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If your partner opens 1♦ andyou hold 14 HCPs and a longish ♦ suit you may find yourself in a dilemma if youare unable to bid another suit or NTs. With standard ACOL, we would probablymanufacture a bid of, say, 2♣ (10+ pts, unlimited & forcing) and wait forpartner's response.
A useful convention to copewith this situation is "Inverted minors" which reverses the meaning of our 2♦and 3♦ responses.
Ptr you
1♦ - 3♦ 6-9 pts
1♦ - 2♦ 10+ pts unlimited, FORCING, denies4 card major
Opener then bids his cheapest suit with a stop in - trying to get to3NT.
AFTER OVERCALL
1♦ 1♠ a) 2♦ 6-9pts unchanged
b) 2♠ 10+ pts forcing
c) 3♦ 2-5 pts extra weak for maximum disruption
AFTER DOUBLE
1♦ X a) 2♦ 6-9pts unchanged
b) 2NT 10+ pts forcing
c) 3♦ 2-5 pts extra weak for maximum disruption
As with all convention there are no doubt othervariations.
Here are a couple ofexamples:
Ptr You
♠ 3 2 ♠ A K 2 Bidding 1♦ - 2♦ -
♥ A K 4 2 ♥ Q 8 7 2♥ - 2♠ -
♦ A J 9 5 3 ♦ K Q T 7 4 3NT
♣ K 7 3 ♣ 6 5
The 2♦ response denies a 4card major. The partnership now starts showing stops to try to get to 3NT.
Ptr You
♠ 3 2 ♠ 9 5 Bidding 1♣ X 3♣ -
♥ A K 4 ♥ 7 6 3
♦ A J 9 5 ♦ Q 8 7 4 2
♣ K T 7 3 ♣ Q 4
Clearly one needs to be morecircumspect in bidding after the opposition has doubled for take out - and lookout for the vulnerability. Here you have no option than to support partners'suit anyway! The 3♣ response after the double shows a minimum 2-5 points. Ifyou feel a wee bit uncomfortable, remember you are at least bidding to thelevel of the fit.
Hope this helps.
Sue
August 2012
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