[Vampyr]

Hi. I am interested in hearing ideas about defending an opening 1♣ bid that is 10-17, clubs or diamonds or a weak NT. More specifically:

1. What is the optimum defense?

2. What defense would you agree on if you have just learnt about the bid before a 2-board session (so you can't really discuss eg transfers)?

[Trinidad]

I would say:
Everything natural
Dbl: Takeout, major oriented
1NT: 15-17 / 16-18
2♣: Natural
2♦: Both majors, 55+
2M: WJO

I know strong players who play:
Dbl: I would have opened 1♣
Everything else: pretty much like their opening bids

Rik

[paulg]

We just treat it as natural, which means we play ...

 Trinidad, on 2013-January-15, 06:18, said:

I would say:
Everything natural
Dbl: Takeout, major oriented
1NT: 15-17 / 16-18
2♣: Natural
2♦: Both majors, 55+
2M: WJO

It is optimal in the sense that we know the defence well and need no further discussion.

[Free]

 Vampyr, on 2013-January-15, 05:42, said:

1. What is the optimum defense?

Nobody has proven any defense is optimal, nor that an optimum defense even exists.

 Vampyr, on 2013-January-15, 05:42, said:

2. What defense would you agree on if you have just learnt about the bid before a 2-board session (so you can't really discuss eg transfers)?

With my f2f partners I'd play the same as Trinidad, which is basically the same as after short ♣. The only thing I'm wondering about is what to do with 2NT.

[Vampyr]

 Free, on 2013-January-15, 07:16, said:

Nobody has proven any defense is optimal, nor that an optimum defense even exists.

Well, yes, but I was thinking that some people may have strong opinions on the subject and feel that a particular defense is clearly best.

[Vampyr]

 Free, on 2013-January-15, 07:16, said:

The only thing I'm wondering about is what to do with 2NT.

Preemptive in a minor?

[Zelandakh]

Without time to prepare I would simply want to play whatever we usually do over a "could be short" 1♣ opening. I cannot tell you what is optimal but one option is

1♦♥♠NT = normal overcalls
2♣ = wjo in a major; or spades and a minor, strong
2♦ = nat wjo
2♥ = majors, weak
2♠ = spades and a minor, weak
2NT = hearts and a minor
3♣ = majors, strong

combined with second round club actions being natural. If you have strong nerves and a willingness to get the odd random result, you could play 2♦ as what is listed for 2♣ (majors or top/bottom/good) and a 2♣ overcall as weak with clubs or diamonds. Seems like it would be fun even if not very good .

[phoenix214]

Against something that is "weak NT" opening bid at the moment i play CRASH + MULTI LANDY, you can play any brown sticker if your opps open a minor which is 2+, or a weak nt for that matter, i suggest you take use of that. The cost for that is that you have to memorize a bit more then normal and you lose natural overcalls, but you have to live with that

[PhilKing]

Their system is extremely vulnerable to competition. You can put them under extreme pressure by jacking up the bidding with well-defined medium strength hands. Do this and you have won the battle of the partscore.

Luckily it's simple - play all one level actions as "normal" with the exception of double, which you should play as fairly loose in terms of shape requirements. The main change comes at the two level where you can play all bids as if they had opened 1NT. In my case that means Multi Landy (with 2M showing 4M and a decent longer minor).

[gnasher]

 PhilKing, on 2013-January-16, 13:07, said:

Their system is extremely vulnerable to competition. You can put them under extreme pressure by jacking up the bidding with well-defined medium strength hands. Do this and you have won the battle of the partscore.

Luckily it's simple - play all one level actions as "normal" with the exception of double, which you should play as fairly loose in terms of shape requirements. The main change comes at the two level where you can play all bids as if they had opened 1NT. In my case that means Multi Landy (with 2M showing 4M and a decent longer minor).

Do you do that against a Precision 1♦ too?

[relknes]

I assume their 1♣ is forcing? If so, you could try something along the lines of:

P = 0-7 that can't preempt or 17+
X = 8-16 points, 4+ clubs, canape
1x = 8-16 points, 4+, canape
1N = 13-16 balanced
2x = 8-12 points, 6+
2N = bad 3 level preempt in any suit
3x = good quality preempt
3N = bad 4 level preempt in any suit
4x = good quality preempt

so overcalling in a suit and rebidding it shows 6+ and 13-16 points, passing and bidding a suit is natural and shows 17+ points, and passing and doubling later is for penalties.
Might not be best, but it looks kind of fun.

[PhilKing]

 gnasher, on 2013-January-16, 13:25, said:

Do you do that against a Precision 1♦ too?

No, but I would consider it if I knew it included all their minor suit hands.

I get some of my minor-suit overcalls back with my 1NT (natural or bad 2♣ overcall) gadget.