Wednesday, October 11, 2006 4:25 AM

2NT - New Suit Forcing III

PITBULLS:

If you have “bought into” the excellent 4^th suit forcing treatment of 2NT as a “new suit” and forcing one round , you may want to extend this concept to overcalls. I have played rubber Bridge & IMPS for 40 years and I can not remember one hand passed out in 2NT after a 2 level overcall in those games. You either escape back to the overcall suit , bid a new suit , Q bid or bid 3NT or another game. Passing 2NT just does not happen !!!

You play a new suit to a two level overcall as a one round force. Playing 2NT as a “new suit” to a two level overcall & forcing one round also makes a lot of sense. 2NT right sides the NT obviously but better than that , it does away with the ambiguous Q bid or the deadly leap to 3NT pre-empting partner from describing her hand.

Here is a hand from a Vanderbilt messed up at both tables as they got to 6 of a minor wrong sided. The auction goes 1♠ and you have ♠xx ♥void ♦AK10x ♣AJ109xxx so you overcall 2♣. Partner has ♠K10x ♥Axxx ♦QJxx ♣KQ . At one table they chose a 2♠ Q bid , found their diamond fit and reached 6♦ down one. At the other table this hand leapt to 3NT and partner pulled to 4♦ as a slam try. They also got to 6♦ down one.

Playing 2NT as a one round force and partner bids 3♦ . You take control of the hand by bidding 4♦ KCB ( 2NT now was forcing to game ) as partner is showing a 6-4 or a 7-4 in the minors. You place the final contract in 6NT to protect your spade king and you are rewarded with +1440 . Keeping the bidding low and avoiding ambiguous Q bids was the secret to this particular auction.

2NT as an invitational bid in competition is archaic. Experts just do not need the bid. They gamble it out in 3NT rather than missing a game precisely by playing it in 2NT. If you were on the terrorist vulnerability , you just retreat to your suit after the “new suit” 2NT . 2NT invitational & non forcing in 4^th suit forcing auctions is just not needed in modern day IMPS. Its more of a gamble to pass 2NT expecting to make it right on the nose than bidding 3NT. Missing games are for matchpoint players who will get some matchpoints as accuracy and getting a plus is the core of Matchpoints. Think IMPS in IMPS & matchpoints in that game.