More on non-strong twos

Last week I was extolling the virtues of the natural opening of two clubs. This is most often found in systems that employ one club (occasionally one no-trump) as their strong forcing opening. Even the more frequent two club systems can use a natural two diamonds but scarcely anyone from either camp does so. There is a farrago of meanings for an opening of two diamonds – not for nothing was the multi-coloured two diamonds so named – yet natural and opening bid strength does not seem to be one of them. Still, every dog has its day…

NS Vul.
Dealer North
  • 5
  • Q763
  • AK10743
  • Q5
  • K982
  • K82
  • Q9
  • KJ64
N
W
E
S
  • AJ1094
  • J94
  • 5
  • 9872
  • Q73
  • A105
  • J862
  • A103
West
North
East
South
Cambs
Chambers
Cambs
Colley
—
2
Pass
3NT
Pass
Pass
Pass

This hand came from a recent Suffolk Eastern Counties League match against Cambs & Hunts. West not unreasonably led fourth best from his longest and strongest, to wit, the four of clubs and that was that, nine tricks were South's. I caught up with an interesting article in the Magazine 'Bridge' recently about the information content of various opening actions. The author was clearly of a technical bent and he had a considerable number of statistics to back his claim that the higher the information content of a call, the more successful it would be.

Clearly two diamonds, natural with 11-16 HCP falls into this category. It has a not to be underestimated pre-emptive effect. Raising the level but having some values so you may judge well, yet make it dangerous for the other side to enter the auction is a idea that is not new. There has been a backlash against the very weak 'weak two'. In fact another magazine, the American publication, 'Bridge Today' has been championing the 'Trent Weak Two-bid' a wholly more constructive version of the classic opening. This is what one looks like, even a favourable vul. (they are, you're not):

Once upon a time, Acol players would opening that 1♠, the classic 'LOB' – light opening bid. But that was when partner would let you out at 2♠. Constructive auctions are littered nowadays with implicitly forcing sequences, even in a go-as-you-please system such as Acol, that may no longer be possible. Maybe it's just a case of turn and turn again but maybe, the constructive minor opening that seeks to make it awkward for the opponent's majors, is an idea that is worth a second look.

Published Saturday 8.Sep.2001