Idea for a Notrump Defense

[kriegel]

I've been thinking about a (strong) notrump defense that is legal under the ACBL general chart that has immediate natural 2M and 2♣ for the majors while differentiating relative lengths of major/minor two-suiters. Here's what I've come up with; feel free to tear it apart. I have no idea if this is defense already exists.

 

(1NT) strong

-X minor single-suiter or hearts and a minor, at least 5-4 either way

-2♣ majors

-2♦ spades and a minor, at least 5-4 either way

-2M natural

-2NT minors

 

Over 2♦, advancer bids 2♥ to ask overcaller about spade length. He rebids:

2♠ 5 spades, 4+ minor

2NT 4 spades, 5+ clubs

3♣ 4 spades, 5+ diamonds

 

(These are just steps, 3m could be natural and 2NT could be something else, maybe a stronger hand if that makes more sense.) This way advancer can play in a 5-3 spade fit when it exists and 3m when it doesn't. It's obviously very vulnerable to disruption by responder, and a downside is that it lets responder bid 2♥.

 

Over X, advancer bids 2♣ is pass or correct (to 2♥ with hearts and a minor) and 2♦ to ask for more information. Then,

2♥ 5 hearts, 4+ minor

2♠ 4 hearts, 5+ clubs

2NT 4 hearts, 5+ diamonds

3m natural, 6+

[glen]

... Over X, advancer bids 2♣ to play in doubler's minor ...

Even if the minor is just 4 cards?

[kriegel]

Ah, no, sorry. To play in overcaller's minor if single-suited, otherwise, overcaller bids 2♥. Thanks for catching that.

[akwoo]

Most hands, advancer is going to want to bid 2♣ over the double, not wanting to go to 3 of a minor on a misfit. Then doubler has to bid 2♥ on 5-4 hands without showing which suit has 5.

 

I think you should drop the one minor option, at which point you might be better off having a penalty double, not having to remember a second system against weak NTs, and playing Astro (or the variant that has you first showing the 4-card major when you have both majors).

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/def_1nt31.htm

 

have a look at Pagan (and his cousin Lionel).

 

The main difference is, that the double showes a 2-suited hand,

i.e. the single suiter in the minor has to be bid direct, 2C

is spades + ?, instead of spades + hearts, and 2D showes diamonds

+ spades.

 

I think the first difference is not really important, if you dont

think you can show the minor at the 3 level, it may be a good idea

to not bid the minor anyway.

 

If you sharpen the 2C bid, you get more room to find out, you reduce

frequency, you gain this lost frequency back by making the 2D less

defined.

 

The question to answer is - is a 2D overcall forcing or not?

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[MickyB]

This is pretty much "Half-Astro", invention of former BBFer dcrc2. We played double by a passed hand [and probably of a strong NT too, I forget] as hearts+minor, with 2C a NF ask for the five-card suit and 2D asking partner to pass on any hand with diamonds and describe further with hearts+clubs.

 

I modified it a couple of years back, making the 2C overcall show 3+S,4+H - sort of a compromise between 2C majors and 2C hearts+another. The method is possibly my favourite bit of kit [and I have a *lot* of kit, as Gnasher will probably mention at some point during this thread]. Unfortunately the name "Three-quarters Aspro" never really caught on in the same way, not sure why.

[Zelandakh]

Unfortunately the name "Three-quarters Aspro" never really caught on in the same way.

Perhaps you could try calling it Quarter Headache instead? Or perhaps you could use Aspdy or Landro since the key bid is designed as a mix of the two. :)