September 2021 - 63

Special Contributor
Consults with the Doctor
Weak two-bids in competition -
part 2
Partner opens a weak two-bid
and your RHO overcalls
Raises: As usual, a raise of partner's
suit is preemptive, showing at least
three-card support, but promising
little in the way of high cards. You can
raise on three low; you may well be on
lead, so it's not the same problem you
would have over right-hand opponent's
double (see part 1).
Double: Penalty (one exception, see
below).
Game try: So you had planned on
making a game try, whatever your system,
but RHO overcalled. If 2NT is still
available (for example, partner opens
2k and RHO overcalls 2), great!
Just use 2NT as if there had been no
interference. Your system is still " on. "
But what if 2NT is not available? For
example, partner opens 2k and RHO
overcalls 3'. Now what?
Here is a very easy treatment. Whatever
the suits in these situations, the
suit directly below your partner's suit
is the game try. It says, " I was going to
bid 2NT before RHO interfered. "
Of course, you can't play your normal
responses, but at least opener knows
you are trying for game. So after 2k-
(3'), 3l by you would be a game try
in hearts (diamonds is the suit directly
below hearts). Or after 2-(3l), 3k
would be a game try in spades.
So what if RHO overcalls the suit
directly below partner's suit? Good
question. When you are " out of room, "
because raising is simply preemptive,
and you have no " one-under " bid
available, double is your only game
try. That's why in the description of
the double (above), it says there is one
exception: You can't make a penalty
double of the one-under suit. It's like a
maximal overcall double. Just remember,
if the suits touch, double is a game
try.
So after 2k-(3l), Dbl = game try.
Or after 2-(3k), Dbl = game try.
However, if partner opens 2 and
RHO overcalls 3' or 3l, double is
penalty.
Partner opens a weak two-bid,
and RHO overcalls 2NT
When RHO overcalls 2NT (natural,
15-18 HCP), double is penalty, and
raises are natural and non-forcing.
What about new suits? This is a difficult
topic, but one possible approach
is to play them forcing for one round if
vulnerable, but not forcing if you're not
vul.
The opponents open
a weak two-bid
If RHO opens a weak two-bid and
you wish to compete, your choices will
be double, overcall or 2NT.
Let's get 2NT out of the way first.
For starters, this is not for the minors,
some kind of " unusual notrump. " It is
illogical that both sides are preempting
on the same deal. When they are bidding
weakly, our bids should be strong.
The unusual notrump is generally
weak. (Later, I'll show you how to bid
with a really good hand with both minors.)
Marginal 5-5 minor-suit hands
are usually outbid anyhow because the
opponents usually have the majors. Being
able to show an opening 1NT type
hand with their suit stopped is more
important than showing the minors.
2NT means had your RHO kept silent,
you were going to open 1NT, with some
relatively balanced 15- to 18-point
hand with opener's suit well-stopped.
If your holding in opener's suit, however,
is something like A-x or K-x, you
BY DR. JAMES
MARSH STERNBERG
mmay001@aol.com
are probably better off making a takeout
double if you have at least threecard
support for the other major(s). A
holding such as Q-10-x-x is a better
holding for notrump where you are not
forced to take your one stopper early,
but can use basic holdup principles.
If my RHO opened 2k, I would bid
2NT with:
A Q 4 kQ 10 8 6 lA K 8 'Q J 6,
but would double with:
A Q 4 kA 6 lQ 10 8 6 'A J 6 4.
What should advancer (your partner)
do after you bid 2NT? Most
players play 3' as Stayman and use
Jacoby transfers. That's OK, but (of
course) I'd like to suggest a simple
improvement. The late, great Bernie
Chazen taught the following (even to
his beginner students): Use the opponent's
suit as Stayman, and everything
else is a transfer. That's it, period.
Why is this simple one-sentence
treatment better? Because you can stop
in any suit. For example, you hold:
6 4 2 k9 7 4 lQ 10 7 5 3 2 '6,
and the opponents open two of a major.
If partner overcalls 2NT, how are you
going to get to 3l (or play in clubs if
clubs was your long minor)?
For example, after 2 by LHO and
2NT by partner (RHO passes), 3'
by you shows diamonds. Also, 3l =
hearts, 3k = clubs, and 3 = Stayman.
Over 3k showing clubs, partner can
bid 3NT; if you are really broke, bid
4'.
Similarly, after 2k-2NT, 3' =
diamonds, 3l = spades, 3k = Stayman,
3 = clubs. This also makes
two-suited hands easier to bid. It's easy
to remember, only one sentence, and
much better. Thanks, Bernie.
September 2021 | Bridge Bulletin |
63
September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2021
