Defence against Unusual 2NT

[pescetom]

MP, nobody vulnerable.

North is a conservative opener and you are playing 5-card majors with strong NT.

2NT by East is explained as 5+ cards in both the lowest undeclared suits, unspecified strength.

 

[hv=pc=n&s=saqj8ha843da75cq5&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1c(12+, 2%2B%20cards)2n(5 cards in lowest%202%20undeclared%20suits)?]133|200[/hv]

 

"Unusual over Unusual" sounds reassuring, but it can be played in several ways and does not cover all cases.

What have you agreed (and not) as a scheme of bidding over 2NT Unusual interference?

What would you do in this specific case and what are partner's options?

[Cyberyeti]

I start with a double, ability to penalise one or both suits and see what happens next.

 

Our scheme is that 3♦ would show 5+ spades and a better hand than 3♠, 3♥ would be a good hand with clubs.

 

This is not optimal when clubs is the suit opened, but we tend to have blanket arrangements to cover all these situations for ease of memory.

[mikestar13]

I generally prefer Richard Pavlicek's recommendations for countering two-suited interference: http://www.rpbridge.net/7g71.htm

[Tramticket]

I start with a double, ability to penalise one or both suits and see what happens next.

 

Our scheme is that 3♦ would show 5+ spades and a better hand than 3♠, 3♥ would be a good hand with clubs.

 

This is not optimal when clubs is the suit opened, but we tend to have blanket arrangements to cover all these situations for ease of memory.

 

I start with a double too.

 

Our only difference is that 3♥ is a probe for 3NT asking for a heart stop.

[pescetom]

I start with a double, ability to penalise one or both suits and see what happens next.

Our scheme is that 3♦ would show 5+ spades and a better hand than 3♠, 3♥ would be a good hand with clubs.

This is not optimal when clubs is the suit opened, but we tend to have blanket arrangements to cover all these situations for ease of memory.

We play much the same scheme, just inverting the ♦ and ♥ meanings.

As you say, it is a bit clumsy in handling Unusual over clubs.

I've always wondered if ability to penalise one or both suits is a fair proposition to throw at partner, too.

 

 

I generally prefer Richard Pavlicek's recommendations for countering two-suited interference: http://www.rpbridge.net/7g71.htm

Thanks, that's interesting. Shame on Richard for not knowing the author of Unusual NT :o

So I guess here we would double to create a forcing auction with 10+ HCP.

[pescetom]

Here's the full hand.

 

[hv=pc=n&s=saqj8ha843da75cq5&w=st9732hk2dt3ct983&n=sk64htdq64cakj764&e=s5hqj9765dkj982c2&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=p1c(12+, 2%2B%20cards)2n(5 cards in lowest%202%20undeclared%20suits)?]400|300[/hv]

 

I wasn't playing in the tournament, and saw this hand bid at several tables. A few pairs bid to 6NT unopposed, but at those tables where East did risk interfering 2NT or 3♥ nobody found a slam, even though it is quite tempting for South to just punt 6NT anyway.

 

Without interference we would bid precisely to 6NT, but over 2NT I'm not sure what North would make of a double or 3NT by South under our current "Unusual over Unusual" agreements. If South doubles and North bids 3♣ we are going to make it.

 

My partner was playing, but annoyingly he didn't get to play this hand. Even worse, he won the tournament without me B-)

[mikeh]

It is hard to believe that any pair had an uncontested auction. Even if the unusual 2N was not available, East has a pretty clear heart preempt.

 

It is also hard to believe that South would be tempted to just blast 6N after the 2N overcall: in what universe can South even begin to count 12 tricks in notrump. Can't North have something like Kxx Kx Qxx AJxxx? And that is a 'good' hand in context. Good luck bringing that club suit home for 5 winners.

 

It is even hard to believe that it is easy to reach 6N without interference, unless one is such a bad player that one thinks that one has to drive to slam every time one holds a flat 17 hcp and partner opens.

 

With that rant over: it is common (in NA) to play some version of the Bridge World Un v Un, but that hardly solves matters.

 

Here, I would double. If partner has some 4333 then we probably belong on defence: slam will be remote and we rate to collect 500 or even 800, since declarer will rarely get to dummy.

 

LHO probably passes, with no preference, and partner has an easy pass of 2N. Now East runs to 3H and, if we are disciplined, we can pass, since 2N should (imo) establish a force such that they cannot play 3H undoubled. I would not double as South because I have no heart spots that could grow up and the hand is too slam oriented should partner have short hearts.

 

Partner will not double with a stiff, so he will bid 4C. Now as South I know he has real clubs. I have lots of options but I'd start with 4D and then North can bid 4H, and off we go. But I think I head for 6C, not 6N. xxx x KQx AKJxxx, I don't want to be in 6N. Now, maybe along the way I discover the spade King but I think that at imps I will always settle for 6C

[nige1]

I generally prefer Richard Pavlicek's recommendations for countering two-suited interference: http://www.rpbridge.net/7g71.htm

I like the unusual-over-unusual method recommended by Eric Crowhurst about 50 years ago. It is similar to Richard Pavlicek's except that, when opponents show 2 specific suits, then

• Expensive cue-bid = good raise of partner's suit
• Cheaper cue bid = good hand with unshown suit.

Eric's logic was that, with a good fit for partner, you need less space to explore than when the final denomination is in doubt.

[pescetom]

I like the unusual-over-unusual method recommended by Eric Crowhurst about 50 years ago. It is similar to Richard Pavlicek's except that, when opponents show 2 specific suits, then

• Expensive cue-bid = good raise of partner's suit
• Cheaper cue bid = good hand with unshown suit.

Eric's logic was that, with a good fit for partner, you need less space to explore than when the final denomination is in doubt.

That looks the same as cyberyeti's version, I agree it makes sense. But my doubt about such methods in this situation is centred on the way they use double (and perhaps 3nt). If a double of 2nt by south could be based primarily upon red suit holdings then presumably north with little there will take out - which if it leads to slam is fine, but could well be a failure if not. As Mike says, extracting 500 or 800 in hearts could be our best chance.

[pescetom]

It is hard to believe that any pair had an uncontested auction. Even if the unusual 2N was not available, East has a pretty clear heart preempt.

 

It is also hard to believe that South would be tempted to just blast 6N after the 2N overcall: in what universe can South even begin to count 12 tricks in notrump. Can't North have something like Kxx Kx Qxx AJxxx? And that is a 'good' hand in context. Good luck bringing that club suit home for 5 winners.

 

It is even hard to believe that it is easy to reach 6N without interference, unless one is such a bad player that one thinks that one has to drive to slam every time one holds a flat 17 hcp and partner opens.

 

With that rant over: it is common (in NA) to play some version of the Bridge World Un v Un, but that hardly solves matters.

 

Here, I would double. If partner has some 4333 then we probably belong on defence: slam will be remote and we rate to collect 500 or even 800, since declarer will rarely get to dummy.

 

LHO probably passes, with no preference, and partner has an easy pass of 2N. Now East runs to 3H and, if we are disciplined, we can pass, since 2N should (imo) establish a force such that they cannot play 3H undoubled. I would not double as South because I have no heart spots that could grow up and the hand is too slam oriented should partner have short hearts.

 

Partner will not double with a stiff, so he will bid 4C. Now as South I know he has real clubs. I have lots of options but I'd start with 4D and then North can bid 4H, and off we go. But I think I head for 6C, not 6N. xxx x KQx AKJxxx, I don't want to be in 6N. Now, maybe along the way I discover the spade King but I think that at imps I will always settle for 6C

 

 

Your rant is partially justified, as out of 63 tables nationally that played this hand 41 bid 3NT and only 10 bid slam (5 bid 6NT, 4 bid 6♣, 1 bid 6♠). Nobody bid the 7♣ PAR. I still think we would have called 6NT (it's MP) in an unopposed auction, though, and I doubt that East intervened at even half the tables - Italians have a defensive mentality on the whole. Perhaps rightly in this case, as the top score was 1700 obtained at 2 tables.

 

I'm more interested in how your bidding works here, though. I gather that your double is not part of an Un vs. Un. setup, but what does it show to opener and with what hand could/should he not pass it? I'm comfortable with your developments after East runs to hearts.