Wednesday,
April 05, 2006 12:28 AM
The 2NT Q Bid
PITBULLS:
In
this day & age it is quite fashionable that 2NT in competition is virtually
never natural. When the opponents open 1NT and you overcall a “toy” or a
natural suit the “2NT Q bid” comes into effect. This Q bid is also applicable
when you balance at the 2 level after a strong NT opening. What this “2NT Q
bid” does is allow a simple raise to be just that . Stretching if your
partner’s hand warrants a game bid rather than a good hand. The 2NT Q bid is
defined as a strong raise in partners suit ( limit raise or better ) . Partner
can bid the “death response” by returning to her suit or bid something else or
jump to game.
Having
this “Q bid” in your repertoire allows two nice things to happen. A jump to
game is never strong when partner overcalls. It’s a pre-emptive raise bid on
distribution rather than strength. The other nice thing is that a simple raise
shows simple raise values and not limit raise of better values. This Q bid
gives you an invitational bid rather than a courtesy raise. Playing a systemic
toy , you might be asking for the 2nd suit and the best game might
be reached.
Tom
Gandolfo had two hands tonight where this Q bid was applicable. The bidding
went 1NT and Tom overcalled 2♠ .
I held 10xxxx AKx 10x Q10x which is in the “limit raise or better”
range so too strong for a simple raise to 3♠. So do you leap to game ?
The leap to game is a little single handed as you can get partners input with a
2NT Q bid. I bid 2NT and Tom bids 3♠ and you reluctantly pass
and you get most of the matchpoints for +140.
A
few hands later the auction goes 1NT and around to me in the balancing position
so I bid 2♥.
Tom holds Kx Q10xx QJ10x Axx and
again he hold one of these gray area hands. Tom Q bids 2NT and I bid 3♥ which resulted in a pass. A disaster was
averted as I went one down . 4♥X
for –500 did not score very well.
Tom
and I play 2♣ for the minors and 2♦ for the majors. 1NT–2♣-P-? Ax Kxxx AJxx Qxx so Tom Q bids 2NT . I
hold Jx x KQ10xx AJ1098 and bid 3♣ so Tom bids 3NT . I leave the contract there and it’s the
best spot. What if I held x xx KQ10xx KJ1098
? 3NT has no play , so I would
bail and Tom converts to 4♦
which makes for +130. What the 2NT Q bid does is give the partnership an escape hatch in case the overcall or toy
was made on distribution rather than HCP’s. It avoids single handed leaps to
3NT or leaps to game. 2NT is like any other Q
bid in that is shows limit raise or better values.