RGranville

I also prefer the jump to 3♠, for the reasons stated above. I'm not so keen on 4♦, since 3♠ shows the crucial spade shortage and also gives partner more room.

In my view this is a clear-cut pass. Make the clubs Jxx and I would probably still pass, although it's now close. I realise that we might occasionally miss a game by not doubling, but it's much more likely that neither side can make anything, or that we suffer a heavy penalty.

Playing for the drop is better, by a margin of about 10%. For simplicity, use the approximate percentages of 48% for a 4-2 break and 36% for a 3-3 break. Playing for the drop wins against a 3-3 break (36%) and against Jx in either hand (one third of all 4-2 breaks, i.e. 16%). Total probability is 52%. Taking a second round finesse wins when the jack is onside (50%), provided that the suit breaks 3-3 or 4-2 (84%). Total probability is 42%. You can obtain the same result using your approach of considering winning cases and losing cases. Without the 9, the play for 5 tricks is exactly the same. But if you only need 4 tricks, then taking the second round finesse acts as a safety play. It only gains about 6% of the time, so wouldn't normally be the right play at matchpoints.

There are various ways to find 5-3 major suit fits after a 1NT opening, but I don't like using 2♣ as Puppet Stayman, since this prevents responder from making that bid on weak hands. A much better approach is to exploit the rule that the 2♣ bidder won’t have a 5 card major unless he has 4 cards in the other major. For example, the sequence 1NT-2♣-2♠-3♥ tends to be unused at present. The following shows how most 5-3 major suit fits can be found if responder has invitational values. There’s no simple way to find a 5-3 spade fit when responder has invitational values and opener is minimum. Opener replies to Stayman as usual, with 2♥ or 2♠ showing either 4 or 5 cards in the bid major. Rebids after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♥ 2♠ 4+ card spade suit. If responder has enough for game, he might have interest in a 5-3 heart fit. 2NT Denies 4 spades, therefore invitational with interest in a 5-3 heart fit. 3NT Denies 4 spades, therefore interest in a 5-3 heart fit. Rebids after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♥ – 2♠ 2NT Minimum, not 4 spades, 4 or 5 hearts. Responder bids 3♥ if he wants to play in a 5-3 heart fit. 3♣ Maximum, not 4 spades, 4 or 5 hearts. Responder bids 3♥ if he wants to play in a 5-3 heart fit. 3♠ Minimum, 4 spades. 4♠ Maximum, 4 spades. Rebids after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♠ 2NT Invitational with 4 hearts. 3♥ Interest in a 5-3 spade fit. 3NT No interest in a 5-3 heart fit.

I did consider this, but didn't want to go down if North started with ♠Kx and a singleton diamond. With that holding and strong holdings in the other suits he might not have led his singleton at trick 1.

I almost certainly need ♠K and ♦AQ onside. I can't even see any realistic extra chances on an elimination. I win with ♥A and run ♠Q. If trumps are 2-1 I win the second round in dummy and immediately play a diamond to ♦J. If this holds, I re-enter dummy in trumps and play another diamond. If trumps are 3-0 onside, then I'll need to broach diamonds before drawing trumps. I don't like the 3♠ bid, while going on to 4♠ is even worse.

Not so easy. My first thought was 3♠, but partner is unlikely to be able to bid 3NT over this, so we might end up playing in 4♠ on a 5-2 fit. I therefore double instead. If partner bids 3♥, I continue with 3NT and partner should realise what sort of hand I have.

2NT. Seems fairly obvious to me.

In most systems you need to be able to open 2NT with a 5 card major, so Puppet Stayman is pretty much essential after a 2NT opening. Whether to open 1NT with a 5 card major is more debatable, but using Puppet Stayman means that you can't use Stayman on weak hands, which is a particular drawback playing weak NT. But it is possible to employ some fairly unused sequences after regular Stayman to find most 5-3 major suit fits. I'm assuming a fairly standard scheme of responses, i.e. direct 3C/3D invitational, direct 3H/3S slam try, 3C/3D via Stayman GF, 3H/3S after Stayman and a 2D rebid 5-4 in the majors - perhaps Smolen. With interest in a 5-3 major suit fit, you use regular Stayman as usual. If opener rebids 2D, then there are no further problems. If opener shows a major suit, this may be 4 or 5 cards. Responder can make use of the rarely used bids in the other major, as follows: Rebids after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♥ 2♠ 4+ card spade suit. If responder has enough for game, he might have interest in a 5-3 heart fit. 2NT Denies 4 spades, therefore invitational with interest in a 5-3 heart fit. 3NT Denies 4 spades, therefore interest in a 5-3 heart fit. Rebids after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♥ – 2♠ 2NT Minimum, not 4 spades, 4 or 5 hearts. Responder bids 3♥ if he wants to play in a 5-3 heart fit. 3♣ Maximum, not 4 spades, 4 or 5 hearts. Responder bids 3♥ if he wants to play in a 5-3 heart fit. 3♠ Minimum, 4 spades. 4♠ Maximum, 4 spades. Rebids after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♠ 2NT Invitational with 4 hearts. 3♥ Interest in a 5-3 heart fit. 3NT No interest in a 5-3 heart fit. I've devised this fairly recently and haven't yet had a chance to play it, but it seems to address the main issues.

Has anyone thought about trying the Fantunes system, but been put off by its complexity and the many differences between Fantunes and a standard system? I've developed a system that I've named SWIFT: Standard WIth Fantunes. It's basically an attempt to make the Fantunes system simpler, and also closer in philosophy to Two over One and other natural systems. There are two principal differences from Fantunes: (1) Suit openings at the 2 level show 9-12 points, rather than 10-13. A consequence of this is that a 1 of a suit opening is 13+, instead of 14+. (2) Transfers are not used over the 1♣ opening. This allows the use of a 1♦ negative, meaning that other responses all show some values. The first of these changes means that you are no longer obliged to open 1NT with 4441 or 5422 shape. There's also no weak option for a 1♥ or 1♠ opening, so all responses and continuations can correspond to those in a standard 5 card major system, using "the principle of the transferred queen". The system seems to work reasonably well at club level, but hasn't yet been tested in higher-level competition. At present, a 2-page summary is available on the website of my local club: http://www.bridgewebs.com/walton/ - look on the right-hand side of the home page.

I'm not at all convinced by the system of rebids described in the article. It works OK if the GF hand has a clear direction, but supposing that responder is exploring for the best strain? Now you need to use 4SF and continue with an informative, forcing bid. Consider the hand ♠A5 ♥KJ964 ♦Q82 ♣AJ5 after the bidding 1♦-1♥-2♣. There's clearly no alternative to bidding 2♠ 4SF. If partner rebids 3♣ you surely want to continue with a forcing 3♦. The simplest approach is just to play 4SF as GF. You may sometimes get stuck when you have an invitational hand, but if this is the case I tend to make a weak rebid with 10 points and use 4SF with a reasonable 12 points. It's only with 11 points that you occasionally have to rebid 2NT without a full stop in the unbid suit.

There's no difficulty with the actual sequence. Whether playing Acol or 5 card majors I would respond 1♠ and rebid 2♦ over 2♣. Another participant has wondered what this hand should do after a 2NT rebid. Playing 5 card majors, do people still play the Wolff signoff? If so, you could rebid 3♣ and finish up in 3♥ or 3♠.

It can't be wrong to win the first trick with ♦A and cash ♣A. When the 5-0 club break is revealed play a diamond to dummy (you need a 3-2 break) and start playing out dummy's winners. East must ruff at some point: when he does, you overruff high and re-enter dummy in trumps. When you repeat this process, re-entering dummy draw's East's last trump. Now any remaining winners in dummy can be cashed. You're still one down, but presumably the objective is not to go more down. If West follows to the first club, continue with a low club to dummy. If West shows out, a similar line to the above will now make the contract. If West follows to two rounds of clubs, discard ♦10 on ♠K, ruff a diamond high, re-enter dummy in trumps and discard 4 heart losers on the diamonds. I'm prepared to give up the overtrick if both minor suits break 3-2.

On reflection, I agree entirely with the above comment. I had thought of continuing with RKCB after a red ace cuebid, but this is dangerous and unnecessary - partner will proceed further over 4S if he has three key cards.