July 2021 - 65

Special Contributor
Consults with the Doctor
Weak 2; baby Blackwood
W
hat about a weak two-bid in
diamonds? There are many
players who think it's a waste
of time to play 2 as a weak two-bid,
that it doesn't take up much space, and
there are better uses for an opening
2 bid. Maybe yes, maybe no.
There are lots of 2 conventions
around such as these: Flannery
(showing five hearts, four spades,
11-15 HCP); 4-4-4-1 hands of various
strengths; balanced hands with 18-19
HCP; multi (a weak two-bid in one of
the majors), and others.
But if you are playing 2 as weak,
what is the best way to play it? The
requirements for opening 2 are the
same as 2 or 2. What is different
are the responses. And therein lies
the problem. Why? I'll tell you what I
think.
When partner opens two of a major,
if you are thinking game, your target
game is either four of that major or
3NT. And using 2NT as feature-showing
or Ogust works well enough. But
after 2, what is your target game?
3NT? Sure, but 5? I doubt it. What
happens is partnerships often miss
four of a major for various reasons. The
most common is responder having a
five-card suit and opener having threecard
support. Playing feature/Ogust
won't help much. And, of course, the
" rule " not to open 2 with a four-card
major? Nonsense.
If you are willing to add a little
something to your system, I think this
will help. Like everything else, at first it
looks complicated but it's very logical.
(This is the first time I've asked you to
add a convention since we started this
series.)
Bear with me for a little modern science.
(It's really not that modern; I've
been playing this way since the 1980s.)
Let's try to make your 2 bids more
productive. And you won't be afraid
to open 2 with a four-card major.
Remember, weak-twos are semi-constructive,
not destructive.
OK, here we go. And if you don't like
it, hey, I'm only trying to help.
After 2, both 2 and 2 are invitational.
Opener can pass, raise or bid a
feature. Responder's other choices:
* 3 = preemptive, three-plus trumps
* 3/3/3 = forcing, six-card suit
* 3NT = to play
* 4 = key card Blackwood (more on
this later)
* 4 = even more preemptive
* 4/4 = to play
OK, so what? Here comes the science.
2NT by responder asks opener if he
has a four-card major. The follow-up
structure:
* 3 = No, but a nonminimum. Game
forcing.
If responder then bids 3, it asks
if opener has a three-card major-suit
fragment. Responses:
* 3 = three spades
* 3 = three hearts
* 3NT = no fragment
* 4 = both (3=3=6=1 pattern)
Continuing with the responses to
2NT:
* 3 = Minimum, no four-card major
* 3 = four spades
* 3 = four hearts
* 3NT = solid-ish diamonds
* 4/4/4 = 6-5 pattern
If you reach four of a major, responder
will be the declarer and the
opponents will know nothing about his
hand. Your hand will be the dummy.
Now you will feel comfortable
opening 2 with a four-card major. If
July 2021 | Bridge Bulletin |
65
BY DR. JAMES
MARSH STERNBERG
mmay001@aol.com
responder bids 3 or 3, it must be
a six-card suit, as he could have asked
if you had three. You can comfortably
raise with a good doubleton. Yes, a little
science, but this certainly is better than
what most people play, assuming they
even have any agreements. C'mon, take
a few minutes and try something new.
You might like it.
Baby Blackwood
We have all had hands where partner
has opened a weak two-bid and we
want to bid Blackwood. What's the
problem? It commits you to the five
level, and you might be too high, or it's a
difficult hand and you go down one.
So here is an easy solution. After any
opening two- or three-bid, 4 is baby
Blackwood. (But over 3, 4 is baby
Blackwood, because 4 is preemptive.
It's the one exception.) Because there is
a limit on how many key cards (or aces)
the preempter can have, the responses
are different.
It's very simple: The responses are
0-1-1-2-2. It looks like a zip code.
Over 4, the responses just go in
steps: 4 = none; 4 = one without
the queen of trumps; 4 = one with the
queen; 4NT = two without; 5 = two
with. Often you can stop in four of the
major instead of being at the five level.
And the 4 treatment applies at anytime
during the auction. For example,
2-2NT (feature/Ogust/whatever);
3 (whatever that means in your
system)-4 (baby Blackwood).
July 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2021
