Traps for the Unwary by Michael Byrne clink The …

1 THE unusual no- trump is a great toy andis used by many players as such some -thing to be tried out for a while, then putback in the box when they lose interest init. And while to some extent it is a toy thatcan merely cause a distraction, when it isused well it is more of a weapon withwhich to blast the opponents. The unusual no- trump takes the formof a 2NT overcall of (typically) a one-levelopening bid, but only in the direct seat:after (1 ) Pass (Pass), a 2NT bid is bestused to show a strong balanced most overcalls it is almost alwaysused on destructive hands that are aimedat tearing the opponents bidding in is not to say you can t bid construc -tively after an unusual 2NT bid, just thatsince the minor suits are frequently outbidby the majors it is used on hands that wantto intervene; if you happen to bid andmake a game it is just an added Do You Need to BidThe unusual No- trump ?

2 Broadly speaking, the unusual no-trumpshows at least 5-5 in the two lowest unbidsuits the minor suits. (If the opponentshave opened a minor suit, then 2 NTwould show hearts and the other minor)It shows competitive values , which is agood way of saying you need to have somevalues but not that many. A lot of people getover-fixated about the number of pointsyou need to make a bid and ignore theirloca tion, when in reality the latter is farmore important than the this hand, for example:This hand is perfect for a (non-vulnerable) bid of the unusual no- trump ,as you have two good suits that you wantpartner to bid or to lead if you are outbid,and you have no defensive the hand to this:Now the hand is totally unsuitable.

3 One ofyour suits is significantly better than theother and you have too many points inyour short suits. The king of spades andqueen of hearts will surely be of little valueto partner when he is doubled for pen -alties in 3 , but you can be sure that theywill stop the opponents making a slam; sothat when you go for 1100 you won t berescued by any lucky results on the score-sheet. Effectively, when you bid the unusualno- trump you are making a pre-emptivebid (in two suits rather than one), so youmust make sure you have as purea handas possible good quality suits and littledefence outside.

4 A good question to askyourself is: Are my points in my long 5 4 3tK Q J 8 7 Q J 9 7 5 K Q 5tK Q 8 6 5 9 7 5 3 2suits? If the answer is no, then don t bid!It would be much better to bid on thishand .. than on this one:.. as on the second hand you have fartoo much defence, points where partnerwon t expect them. Facing an average4-3-3-3 6-count on the first hand, if youare doubled and go for a penalty theoppo nents will have a game or slam on;on the second you might be losing amega-score against nothing. Does the Vulnerability Matter?I mentioned earlier that a certain handwas suitable for a non-vulnerable overcall does vulnerability really make that muchof a difference?

5 The answer to this ques -tion is not only yes, but even more so thanusual. The difference, of course, is not onlypractical, it is also psychological becausewhen you are vulnerable the opponentswill be much keener to pull the trigger anddouble you for penalties than when youare not. (In this respect it is similar to apre-emptive three-level opening). So whenyou make a vulnerable overcall make sureyour suits are of good quality and, if youcan, try to be 6-5. That will normally giveyou an extra trick if you come to play thehand. All of the following hands are suitablefor a vulnerable 2NT overcall: 7 5 VoidtJ 10 9 7 3 2 Q J 10 7 6 A J KtJ 9 7 6 3 Q 5 4 3 212 English Bridge April Michael Byrne Traps for the UnwaryThe unusual No-trumpclicklinkBRIDGE AND GOLF GIFTSDIRECT LIMITEDL arge selection of bridge and golf gifts, and bridge accessories available online at (07853 066 582 (quoting English Bridge) E-mail: and short clubs.)

6 Let s say thebidding starts like this:Oppo 1 You1 2 NTWhich two suits are you showing with your2NT bid? The answer, of course, depends onthe meaning of 1 . If 1 is natural,promising a club suit, then by bidding 2 NTyou are showing hearts and diamonds(probably with emphasis on the diamonds,as with a good heart suit you might wellchoose just to bid 1 ). If 1 didn t sayanything about clubs (such as a strong club,16+), then 2NT would show the what about over a five-card-majorstyle, such as better minor? In that case Iwould treat the 1 bid as natural and have2NT showing the red suits, as above.

7 There is more of a controversial decisionover a 1 opening that shows all sorts ofbalanced hands but, to avoid mis under -standings, I would suggest that a 1 or a 1tbid that could be short should be treated asnatural. Only play 2NT over a conventionalminor that could be based on a void (suchas a strong club or a Precision diamond) toshow the minor suits that avoids alldanger of a calamity. Finally, remember that the unusual no-13 April 2014 English AHand B 5 9 8 4 5tQ 10 9 7 5 4tK Q J 10 7 A K 7 6 4 K J 10 6 5 Hand C A 2 3tQ J 10 6 5 K Q 10 8 5 Problems You Need to ConsiderIt is only fair to mention the downsides ofthe unusual no- trump .

8 When you tell theworld that you have a 5-5 shape, you areeffectively giving the opponents a blue printof your hand it may give them cluesshould they come to be declarer. Therefore,if you know you re going to be outbid, bewary of bidding on weak hands, as all youwill do is give the opponents help. (This isespe cially true if you are playing againstvery good declarer players, but if you areplaying against poor declarer players by allmeans bid on rubbish so long as you canget away with it!)One of the main dangers of the unusualno- trump is the problem it causes overtrump is essentially a pre-emptive weapon it doesn t apply over a weak two, a Multi2tor a pre-emptive opening.

9 Over suchopenings 2NT (and 3NT) are needed toshow natural bids. Let s review the dos and don ts of theunusual no- trump :Do: Make sure you are at least 5-5 withgood suits that (even if you are out -bid) you want partner to lead. Bid on hands that are pure with ahigh percentage of their points inthe long suits. Take extra care when vulnerable; ifin doubt, don t be a t: Use the unusual no- trump fourthin hand it doesn t apply in theprotective seat. Bid 2NT over a short club andexpect partner to guess which twosuits you have make firm agree -ments and stick to them Pre-empt a pre-empt; use theunusual no- trump over an enemyone-level opening, not over a weaktwo or SIM PAIRSMay 3rd 9th 2014Be part of the first North London Challengein aid of two great charities: North London Hospiceand UKCNRC (research into children s brain disease).

10 Hand booklet by top book one or two sessions go contact organiser Dudley licensed by the EBU