Sunday, February 12, 2006 5:39 AM

KCB - Interference

PITBULLS:

Yes Virginia , the big bad opponents do interfere with your KCB auctions both over the majors and minor suit KCB at many levels. They also make lead directing doubles which you can use to your advantage especially in minor suit KCB & Exclusion. There also interfere with your Exclusion Blackwood responses . Here is how my partnerships handle this intrusion.

We play modified DOPI . Instead the double is always penalty and then straight KCB ( 0413 ) steps from there with pass the 1^st step showing one Ace or 3 Aces. The double is penalty or zero Aces . If you have a weak hand with duplication of value, do not bother showing your Aces. The first suit bid shows 2 without the Ace and the next step if available shows 2 with the queen . This only works thru interference of 5♥ or lower. We assume two Aces is enough for slam so if we get two steps in under slam , we are happy. Hearts are trump and they interfere with 5♦. Double shows zero or penalty , pass is 1 or 3 and 5♥ is two , 5♠ is two with the queen. If spades are trump and they interfere with 5♥ . Double is penalty or zero , pass is one or three , 5♠ is two and it ends below 5NT . We want to leave 5NT or the 6 level for the asker ( suit asks or King ask ) so responses must be kept at the 5 level under 5NT.

If they double 4NT KCB for some weird reason , use the redouble as showing zero , pass 1 or 3 and so on. If they interfere with 5♠ and above we play DEPO . Double shows an even # with zero being even and pass shows an odd # of Aces.

With minor suit KCB interference, double again is penalty or zero. Pass shows 1 or 3 and we can use the remaining steps as long as we stay at the same level. The worse case scenario is the bully spade suit. Double is penalty or zero , pass is 1 or 3 and 4NT is 2 then we run out of room at the 4 level. If they double Kickback at the 4 level , it gives you two extra steps pass is zero and redouble 1 or 3 and then go from there.

EKB sequences with interference is the same modified DOPI scheme. Double is zero or penalty , pass is one or 3 , a suit bid is 2 etc and leave 5NT and above for the asker. When an EKB ask is doubled, thank the doubler.   You now have TWO extra bids  available, pass and redouble.   It works like this: Pass = 0   Redbl.= 1 or 3 1st  step = 2.   If a 2nd step response doesn't bypass the trump suit, it shows 2 with.