Chapter 24

03-22-2006 20:01:25

Chapter 24 Woolsey's Notrump Defense

Our philosophy is to find the best offensive contract after their notrump opening no matter the strength of the notrump opening. It is not up to us to decide any particular notrump strength is wrong and therefore should be punished. Leave that to others.

Read Robinson's Chapter 17. This is my summary sheet from that chapter. His rules apply in both seats, against all notrump strengths, and whether or not overcaller is a passed hand. Our one modification is to require essentially an opening bid when we interfere with a weak notrump.

Robinson's examples all have a singleton or void, and he believes in the short suit. He does not discuss vulnerability, and in the passout seat, he bid with:

Q J x x
x
x x
J x x x x x

1NT Pass Pass ?

Overcaller is aggressive, and Advancer conservative.

All Advancer doubles and redoubles ask. In competition, double or redouble shows support for anything that partner can have. New suits are therefore natural. Understand his examples.

The system:

2 = majors. The difference in major length is one card or less.
- 2 asks for longest. Advancer's major lengths are the same and are less than four cards.
- 3-minor nonforcing.
2 = a single major. Nominally six or more cards.
- Normally advance in your shorter major, and partner passes or corrects. You must bid the other major twice to play it. (Robinson with 3-1 bids the singleton.)
- Over 2 doubled.
  - Pass = play.
  - Redouble = bid and I have some stuff.
  - 2-major = pass or correct.
2 , 2 = 5-card major and 4 + minor.
- 2NT asks. New suit nonforcing.
Double = 4-major & 5-minor, or 6-minor, or 19 + vs strong, or 17 + vs weak.
- 2 = minors. Pass or correct.
- 2 = majors.
- 2 and higher = natural.
- Robinson shows lots of big hands that won't occur.
2NT = Unusual. This section is missing in my copy.

This is what Steve Robinson does when third seat redoubles.

1NT Dbl Rdbl ?

Pass = minors
2 = majors

Double of Stayman Is Lead Directing

Doubles of Stayman are lead directing against all notrump ranges. Do not change the fundamental meaning of "Double" because they are using a weak notrump. Since we require an opening bid to bid over a weak notrump, it is acceptable that the strength of this double is near an opening bid.

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