Here we look at hope to use a Modern 2-Level Preemptive Opening Bid to attack the opponents.
Adv Comp Bidding
When partner opens the bidding with a Major suit and right hand opponent makes a takeout double, the modern approach for many expert partnerships is to play transfer bids by the Responder. By Responder transferring to the suit with length instead of bidding it, we gain many advantages in these competitive bidding auctions. Let’s look at how we use these transfers by Responder and what they gain for us.
Adv Comp Bidding
When our LHO opens the bidding, partner makes a simple overcall, and Responder makes a Negative Double, then we in the position of the Advancer. We can choose to play Transfers in the position as well. By doing so, we give our selves an additional step and we often allow ourselves more ways to raise partner. These Transfer bids also cause some more difficulty for the opponents – making the meaning of their bids less clear. Let’s see how they work.
Adv Comp Bidding
Responding to 1NT is a balancing act of showing both strength and shape while keeping the auction at a low enough level. With a game forcing hand (10+ points), the goal is usually to be able to describe our hand below 3NT, particularly with hands that are strong enough to be interested in slam. This is not a problem with relatively balanced hands, but with distributional hands it may be more difficult for Responder to show their shape and explore slam without getting the auction too high (going past 3NT). Transfer bids allow Responder to show their shape while using space efficiently. After making a transfer bid, Responder usually gets to make a second bid without the auction getting much higher - one of the most valuable parts of playing transfers. A way to further improve our use of bidding space is to play transfer bids not only on the first round of the bidding, but on the second round also after a Major-suit transfer. Let’s see how these Transfers Over Transfers work on Responder’s second bid after a Responder starts with a Jacoby Transfer.
Constructive: Responder
Transfers have become a larger and larger part of both competitive and constructive bidding. These transfers help with playing the contract from correct side, but they are also effective in searching for a fit while keeping the auction at a low level. One auction where transfers by Responder can be helpful is after Opener has started with a suit opening bid at the 1-level (1X) and then made a jump rebid of 2NT – showing a balanced hand with 18-19 points. Let’s see how transfers by Responder in this auction can help our side describe our hands in the limited space below 3NT. This treatment replaces Modified Wolff Signoff after a 2NT rebid.
Competitive Bidding
There are two general categories of systems against the opponents 1NT opening bids – ones that use a Double as Penalty and others that use a Double as conventional. When the opponents open the bidding with a weak 1NT we need a good method for dealing with their unusual opening bid. The most common range for a weak NT is 12-14 points, but we define 1NT to be weak if the range does not contain 16 points. Some examples: 10-12, 11-13, 11-14, 12-14, 12-15, or 13-15 points. Against these opening bids we use a system that has a penalty double. Let’s look at one fo the most interesting of these sysetm, Landy with Transfer bids.
