Page 21 - ABF Newsletter June 2025

a 2[ response. This structure, though, gives you back your 4NT quantitative bid, showing four cards in the other major.
Sometimes people tell me they don’t like their hand, e.g. a balanced hand with four aces, and they choose to downgrade the hand. Look what can happen though:
]AQ ]K4
[ A 10 4 2 [ Q 9
} A 10 2 } Q J 9 8 5 4 {A754 {KQ6
A 1NT opening bid bought a raise to 3NT by East. 6NT is an excellent contract but, when East thinks partner has 15-17 HCP, they usually won’t look for slam on such an ‘aceless’ hand. The diamond finesse worked and there was a Vienna Coup (squeeze on North in hearts and clubs) for 13 tricks. There may be a reason to downgrade an aceless 18 HCP hand, especially if partner is already a passed hand, but not at other times.
Speaking of which, there are people who play 15-18 HCP for 1NT (or 14-17 HCP), and there are people who open 1NT with 16-18, making their 1NT rebid 12-15 HCP. All those scenarios are inferior, primar- ily because the four-point range (whether opening or rebid) puts too much pressure on responder. Re- sponder will often look for game, then you go down in 2NT, instead of going positive in 1NT. Three-point ranges are more than sufficient for 1NT bids/rebids; two-point ranges are superior for 2NT opening bids (because of the lack of space for partner to explore game).
Sitting West, you hold:
]AQ8763 [8 }753 {J95
WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH
?
1NT 2[ hearts + minor
If you planned to bid 4] over 1NT, you should still bid 4] after the overcall. It hasn’t changed anything; in fact, it has probably improved your hand, given your heart shortage. My bid would be 4[ – a trans- fer to 4], making partner the declarer (see the first page of this article).
It was a pity partner and I had not discussed our defence to Specific Twos – in this instance the 2} opening bid that shows both majors. My preferred defence is that a double shows a hand willing to defend, and all doubles thereafter are penalty. I’ve had some delicious outcomes.
Partner held:
] A 8 5 [ K Q J 10 2 } 2 { A 7 5 2
WEST
2} both majors ?
EAST SOUTH pass pass
NORTH
This hand suits a double rather nicely, and partner would be more than happy to penalise anything they now bid, holding:
] K J 10 7 [ 8 } A J 10 6 { J 10 9 8
The only halfway decent outcome is if they choose to play in 2} doubled. Any other contract makes game our way, meaning a rather large penalty!
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Australian Bridge Federation Ltd. Newsletter: June 2025
Page: 21