yet.
DONT players show spades right away most of the time
(instead of going through double first, which shows a better hand), so their double more often shows one of three
hand types (clubs, diamonds or hearts), just like Meckwell.
Another similarity is that both conventions have the same
advantage when the 1NT opener's side buys the contract -
there is a concealment of the defender's hand type.
Which one is better?
The real issue is: Which is more important? To get that
six-card heart suit out there right away (Meckwell) or to
get both majors off your chest right away (DONT)?
To tell the truth, I'm not so sure which is better. Although I play both, I do have a slight preference. First of
all, I don't like not being able to show both majors right
away. Second, on some of the hands that Meckwell allows
me to show long hearts right away, I'd want to bid 3 (or
even 4) anyway. For example, if I held:
4 K Q J 10 7 4 6 K 8 7 6 3,
I'd bid 3 over an opponent's 1NT opening.
After some research, and with the help of math professor and Grand Life Master Steven Bloom, I found out
➤

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2011