AGGRESSIVE DEFENSIVE BIDDING INTRODUCTION Bridge is not only for making game or slam contracts. In fact most of the contest is fighting for part games. The Defensive and Competitive Bidding has therefore to be aggressive enough both for buying the contract as also for preventing the opponents from reaching the right contract. In this note,Defensive and Competitive bidding as shown in the ACBL Standard American Yellow Card System (SAYC) Booklet has been analysed and changes have been recommended. A note of warning is necessary.REcommended changes should be adopted while playing only with your regular partner.Playing with other partners,you should stick to SAYC. If you have reservations about the recommendations made, there is nothing like trying them with your partner for 50 deals and see if you get favourable results in over 70% deals. If not, you can always revert to SAYC. OVERCALLS IN SECOND POSITION (DIRECT OVERCALL) 1. Over call at 1 level in a suit: SAYC: It shows 8-16 points. The only forcing response by partner is cue bid of opener's suit asking over caller to define strength. With 8-10 points,over caller rebids his original suit and makes a different bid with 11+ points. Comments:i) The length and strength of the suit overcalled is not defined. It is presumed that it has to be a minimum good 5-carder i.e. at least with two honours, particularly as the overcaller is supposed to rebid his suit to show minimum values in case his partner makes acue bid of opener's suit. ii) The minimum strength for cue bid by partner is not defined but as it shows game ambitions, inspite of opponent having opened the bidding,it is presumed that responder should hold an opening hand i.e. 13-14 points WITH A FIT IN OVERCALLER'S SUIT so that if overcaller shows 11+ points,a game bid can be tried and if over caller shows minimum 8-10 points by rebidding his suit, playing at two level is still safe. With a MISFIT in overcaller's suit,playing at two level may be unsafe with 21-22 points in combined hands and it is therefore presumed that then requirements of making cue bid will be higher i.e. 15+ points. Recommended:i) There should be no minimum point holding. What do you do holding say Sp QJxxxx or KJTxxx or KQxxxx and no other points? You should bid 1Sp. If you do not, and if opponents reach 3NT, partner will never lead Sp. Also if opponents hold only one stopper in Sp, they may avoid playing in NT. Your bid is therefore lead indicative as also causing obstruction in opponents arriving at the right contract. You have 4 tricks with Sp as trumps.If partner is holding zero points,opponents have a little or grand slam.You do not mind going three down doubled, even if Vul, if they have a slam. If they have only a game, then partner must be holding 10-11 points and will contribute one or two tricks. Also by bidding 1Sp, you are eating away opponents bidding space to reach the right contract. Let us say your hand is: Sp QJxxxxx Hxxx Dxx Cxx Your partner is holding Sp Kxxxx Hx Dxxxxx Cxxx Partner does not yet know how strong or weak you are but let us say opponent opens 1H, you bid 1Sp and your LHO makes ajump bid bid in a new suit or bids 4NT. It is clear to your partner that yours was a weak over call and opponents have a slam with a singleton or void in Sp. So your partner bids 5Sp. You also now know that partner would not have butted in if he was holding defensive values in other suits and is therefore having nothing but length in Sp. Therefore you bid 6Sp. Opponents do not know what to do,to bid 7H or double you in 6S. They have not been able to check Aces/Kings. In all probability, they will double and you will go down five (losing 1Sp,1H,2D and 2C) giving a penalty of 1100 non-vul and 1400 vul while opponents 7H would have given them 1510 not-vul and 2210 vul. Even if opponents have only a little slam,they get 980 non-vul and 1430 vul.You gain all the way except WHEN YOU ARE VUL AND OPPONENTS ARE NON-VUL AND DO NOT HAVE A GRAND SLAM. Only then you have to exercise caution and not go beyond 5Sp. Remember that if you have side values like QJx in a side suit,you don't sacrifice. Same rule stands good for your partner. Point is that your very weak overcall of 1S has made life difficult for opponents and has brought your partner in the picture to cause more interference. Things can be made even more difficult for opponents.Let us say you have over called 1Sp holding Sp QJxxxx Hxxx Dxx Cxx Your partner is holding Sp Kxxxx Ax DKxxx Cxx Bidding has gone 1H---1Sp--2D--? Your partner knows that opponents are holding minimum 24 points, he has 10 points and you have hardly 3-6 points. He also knows that opponents have a singleton or void in Sp and have a sure game. He is willing to give penalty (4Sp doubled). He therefore makes a jump bid of 4C non-vul. It is bound to be doubled and partner then bids 4Sp.If opponents,out of sheer desperation, pass 4C, don't mind going down 7 undoubled, giving a penalty of 350 against a sure game of opponents. From the bidding it is clear that opener has 13+ points and his partner 11+.If you are holding 10-11 points, you should know that partner is having 3-4 points or less and should just keep quiet if partner jumps to 4C.Partner has either a 6 or more card length in C or length in your suit. Let the partner take all the bids that he likes. For this way of aggressive bidding, you and your partner should be EXTREMELY ALERT to the opponent's bids to deduce the right points holding by either of you.If either of you are dumb enough not to make these deductions and listen only to each other's bids,DO NOT try these bids. Stick to SAYC System. ii) Overcall at 1 level should be made even in a 4 carder suit. If you are holding Sp AJTx H QJx D xxx C xxx, you should overcall 1Sp. You are likely to get 4 tricks and even if doubled will not go down more than 3 and if partner has Zero points, opponents have a certain game. Also, if opponents land up in 3NT and your partner is on lead, he can lead Sp. You may ask what happens if your LHO doubles 1Sp holding SpKQxxx , 10+ points AND SHORTNESS IN OPENER'S SUIT. Opponents have so far shown about 23-24 points between them. You are holding 8 points and therefore your partner is likely to hold 8-9 points.He will contibute two tricks in side suits.If you to get even 3 tricks, you will not go down more than 3 against a sure game by opponents. If partner is having zero points, then opponents are holdig 32 points with your RHO having a singleton in Sp.RHO will then be having a long original bid suit or a two suiter hand with a slam most likely. Then again consider the following : --Probability of such a holding by LHO including point and shortness in opener's suit is hardly 5%. --your RHO is likely to be very short, may be a singleton, in Sp. He will not like to pass. He will either have a 6 carder original suit or will have another suit which he will bid searching for a game rather than taking a penalty at one level. --if your partner has singleton in Sp, he will know, with your LHO doubling at one level,that your hand is not only weak but that your LHO is having 5 carder very good Sp suit. He take it out in his own long suit or bid 1NT (irrespective of point holding) asking you to bid any other suit, even 3 carder as he will provide a 4 card support. You bid lowest 3 carder. Examples: Your overcall of 1Sp has been doubled by your LHO. Your holding is SpAJTx HQJx Dxxx Cxxx Partner may hold Sp H D C His bid Your Bid x QJXX KJxx Jxxx 1NT 2C x QTxxxx xxx AQxx 2H pass x KQxxx xx QJxxx 2C pass x QJxxx xxx JTxx 2C and pass if doubled, then 2H Thus there is practically no chance of your 1Sp doubled being played unless opponent's are willing to miss a slam. Taking the worst case of your going down 4 and giving a penalty of 800, it is likely to happen once in 1000 deals. Let it happen but don't lose the strategic advantage gained in 999 other deals. Therefore overcalls should be made at ONE LEVEL FIRSTLY as lead indicative and SECONDLY to enable partner to contest for a part score if he is holding 10+points by taking one bid-raising your suit or bidding a new good suit. With minimum holding as in the hand above,you continue to pass and let partner decide,depending on his holding of points and distribution. Partner's new suit or raise is non-forcing. iii) Jump shift by partner should promise a very good six carder suit with atleast 2 of the three top honours and 11-12 points. With fit in that suit i.e. holding the third top honour and a stopper in opponents suit,you can even have a go at 3NT. Say,bidding has gone: RHO You LHO Partner 1H 1Sp Pass 3D Pass ? You are holding Sp AQxx HQxxx DKx xxx. Partner has shown DAQxxxx and 11+ more points.He must be stopping C. Therefore bid 3NT. Partner's hand may be Spxx Hxx DAQxxxx QJx. Sp finesse should work as your RHO has opened the bidding.Thus with only 20 points between you and your partner, you have a smart game on hand. iV) Jump raise of your suit by partner is invitational with 11-13 points and good support in the suit.Partner should remember that your overcall may be weak if your LHO has also taken a bid which means that opponents hold atleast 23-24 points between them in which case a simple raise should be made even with 13-14. Jump raise will then mean only length in your suit with 8-9 points only and will be a preemptive bid. v) The only forcing bid by partner is cue bid in opponent's suit showing 16+ points (your over call may be as weak as 4 points) and is forcing one round.Remember that opener has already promised 12-15 points and in SAYC System, he may hold even 20 points. 2. Over call of 2 over 1 in a suit: SAYC: It is defined only as an overcall (8-16), same as one over one. Comments: It does not say anything about strength of the suit.It is presumed that it merely requires a higher range point holding,say 13-16 and a good 5 carder suit. Recommended:i) Points should be immaterial eg non-vul, bid 2H over 1Sp holding QJTxxxx or KQJxxx and nothing else. You have 5 tricks and even if partner holds zero points, you will not go down more than three. Partner knows that you have 5 tricks non-vul and 6 tricks vul (Rule of 2&3) with H as trumps. He should add to that extra tricks that he himself is contrbuting to decide how high he can bid in competing or sacrificing. Now let us assume that opponents reach 4S and your partner is holding Spx H Kxx D Axxxx CAxxx. He can see that you will get only 1H,1D and 1C trick and perhaps no H trick if partner is not having A.He calculates that he is contributing 3 tricks in high cards plus one or 2 ruffs in Sp i.e. 4-5 tricks.So he bids 5 H going down one or two. ii) Now let us say you are holding S xxx H AQJxx D Qxx C AQ (15 points). You overcall 2H on 1Sp opening by your RHO and your LHO is holding Sxx H KT9x D KTx CKxxx He will double you even with 9 points. You will make only 4 tricks and Vul ,you will give a penalty of 1100! In his book, Goren has given a similar hand where 1100 was paid as penalty and has commented "NEVER BE HEARD TO SING THE SONG OF A SUCKER "BUT,PARTNER, I HAD 14 POINTS" Remember this comment.So in the above hand, you have no call and have to pass. If at all, you can double and most likely your partner will bid 2C and you must pass. If you now bid 2H, you will be showing 16+ points. If you pass, your partner will know your holding of points by opener's partner's bid and can come in the auction later. But supposing in the above hand, you held S xx and C AQx, i.e short in Sp and minimum three cards in each of the remaining three suits,then your overcall is double,not 2H. If partner bids 2C or 2D , you just pass willing to play in 4-3 fit if partner has only a 4 card suit. Only if partners call is doubled, you know that C are not favourably distributed and try 2 H as an escape. The point is that 5 carder good suit is not enough at 2 level. It has to be a very,repeat,very good suit, normally 6 carder with atleast 4 winners in the suit. Thus while you can take all the liberties at one level, overcall at two level is a different proposition altogether. Overcalls AT TWO LEVEL depend purely on length and quality of the suit and Rule of 2&3 and NOT ON POINT HOLDING. 3. Double : SAYC: Double, against opening bids upto 4D level, is for take out and for bids over 4H is for penalty. Partner's jump response below game level is invitational and cue bid in opponent's suit is forcing. With 17+ points, double and then bid your long suit. Comments: It does not specify the strength and distribution for a take out double. In fact, it prescribes a simple overcall holding 8-16 points as noted in Items 1 and 2 above. Recommended: i) Take out double should promise only 13+ points with minimum 3 cards in remaining 3 suits,12+ points with doubleton in opponent's suit and 11+ points with singleton in opponents suit. Do not double with only 11 points and void in opponent's suit as partner is likely to pass for penalty with 9+ points,holding length in opener's suit. ii) With 16+ points, double with any distribution, even a singleton or doubleton and bid your suit or raise partner's suit next round which will show a strong hand. iii)Partner's responses: pass: 8- 9 points with very good holding in opponents suit, say AQJxx or KQTxx. 1NT: 8-10 points with a stopper in opponent's suit suit without a jump: 0-9 points suit with jump: 10-11 points,even a four carder suit,invitational jump to 2NT: 11 points with a stopper in opponent's suit,invitational 4. Jump over call in a suit SAYC: It is a preemptive bid as if made as an opening bid (Rule of 2&3). Comments: Preemption works only if you are able to prevent opponents from exchangig information and bidding has not yet commenced. if one opponent has already opened the bidding showing his suit,advantage of preempt is already lost. Recommended: Jump overcall should promises a semi-solid 6 or 7 carder suit, Rule of 2&3 applicable. Remember that partner may be having zero points and singleton in your suit. Point range should depend on comparative vulnerability as under: Equal 12-15 opening hand Favourable (non-vul against vul) 6-11 preemptive,weak Non-favourable (Vul against non-vul) 16-18 strong If you adopt the above method,write"as per vulnerability" against the "jump overcalls" in the Convention Card. 5. Jump to 2NT overcall : SAYC 5-5 : It shows two lower unbid suits opening bid of 1 Jump to 2NT means 1C H & D 1D H & C 1H/S D & C Comments: It does not specify point range. You have to decide if it is preemptive. Recommended: Point range should be as per comparative vulnerability as shown in Item 4 above.Your partner should have complete faith in the strength shown by your bid as it is for him to decide where the contract is to be played.Strict discipline has to be maintained.If your two suiter hand does not comply with these conditions,then bid higher suit first and second suit next round. Say you are holding Sp xx HAQJxx Dx CKxxxx Jump to 2NT on opening bid of 1D only when non-vul against vul otherwise bid 1H intending to bid C next round keeping in view progress of bidding by your partner and opponents. 6. Cue bid overcall: SAYC: It is Michaels cue bid with two suiter hands. Cue bid of a minor suit shows both majors with 8+ points. Cue bid of a major shows the other major and an unspecified minor with 10+ points and partner bids 2NT if he wants to ascertain the minor. Comments: The point range is very wide. It gives no indication to the as to how far the partner should compete holding say 11 points as you may be holding anything between 8-16 points. Also, Items 5 and 6 do not cover all the combinations. Say you are holding a two suiter in Sp and C. On 1D opening, jump to 2NT will mean H&C and cue bid will mean Sp&H. Recommended: Point range should be "As per vulnerability" as shown in Item 4 above.Cue bid should show two extreme suits out of the remaining three suits. Jump to 2D or 3C should show the remaining two suits. Opening bid Cue bid overcall Shows two extreme suits 1C 2C S & D 1D 2D S & C 1H 2H S & C 1S 2S H & C Opening bid jump to 2D/3C shows remaining two suits 1C 2D S & H 1D 3C S & H 1H 3C S & D 1S 3C H & D Please note that against artificial opening of 1C as in Precision system, two suiter hand in D&C can not be shown either in SAYC or the above recommended method. You will have to bid first D and C in next round. 7. Overcall on 1NT opening: SAYC: It does not mention if these calls are artificial. Convention Card requires that you indicate if you are playing Astro. Astro is that over 1NT opening by your RHO, your 2C shows two 5-5 carder suits, H and a minor while 2D means Sp and another suit. Recommended: It is better to play transfer bids i.e your bid means the next higher suit. 2C/D/H/S are transfer to 2D/H/S/3C,Rule of 2 & 3 applying.The advantages of transfer bids are i) if you buy the contract, your partner plays the hand and the opponent who opened 1NT is on lead. He is forced to lead from tenace hodings like AQx, KJx etc. In the process you are likely to gain a trick. ii) Remember that your bid at two level is with a very good suit Rule of 2&3 applying and therefore your partner is not to bid another suit UNLESS he has singleton or void IN YOUR SUIT AND HAS HIS OWN SELF SUSTAINING SUIT. Say, non-vul, you have bid 2D over 1NT,(transfer to H) holding Sp Axx H KQTxxx Dxx Cxx Your LHO doubles. He is obviously showing a D suit or it might be negative double showing 8-10 points.Your partner must bid 2H holding minimum doubleton H, With a singleton H, he has other options as under: Partner's holding His bid Spxxx Hx DQTxxx Cxxxx Pass. Singleton H.Happy to play in D. You can pass holding 3 card D support or bid 2H on your own, knowing that D support will come handy even in 2H contract and H suit itself is giving you 4 tricks. Spxxxxx Hx Dxx Cxxxxx Redouble: No support for H or D. Support in other two suits.You can choose to bid 2Sp or 2H. SpKQJxxx Hx Dxxx Cxxx 2Sp.H singleton or void.Self- sustaining Sp suit 2NT overcall over 1NT opening shows 5-5 in minors, strength as per vulnerability. 8. NT Overcall : SAYC : It shows 15-18 points "preferably" with a stopper in opponent's suit on which partner's 2C is Stayman. Comments: It MUST have a stopper in opponent's suit."Preferably" will not do. If your partner is holding a stopper, he should be playing in NT and not you. Recommended: i) 15-18 is a bit wide range.With a balanced, bid 1NT with 16-18 points with a stopper in opener's suit.Partner can then safely employ Stayman or raise to 2NT with even 7 points. ii) Double with 16-18 points without a stopper in opponent's suit and bid your suit or raise partner's suitin second round to show better hand. Say you bid 1NT on opening of 1H by RHO, without a stopper in opponent's suit, holding SpKJx Hxxx DAKxx CAQx and your partner is holding Sp xxxx HKx DQJx CKxxx Your LHO is on lead and HK is dead and opponents cash 5H tricks and one Sp while 3NT is safe played from your partner's hand. If you double 1H and partner bids 1NT showing 8-10 points with a H stopper, you can jump to 3NT. Similarly, if you have bid 1NT promising a stopper in opponent's suit and 16-18 points,he can jump to a game with minimum values e.g. he can jump to 3NT holding Spxxx xx DAKQxxxx Cxx. iii) At two level against opening of weak or normal openings of 2C/D/H/S, overcall of 2NT shows 16-18 and a stopper (of course not against strong openings). 9.Overcall against preempts: SAYC: Overcall in suits or NT is natural.Cuebid is Michaels.Double upto 4D level is take out but on 4H/S is penalty. Comments: It does not specify holding of point range or strength of suit bid as overcall. Recommended:i) Two level preempts: --Double with 13+ points with shortness in suit bid. Raise partner or bid a your own good suit in second round holding 17-21 points. --Bid your own very good suit(Rule of 2&3 applying) irrespective of point holding e.g, non-vul,bid 3H over 2Sp opening holding Spxx HKQJxxxx Dxx Cxx or SpKx HKQJTxx Dxxx Cxx. Partner should only be concerned with your promise to have 6 tricks and should add the number of tricks he is contributing to decide upto what level he is willing to compete. -- Holding 5-5 two suiter and 16+ points, bid your suits instead doubling as partner is most likely to respond in your short suit. -- Cue bid holding 22+ points.Partner should try for a slam with 10 points. ii) Three level preempts The same principles as against two level apply except that the take out double should not be made with less than 15 points as you are forcing partner to bid at 3/4 level and his holding may be weak (0-9 points) and you may pay a heavy penalty. iii) Four level preempts -- Double of 4C/D is take out -- Double of 4H/Sp is penalty. Overcall of 4NT is take out double. OVERCALLS IN FOURTH POSITION (REOPENING POSITION) SAYC: This is the same as in first position overcall, may be lighter at the minium end. 1NT overcall means 10-15 points which is a wide range but will be adequate as there is no likely game. Comments: Thus double may be with 11+ points and one over one overcall may be 7+ points.With 14-15 points and a stopper, game should not be ruled out as partner might be holding 9-10 points and a 5 card suit which he could not bid in direct position. Recommended : i) Overcall at one level should promise minimum 9 points.Your partner has passed which means that he does not have a good suit to bid at two level and does not have 13+ points to make a take out double.The only other possibility of his holding an opening hand and not being able to make a take out double is that he has length in opponent's suit and is short in one or two other suits. The greater possibility is that,playing SAYC, the opener has 19-20 point hand. Reopening with 7-8 points will enable opener to take a second bid in a new suit or show a very strong opening suit. Then if your partner raises you or bids a new suit,you are likely to land in a bad contract. Once partner is sure of minimum 9+ points,he can bid more confidently. ii) 1NT should show only 8-10 points with a stopper in opponent's suit.This narrow range will give proper information to the partner who can then decide on further bids. iii) Double should mean shortness in opponent's suit and 11+ points. If partner is holding 11+ points and length in opener's suit,he can convert it into penalty. iv) Jump to 2NT,jump to 2D/3C and cue bid should show 5-5 two suiter hands as in Items 5&6 in second position overcalls with strength as defined therein. v) Jump overcall also has the same meaning as in second position (Item 4)