The Bridge Experts
  • Home
  • Articles
  • The Bridge Fellowship
    • Learn from the Best
    • Bridge Can Be Easier
    • General Coaching + Simulations
    • Gift certificates
  • Give us a Hand!

Weird Fads and Fashions - Part I

2/13/2020

0 Comments

 

Author

Marcelo Branco

This article is the first of a series in which I will discuss some bidding notions that appear weird, and perhaps even mistaken, to my eyes.
I am stepping onto a minefield, since many of these notions are upheld by famous authors, and followed by high level partnerships. Criticisms are welcome, since my intent is to help us to reappraise some ideas and conventions.

One of the oldest ideas in bidding theory, one which I first heard, and already thought it strange, when I was a bridge "infant", was the notion of free bid. According to this notion, if you want to respond to your partner's opening after an opposing interference -- even at the one level -- you must have a better hand than if the opponent had passed. Our minimum is no longer the 5/6 points (taking distribution into account); these authors require something like 8+. 

In my view this notion has no leg to stand upon, either logically or in practice. I even think we should do the opposite: in other words, after interference, we can and should strive to bid even with a worse-than-minimum hand. By interfering, the opponents have started a struggle for the winning denomination -- at least at the part-score level. This should be a flag for action, not for passivity. We should contest the auction.

Suppose you have the following hand:
Picture
When your partner opened in 1 of a minor suit, I imagine that the vast majority of players would consider this hand good enough for a 1 Spade response.

But what if the opponent interfered with 1 Heart before your turn? I see no reason why this should hinder us from bidding what we expected to bid -- either by doubling (if this indicates precisely 4 spades), or by using any other agreement selected by the players.

To pass would be to give the opponents the reward they are waiting for when they interfere. In effect, we would be granting to the overcall of 1 Heart a "preemptive power" that it absolutely lacks.

Another example:
Picture
After partner opens 1 Diamonds, the natural response is 1NT. But if the opponents bid 1 of a major (whether spades or hearts -- the lack or presence of a stopper is not the main factor in this hand), my emphatic recommendation is a 2 Clubs bid. This is probably your last opportunity of showing such a good suit. 

Of course, the partnership must discuss the meaning of all possible reactions after the opponents interfere. Cuebids, jump shifts, many kinds of raises, 2/1 weaker than GF (as in the last example) must be defined clearly.

But this is a subject for another article. This one's goal is solely to criticize the notion of free bid.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2021
    May 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    September 2019
    August 2019

    Categories

    All
    1st FSO
    2020 Brazilian Trials
    2/1
    Adriano Rodrigues
    Advanced
    Bidding Judgment
    Bidding Systems
    Bobby Levin
    Books
    China
    Contested Auction
    Declarer Play
    Defense
    Diego Brenner
    Double Dummy
    Emilio La Rovere
    Ernesto Muzzio
    Expert
    FSO
    Gabriel Chagas
    Giorgio-duboin
    Henrique Salomão
    Inferences
    Intermediate
    Ira Rubin
    Israel
    Jeovani Salomão
    João Paulo Campos
    Marcelo Branco
    Marcos Thoma
    Miguel Villas Boas
    Opening Lead
    Pablo Ravenna
    Paulo Brum
    Pietro Berlusconi
    Poland
    Pressure Bidding
    Raises
    Roberto Barbosa
    Roberto Mello
    Singapore
    Slam Bidding
    Stefano Tommasini
    Sweden
    Tournament Report
    Transfer Responses To 1C
    Trump Maneuvers
    USA
    Video
    World Youth Teams

    RSS Feed

Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Site powered by Page One Agency
  • Home
  • Articles
  • The Bridge Fellowship
    • Learn from the Best
    • Bridge Can Be Easier
    • General Coaching + Simulations
    • Gift certificates
  • Give us a Hand!