Defense for 1-level transfers

[straube]

My local opponents play transfer responses to 1C. They suggest...

 

1C P 1D ?

...............dbl-diamonds

...............1H-takeout

 

and similar for 1C P 1H.

 

I don't want my cheapest action to penalize a suit at the 1-level...and what would

1C P 1D 2D show?

 

I'm thinking about transfers and canapes and I'd also like a way to be able to show responder's major (hearts in the first instance).

 

Suggestions?

[awm]

Their defense is actually pretty reasonable.

 

Basically you have one extra step, so it's reasonable to ask what is the most important hand type that's hard to show after 1♣-1M (natural), and assigning the extra call to mean that hand type.

 

It seems to me that a hand which includes a suit that cannot be bid at the one-level and is not good enough to bid at the two-level in sandwich position is a pretty common one; i.e. a hand with diamonds after 1♣-1♥ (natural) or with either red suit after 1♣-1♠ (natural). A two-level overcall here shows an awful lot more than one-level, so these in-between hands are quite common. Makes sense to use the extra call to show such a hand, which is the defense they suggested. You can still bid responder's suit naturally at the two-level, and I think hands where you want to bid spades after responder shows spades are a lot less common than hands where you want to bid hearts after responder shows spades...

 

The only other hand type that really comes to mind for me is two-suiters including clubs, which most of us have no real bid for after 1♣-1M. There's also an argument that it's better to double with the strong notrump hand (reducing the risk of being penalized and improving the chance of penalizing them) and use 1NT as a takeout oriented call. Perhaps something like:

 

X = power double, strong notrump or equivalent values

1-level cue = the other major (typically four cards) and either minor (1N ask)

1N = 3-suited takeout of advancer's suit (two-suited takeout makes 1-level cue)

[gwnn]

learned this on BBF:

 

Double: other major+ diamonds

1-level "cue": other major+clubs

 

Simple and very good

[Zelandakh]

The 2 most common meta-defences to transfers are (1) as you describe, X = suit doubled and cue = take-out; or (2) X = take-out and cue = michaels. There are other options but for most pairs it is easiest just to pick an agreement and use it for everything.

[655321]

I always play double is takeout of the suit they are showing, bidding the suit they are showing is natural, and bidding 2(their suit) is Michaels. There may well be better methods, but this one is simple and works well.

 

Doubling to show the suit they bid (diamonds here) is something I don't like - if I have diamonds I much prefer to bid them and take away some space, instead of doubling to give them more room.

[shevek]

I like double as takeout of the suit they have shown. This has two big advantages.

1) It's safer, so you can be a bit frisky

2) You get two shots, so double twice with extras.

 

Vs transfers over 1NT:

1NT - no - 2♦ - ?

X = tko of hearts, could be 4-1-4-4 10-count.

2♥ = Michaels

 

Similar over 1-level transfers, except that bidding their 4+ suit at the 1-level should be natural:

 

1♣ - no - 1♦* - ?

 

♠A63  ♥AQT43  ♦6  ♣J743

 

is an easy 1♥ overcall.