Tuesday, July 12, 2005 1:36 AM

Hand Evaluation – Systemic ( 2NT by Responder )

 

PITBULLS :

 

            Lets enumerate how many times an invitational 2NT bid occurs by responder without biding a forcing 1NT first. Playing XYZ , we do not count the leap to 2NT as this is a club relay. The humble 1♣ opener .  This only happens after a 2♣ rebid by opener & any suit response 1♣-P-1♦-P   2♣-P-2NT or  1♣-P-1♥-P   2♣-P-2NT or  1♣-P-1♠-P   2♣-P-2NT

 

Next the 1♦ opener . This only happens with a two diamond rebid or a a 2♣ rebid by opener & a major suit response.   1♦-P-1♥-P   2♦-P-2NT or  1♦-P-1♠-P   2♦-P-2NT  or 1♦-P-1♥-P   2♣-P-2NT or 1♦-P-1♠-P   2♣-P-2NT

 

Next the 1♥ opener . 2NT can be bid after a 2♥, 2♦ or 2♣ rebid by opener & specifically a spade response.   1♥-P-1♠-P 2♥-P-2NT   or  1♥-P-1♠-P  2♣-P-2NT   or  1♥-P-1♠-P  2♦-P-2NT 

 

The spade opener is impossible for responder to bid 2NT as a new suit as the forcing NT occurs first.  We suggest that 2NT in all of the above be a one round force with invitational values plus.

 

What is a leap to 3NT by responder ? Exactly 12-14 with a stopper in the unbid suit(s) ?. A rebid at the two level by opener in a new suit or otherwise can be as high as 17 HCP . The best game or slam begins to be investigated at the 4 level after responder essentially has pre-empted the auction by bidding 3NT. What about all the responders hands in these auctions that are greater than 14 HCP ? You now must bid a phony 3rd suit or 4th suit forcing which wrong sides the NT & gives no idea to partner about the strength or distribution of your hand ? 4th suit forcing detracts from natural bidding and adds awkwardness.

 

            Would it not be nice to have a 2NT as a game force unless opener rebids her suit to stay in a partial ? This leaves 4th suit forcing or 3rd suit forcing to be natural & exploratory. Right siding the 3NT or investigating slams starts at a lower level. You do not pre-empt partner from describing her hand. Stopping on a dime in 2NT makes no sense in IMPS. It is a bigger gamble than trying 3NT.

 

            You have 17 HCP & a 5-4-3-1 , you open something that ends up partner leaping to 3NT .  Do you make a slam try ? Probably not , as you are only in the 30 HCP range. What if your singleton matches partners Jxxx  or Axxx. You are cold for slam but did not even try to get there. You could be cold for 5 of a minor & in 3NT off 5 losers in a wide open suit . 4th suit forcing auctions are confusing. Playing 2NT as a one round force , a direct leap to 3NT can be a picture bid. A hand that you do not want partner to pattern out , give you preference or make a minor slam try so lets keep the opponents guessing on the opening lead.

 

            The 2NT as a “new suit” simplifies auctions. The rebid of openers suit allows us to escape in a partial and you can “pattern out” to show your distribution and strength. Let’s try a few auctions :

 

1♥-P-1♠-P   2♦-P-?       ♠J10xxx ♥Qx ♦AQxx ♣AQ     In standard methods you must bid 3♣ 4th suit forcing or leap to 3NT ?

 

 

Let’s give opener ♠x ♥AKxxx ♦KJ10x ♣Kxx  , 6♦ is cold and impossible to reach. Give opener ♠Q ♥AKxxx ♦KJ10x ♣xxx ,  she has an impossible bid over 3♣. 3NT with no club stopper and wrong siding the contract ? Try these hands with 2NT forcing and you can pattern out or right side the 3NT. Ugly things happen in these 4th suit auctions like rebidding 4 card suits or rebidding bad 5 card suits. There are no bids left as opener was forced into a corner.

 

We like playing a jump rebid by responder as “recovering the strong jump shift” and forcing with a good suit. Partner opens 1♦ and you respond 1♠ on ♠AJ10xxx ♥Jx ♦xx ♣Axx and partner rebids 2♦ . Rebidding 2♠ is a terrible underbid on a hand that was built for 3♠ invitational. Playing 2NT as a one round force allows you to use 3♣ as NMF for invitational hands ( similar to 2♦ after a 2♣ rebid) . Partner cannot bid 3NT in these auctions as you did not bid new suit 2NT forcing so an invitational sequence is coming up. Partner bids 3♥ or 3♦ and you bid 3♠ invitational. Similar auction after a 1♥-2♥ rebid auction with a 10 HCP spade hand.

 

You hold ♠Axxx ♥Kx ♦xxxx ♣AQx  , partner opens 1♦ . You bid 1♠ as you are all controls , partner bids 2♦ so now what ? A leap to 3NT or a phony 3♣ which wrong sides the 3NT & forces partner into a corner ? Would it not be better to bid 2NT and over partners bid support diamonds ? With an unsuitable hand partner can bail to 4NT and the NT is right sided. Partner hand is ♠x ♥Axxx ♦AKxxxx ♣xx and a grand slam in diamonds is on a hook ! Partner could hold many other hands where 3NT is the spot but right sided from the AQx of clubs side !

 

I think the 2NT concept as a “new suit” will pay dividends . The concept gets rid of the ugly 4th suit forcing at the two level with balanced hands.  Right siding 3NT contracts or getting to nice slams or minor suit games will garner a lot of IMPS. As Granoveter says the only thing you lose is playing in 2NT where exactly 2NT makes. We all know how many times that occurs in IMPS. The rest of our system is designed not to play in 2NT anyway so lets make it complete.