Defence to Unbalanced diamond opening

[00Conor]

Hi

 

In the last year my partner and I have adoped a Strong Club Unbalanced Diamond system to combine with our weak NT 5 card major. to our surprise we have had more success than expected with this system. Last night we played against a future international player and she asked what is a defence to a 1♦ opening, I had no reply, as this is a new concept I wonder what is a good defence to the 1 ♦ opening.

 

Love to hear any suggestions, because beside dbl showing an equilvalant hand or naturl bidding, the question stumpted me. BTW I am a long way off even Regional class.

 

Thanks in advance

Conor

[Vampyr]

Why would you expect anything other than natural bidding to be suggested?

[sfi]

I had no reply, as this is a new concept I wonder what is a good defence to the 1 ♦ opening.

It's not clear what the description of the 1D opening actually is. If you can describe it a bit better, that would help to assess what defence to suggest.

[Vampyr]

It's not clear what the description of the 1D opening actually is. If you can describe it a bit better, that would help to assess what defence to suggest.

 

Yes, that’s true. I assumed it was just a precision diamond opening with the weak notrump hands taken out, by a pair who are never dealt a balanced 15ct.

[FelicityR]

I have seen Precision convention cards where 1♦ is described as 1+. The standard 2♦ Wei Precision hand of (43)15, 4414 or 4405 has been superseded by either a weak two in ♦s or a Multi 2♦.

 

But just because it states 'unbalanced', it doesn't mean it can't have a good ♦ suit.

[sfi]

Yes, that’s true. I assumed it was just a precision diamond opening with the weak notrump hands taken out, by a pair who are never dealt a balanced 15ct.

Given the question asked by the future international player, my initial guess is that 1D shows any unbalanced hand without a 5-card major. But that's just a wild guess.

[mikestar13]

I use Kit Woolsey's Grunt Defense: https://bridgewinners.com/article/view/grunt-defense/ His example auction is in defense to a 1♣ = clubs or balanced opening, but will work equally well or better after 1♦ that may not have diamond length.

[pescetom]

I use Kit Woolsey's Grunt Defense: https://bridgewinners.com/article/view/grunt-defense/ His example auction is in defense to a 1♣ = clubs or balanced opening, but will work equally well or better after 1♦ that may not have diamond length.

 

I dislike that delayed doubles of 1NT are penalties but I like the idea that 1NT is 4M5m. At this point it looks a lot like a variation of Multilandy so we could add in 2 of the other minor as 6M too. Multigrunt :)

[msjennifer]

Sirs,I have been playing Wei's Precision and also Super Precision..(Beladonna and Garozzo)for almost 15 years now and know how to defend against the 1C/1D opening if ((a) opponents play the system and OUR RHO opens 1D.(b) if we open1D and opponents intervene.The best way is to use a standard system and use the same strategy every time.Treat opponents 1D as a natural ((and for advantage too since 1D is limited to 15/16HCP) bid and bid accordingly as per a standard system..To the OP my humble suggestion is "Try and learn the basic standard system to understand how to bid if opponents open 1D." If opponents are playing any artificial system then one must know what their bids mean and plan your defensive or attacking bids right then and there..,It sounds difficult but becomes easy as one learns more and more.I advise all my students to learn the basics of all commonly played systems.One can draw conclusions from the bid they make AND DO NOT MAKE ALTHOUGH AVAILABLE. and defend or conduct accordingly..Artificial system is finished if either opponent makes a bid before you and then one HAS to bid by standard methods.

It is my pure guess that the Strong club system being used by OP shows a 1D opening where D suit may be ZERO plus.Either a 12/14.13/15,14/16 or 15/17 or a variable NT and 17 plus 1C ,A 2C opening (11 to 16)with 5 or more clubs with or without a 4 card major (one or both).In my personal opinion this will require a plethora of natural and artificial bids like the inverted minors/Majors which can be added on studying the actual distributional and flat hands.(available readily online ) or actually dealing the cards.

[00Conor]

Hi All

 

Indeed I didn't explain the Unbalanced Diamond, :- It is borrowed from Miles Marshall and indicates 11-14 hcp where there is no 5+ card major and a balanced weak NT can't be opened.

 

Conor

[Vampyr]

Hi All

 

Indeed I didn't explain the Unbalanced Diamond, :- It is borrowed from Miles Marshall and indicates 11-14 hcp where there is no 5+ card major and a balanced weak NT can't be opened.

 

Conor

 

And what are you using a 2♣ opening for? What are you opening with balanced 15?

[helene_t]

Do you open 2♣ with 6+ clubs, or are those hands also in 1♦?

 

Either way, I think I would suggest 2♦ in direct seat to be natural rather than Michaels, but otherwise (i.e. in balancing seat and in convoluted auctions) treat diamonds as "their" suit. When one or both opps have shown some other suit (but opener is still not confirmed to have diamonds), we treat the shown suit as "their" suit and we can bid diamonds ourselves naturally.

 

There may be something technically better, maybe involving transfer overcalls or such, but I think the above is good enough.

[Vampyr]

Do you open 2♣ with 6+ clubs, or are those hands also in 1♦?

 

Either way, I think I would suggest 2♦ in direct seat to be natural rather than Michaels, but otherwise (i.e. in balancing seat and in convoluted auctions) treat diamonds as "their" suit. When one or both opps have shown some other suit (but opener is still not confirmed to have diamonds), we treat the shown suit as "their" suit and we can bid diamonds ourselves naturally.

 

There may be something technically better, maybe involving transfer overcalls or such, but I think the above is good enough.

I think this will also spend on whether 5♣4M hands are opened 2♣. Then their 1♦ opening is ordinary precision, and this is best treated as natural.

[sfi]

Indeed I didn't explain the Unbalanced Diamond, :- It is borrowed from Miles Marshall and indicates 11-14 hcp where there is no 5+ card major and a balanced weak NT can't be opened.

I'd still play double as takeout, but it should focus on trying to find major fits more than normal. Partner should bid a major in preference to a minor since you may well not have support for clubs when you double. You would still use diamond bids as the cue bid in subsequent auctions, since with real diamonds you would have done something else earlier in the auction. Two simple examples may clarify:

 

(1D) - X - (P) - 2D: Shows a strong hand since partner can just pass with good diamonds.

 

(1D) - X - (P) - 1S: Still shows a strong hand since with good diamonds you would not have doubled the previous round.

(P) - 2D

 

Major suit overcalls can be natural and unchanged. 1NT is also unchanged, but you may be more likely to fudge a diamond stopper and less likely to bid it with two small clubs. If opener shows their suit after a 1NT overcall, your side may want to check for a stopper in that suit before committing to 3NT.

 

You do want a way to show natural suits in either minor, and there are two easy ways to do so.

 

1. Give up a Michaels cue bid and treat 2/3D and 2/3C all as natural bids.

2. Keep 2D as Michaels (showing 5/5 in the majors) and play 3D as a natural overcall showing a diamond suit. Here 2C/3C would still be natural.

 

Finally, what is an unusual 2NT overcall? It probably makes sense to keep it as whatever you normally do, which is probably showing the two lower unbid suits (probably hearts and clubs).

 

In summary, most of your bids stay the same. The double should focus more on the majors and you have to make a decision about what a 2D overcall shows. In either case a 3D overcall should probably be natural.

[00Conor]

And what are you using a 2♣ opening for? What are you opening with balanced 15?

 

Hi Vampyr

 

We use 2♣ to show an unbalanced hand with 19+ hcp and a 5+ card major, we open 1♣ with a balanced 15. I know!! Lowering standards but so far it's worked.

 

Conor

[00Conor]

Do you open 2♣ with 6+ clubs, or are those hands also in 1♦?

 

Either way, I think I would suggest 2♦ in direct seat to be natural rather than Michaels, but otherwise (i.e. in balancing seat and in convoluted auctions) treat diamonds as "their" suit. When one or both opps have shown some other suit (but opener is still not confirmed to have diamonds), we treat the shown suit as "their" suit and we can bid diamonds ourselves naturally.

 

There may be something technically better, maybe involving transfer overcalls or such, but I think the above is good enough.

 

Hi Helene

 

We open 2♣ showing an unbalanced 19+ hcp with a 5 card major. Those 6+ ♣ hands also fall into the 1♦ opening.

 

thank you for your suggestion, the first priority we have is to investigate a major fit, so you are right if one is established it becomes "our" suit and they are free to bid ♦s naturally.

 

Conor

[00Conor]

I'd still play double as takeout, but it should focus on trying to find major fits more than normal. Partner should bid a major in preference to a minor since you may well not have support for clubs when you double. You would still use diamond bids as the cue bid in subsequent auctions, since with real diamonds you would have done something else earlier in the auction. Two simple examples may clarify:

 

(1D) - X - (P) - 2D: Shows a strong hand since partner can just pass with good diamonds.

 

(1D) - X - (P) - 1S: Still shows a strong hand since with good diamonds you would not have doubled the previous round.

(P) - 2D

 

Major suit overcalls can be natural and unchanged. 1NT is also unchanged, but you may be more likely to fudge a diamond stopper and less likely to bid it with two small clubs. If opener shows their suit after a 1NT overcall, your side may want to check for a stopper in that suit before committing to 3NT.

 

You do want a way to show natural suits in either minor, and there are two easy ways to do so.

 

1. Give up a Michaels cue bid and treat 2/3D and 2/3C all as natural bids.

 

2. Keep 2D as Michaels (showing 5/5 in the majors) and play 3D as a natural overcall showing a diamond suit. Here 2C/3C would still be natural.

 

Finally, what is an unusual 2NT overcall? It probably makes sense to keep it as whatever you normally do, which is probably showing the two lower unbid suits (probably hearts and clubs).

 

In summary, most of your bids stay the same. The double should focus more on the majors and you have to make a decision about what a 2D overcall shows. In either case a 3D overcall should probably be natural.

 

 

Hi SFI

 

Thank you for your reply, I think it is a good summamry with the 3♦s as natural and 2♦s as major showing and otherwise natural.

 

Conor