Analyse This System (strong diamond)
nmtop40
get a lot of response - hopefully I will get more here.
Below is the basics of a strong diamond system. Note it is a fairly
natural system using 5 card majors.
Opening bids:
1D: strong hand, 17+ (or good 16)
1H/1S: 5 card majors, good 11 to 16
1NT: can be played as 11-13 or 14-16 or variable
1C: any opening strength hand that does not qualify for other opening
bids.
responses to 1C:
1H/1S - forcing 1 round and promise 5 card suit.
1D: forcing and promises 4 card major
1NT: non-forcing response, no 4 card major
2C/2D: natural, forcing (but not to game), no 4 card major (opener may
have one of course)
responses to 1H/1S:
1NT: forcing, opener should bid 4 card suit (1H-1NT-2S shows 15-16),
rebid major with 6 or bid 2C (could be doubleton)
2C over 3rd seat opening drury (your preferred version), otherwise
natural, 2D/2H responses forcing (to game if you prefer). 3C/3D jumps
(and 2S/3H whatever) fit-showing invitational+ strength.
2NT jump invitational strength+ 4 card support (with 3 card support
bid 1NT first) or game force (can be 3+)
I'll post the rest in a moment - want to get this up before my
computer possibly crashes.
Kwschneider
nmtop40
Basically all the opening 2 bids are weak. You can vary the
system of course to your own taste, but I am thinking of this:
Opening 2-level bids:
2C/2D: asptro-style openings
2H/2S: weak 2 bids
2NT: minors
2C thus shows hearts + other suit
2D shows spades + other suit
with 5-4 in the majors, you anchor the shorter suit, and partner
will make the relay bid (next bid up) unless he has 4 card
support for your major (3 only when holding a side-suit singleton).
But relay is not forcing, so you have to bid 2NT to force.
These opening bids should be just below opening strength, thus
good 7 to bad 11. Think of it as 8-11. But in 3rd seat non-vulnerable
can be weaker, and 4th in hand should be stronger (weak hand you pass
of course)
Responses to opening 1D:
As this bid is 17+ you can play the same as Magic Diamond if you want,
but my system is a bit simpler:
1H response is negative (0-6)
1S response is "super +" (11+)
all other responses are 7-10, thus fairly limited, in a range that will
occur reasonably often. Positive responses generally game forcing, you
don't check for 17 opposite 7 but beware of "good 16" opposite misfitting
hand.
After 1H, 1S by opener is "super +", good 20+. Now you could play that
1NT is appalling- so opener can pass, although it means the strong hand
will be dummy. Alternatively make 2C appalling- and "scramble. This is
where my strong club system had a slight advantage, because 1C-1D-1H-1S-1NT
showed this holding, and weak hand could sign off in 2 of any suit. Of
course with any luck now opps will come in and we have more space)
After 1S, 2C shows that but balanced 20-22 jumps to 2NT. (Some might
want to play that opening 2NT covers this range, thus removing it from
1D openings)
After intervention, we split the weak range immediately and Pass is very
weak (0-3), Dbl is 4-7 any shape, next suit is 12+ and bids are 8-11. Note
that after Dbl it is worst time for opps to go on bidding, as we have
values just below game and can probably double profitably without worrying
that much about missing a game. At least not one that everyone else will be
in. And obviously we double only with good trumps.
I haven't developed this part fully, but note my strong club system at
http://www.nmtop40.com
paulfr...@attbi.com
without a major (no minor log enough or hand strong enough for 2m response)
it will be hand to "stick" in 1NT when that is the right contract. Probably
not terribly important in IMPs but might be costly in matchpoints.
Obviously saving some of the two level openings for constructive hands would
help limit the 1C opening -- important, I think -- but this is more
philosophy (constructive versus harassing) than technical. Pay your money
and take your pick.
Back in the old days when I used to play some Strong Diamond systems, I had
quite a bit of success with a Vienna Club approach to bidding after 1C:
1D: negative, could be a decent hand without a 4-card major or 5 card
minor.
1H/1S: forcing 1 round, something like 8-11 hcp, 4+ card suit
1N: artificial, game forcing
2C/2D: 8-11 5+ card suit, non-forcing.
higher: as suits one's fancy (we played 2H->3D as invitational)
Obviously, though, we were not as 4 v 5 card major biased as you are.
One further comment, if I may. While I like mini-NT openings, I think they
are a problem in this system. The 1C opening has to cover quite a range of
hands and the possibility of a decent (14-16) NT hand will add to headaches
in competition.
Paul
"nmtop40" <nmt...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f324bc45.02071...@posting.google.com...
paulfr...@attbi.com
the semi-positive responses. At least consider using 2C as the balanced hand
(2D works ok, too, if you prefer this). Over 1D-2C (balanced):
2D: relay, stayman-like
2H=spades
2S=hearts
2N=both
3C=neither
2H,2S,3C=natural
2N=diamonds
Over 1D-2D (balanced)
2H: relay, stayman-like
2S=hearts
2N=spades
3C=both
3D=neither
2S,3C,3D: natural
2N=hearts
"nmtop40" <ne...@nmtop40.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:3d3580cd$1...@news1.homechoice.co.uk...
nmtop40
<paulfr...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:XdgZ8.568033$cQ3.52334@sccrnsc01...
> The biggest problem I see is 1C-1N. Since this can be just about any hand
> without a major (no minor log enough or hand strong enough for 2m
response)
> it will be hand to "stick" in 1NT when that is the right contract.
Probably
> not terribly important in IMPs but might be costly in matchpoints.
1C opening is not forcing so a weak hand with clubs may pass. The only
problem
is a weak hand with diamonds that now has to bid 1NT where diamonds would
play
better. However, and the same applies if you reply 1NT holding clubs, the
fact that your opponents have not competed in the majors means your partner
could well be holding a balanced hand with 4-4-3-2 or at least 4-3 in the
majors,
and so NT could well be the best spot.
> Obviously saving some of the two level openings for constructive hands
would
> help limit the 1C opening -- important, I think -- but this is more
> philosophy (constructive versus harassing) than technical. Pay your money
> and take your pick.
Opening 2-level bids are not completely destructive, and 8-11 hands will be
held more commonly than normal opening bid range, so you may find they are
opened almost as frequently as 1C. Besides, 1C does not take up much space,
it simply says "partner i have some values".
I didn't say, because I assumed it was obvious, that if the opponents
intervene
over 1C, we use a Dbl to show a 4 card major, bidding a major shows 5. After
1C (1D), Dbl shows at least one but not necessarily both majors.
> Obviously, though, we were not as 4 v 5 card major biased as you are.
>
> One further comment, if I may. While I like mini-NT openings, I think they
> are a problem in this system. The 1C opening has to cover quite a range of
> hands and the possibility of a decent (14-16) NT hand will add to
headaches
> in competition.
The purpose was to spread the bids so fewer hands would be opened 1C, and
there
are more 11-13 than 14-16 balanced hands. I also think it is easier to
compete
if you know partner has at least one of values or shape and perhaps both. I
haven't tried the system yet, it would be interesting to try both ranges, or
use variable.
nmtop40
<paulfr...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:nkgZ8.550711$352.95646@sccrnsc02...
> One thought for your consideration. I suggest looking into changing some
of
> the semi-positive responses. At least consider using 2C as the balanced
hand
> (2D works ok, too, if you prefer this). Over 1D-2C (balanced):
> 2D: relay, stayman-like
> 2H=spades
> 2S=hearts
> 2N=both
> 3C=neither
> 2H,2S,3C=natural
> 2N=diamonds
My thought here was to use the 2C response to 1D in the same way as the 1NT
opening. So 1D-2C-2D shows a 4 card major, but the difference is that now
you
bid the major you don't hold so the strong hand gets to play it. That is, to
some extent, what you have done.
The "super+" doesn't apply here because that only occurs when partner
responds
1H or 1S. You can also optionally swap 1S and 1NT so now 1NT is the "super+"
response of 11+ and 1S response shows clubs. Firstly, the 1NT response will
not occur that often, and the fact that it shows strength will also mean it
is not as vulnerable to attack as would a 7-10 point balanced 1NT.
Ok, so now we have changed the system so that a 1NT response is super+ and
1S response is good minor (unspecified). If 1D is overcalled with 1S by the
opponents,
whether it shows spades or not, I prefer to keep Pass and Dbl to split the
negative range.
I feel it's necessary to do this so you know who owns the hand in
competition,
and helps you to compete to the right level. (our ranges are now 0-3, 4-7,
8-11
and 12+). So now we will want to use 1NT as super+ still. We might not be
able
to afford relays (1S too likely to be raised) so 2C should be a "catch-all"
with
no 5 card major (not necessarily balanced, could contain a singleton and a
weak
5 card minor). If 1S showed some kind of "random" hand (i.e. no anchor suit)
we can play our system. Although technically we haven't lost any bids, by
now
splitting our negative range, we have lost one bid, and that is the 1S
response
showing clubs (now need 2S).
We can use 2D and 2H as transfers and 2S as good with clubs and 3C perhaps
as
good with diamonds with 2NT good with both minors (or maybe any good
2-suiter).
If 1S showed any suit, we no longer bid that suit naturally, but whatever
bid
would have showed that suit now becomes a general take-out. Yes I know it
means
sometimes responder plays the hand, you can't always avoid that.
If you want to penalise intervention, you have to pass initially then wait
for
opener to re-open, so opener should re-open most of the time.
VSARTOR7
Stucker and G.R..Nail .
I don't know if it's still available anywhere,but it's a fun "big
diamond"system.1C shows balanced hands(big and small)with a negative/waiting 1D
response,and 1D shows big (17+)unbalanced hands ,with 1H as the negative
response.A 1NT response to 1D shows hearts. Vic Sartor
Micha Keijzers
Exactly what is the idea behind a strong diamond instead of a strong
club? I have an idea, but I'd like to check it.
Kind regards, Micha
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Paul's News
> Exactly what is the idea behind a strong diamond instead of a strong
> club? I have an idea, but I'd like to check it.
>
> Kind regards, Micha
> Nijmegen, Netherlands
>
I have been playing a Strong Diamond System for around 12 years (I have also
played Blue Club and Precision before that).
I think the prime benefit is the extra space when opening 1C instead of 1D
when 11-16. This allows a much more controlled auction, and on frequency
grounds is much more useful than opening 1C with 17+.
My preferred responses to 1C are Pass 0-3, 1D 4-11 relay, 1H/1S 5+cards &
8=points, 1NT 12-18 no 5 card suit, 2C/2D 5+cards & 12+ points, 2NT 19+ no 5
card suit, others are weak and pre-emptive.
My 1D opening is 17+ points but 23+ if balanced (as I play a 17-20 1
notrump), this way the opposition find it hard to interrupt an action
against unbalanced hand types. Responses 1H 0-7, others 8+ points with 5
cards suits, 2NT 8-11 points 4-4-4-1 shape, 3NT 12+ points 4-4-4-1 shape.
Regards
Paul Tempest
nmtop40
"VSARTOR7" <vsar...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020718203934...@mb-fw.aol.com...
Might be a useful book.
I think a factor of building your own bidding system is you can divide
it into "zones" and then change one zone without it affecting another.
I didn't publish any responding systems to the 1NT opening because I
assume players will use their normal method for either a mini or weak NT.
Although 11-13 is between those ranges (I like it better than 10-12 because
you can stretch a good 10 without upsetting authorities, but stretching
a good 9 will get you summoned before the police for daring to open 1NT
on 9 points), it is not so far away from those to change your system.
Obviously responder will adjust by 1 point.
There are several ways to handle intervention over a weak NT and what to
do if it is doubled for penalties.
I want to keep my own response system to 1C because this was part of the
basis of the system.
Would be interested to see how he plays his 2 bids but the fact that they
are all weak is, I feel, the main strength of my system. In simulated
examples
they came up very frequently, and appeared to be very effective.