[NickToll]

This is under discussion in my partnership.

We have experimented different kinds of jump responses over 1♣ or 1♦ in our weak notrump foundation. The scheme below is an attempt to play many of them in the same system.

Over 1♣:
2♣: limit-plus club raise, forcing to 3♣ - the usual inverted raise
2♦: "multi" fit bid - a good five-card major, four or more clubs, forcing to 3♣
2♥: weak, five spades and four hearts
2♠: mixed club raise
2NT: natural and forcing, 12-14 or 18+, may have 4card majors (with 15-17, respond in a suit and then jump to 3NT, or respond 3NT with a square hand) - this comes from Kent Feiler, see here
3♣: preemptive club raise

Over 1♦:
2♦: "multi" fit bid - a good five-card major, four or more diamonds, forcing to 3♦
2♥: weak, five spades and four hearts
2♠: limit-plus diamond raise, forcing to 3♦
2NT: natural and forcing, as over 1♣
3♣: preemptive club raise
3♦: preemptive diamond raise

The 2♦ response is the point I'd especially like to hear from you about.

Compared to 2♥ and 2♠ natural fit bids (which we have played for some time, even in non competitive auctions), this 2♦ leaves room for the weak 2♥ response: on the other hand, it does not clarify immediately which major suit is held and deprives us of the natural inverted raise over 1♦. Both minus points appear to be manageable:

• In non competitive auctions opener can bid 2♥ or 2♠ with three cards, looking for an alternative fit: responder will confirm the fit by raising or showing a short suit (both GF), or deny by bidding the opening suit (minimum, can be passed) or 2NT (good hand, GF) or 2♠ over 2♥
  
• With no interest for any major fit, opener can rebid his minor (can be passed) or mark the time with 2NT (game forcing), or suggest a strong 1-suiter by bidding the other minor (artificial)
  
• In competitive auctions opener can rely on the known minor fit, or double a major overcall for takeout, allowing responder to convert the double with the same suit or make some descriptive bid with the other major
  
• 1♦-2♠ is not as comfortable as 1♦-2♦, but opener can reply 3♦ with a minimum, any other bid as a natural force - not great, but quite playable

Any thoughts?
Thanks.

[Phil]

I've played a very similar structure without your multi fit jumps.

I don't understand why your multi jump is forcing through specifically 3m. If they show a weak hand you would want to play 2M opposite a strong NT. If they are invitational, then why are you forced to play 3m opposite a strong NT instead of 2N?

I like the 2N response although in practice playing it as 13+ works fine. With a 15-17 hand (the one you seemed concerned with) just raise 3N (which for us shows a 15-17) to 4. But why would you conceal a 4cM? It seems dangerous and unnecessary for opener to have to hunt for a 44 fit over 2N.

[Siegmund]

The multi-fit bid is an interesting idea, one I may have to try out.

I also am a believer in limit+ inverted and game-forcing 2NT. Glad to be a little bit less alone in the world

If I had to guess right now, I would say to keep Inverted over 1D -- I find it much too valuable for stopper-finding to want to give it up -- and would probably abandon Reverse Flannery in favor of keeping all the other gadgets in play over 1D, but you might also be forced into playing 2H and 2S as natural fit bids since you lack the extra step you had in 1C-2D (I don't know exactly what your followups to the multi-fit are.)

[Cyberyeti]

I know a number of pairs who've played 1♦-2♣ as artificial in various ways.

Could you get away with 1♦-2♣ as nat clubs (without a 4 card major unless GF) or multi-fit ? All you'd have to do is bid a major in front of longer clubs on non GF hands.

This would allow you to keep 1♦-2♦ inverted.

[NickToll]

Phil, on 2010-November-27, 12:44, said:

I've played a very similar structure without your multi fit jumps.

I don't understand why your multi jump is forcing through specifically 3m. If they show a weak hand you would want to play 2M opposite a strong NT. If they are invitational, then why are you forced to play 3m opposite a strong NT instead of 2N?

In our definition, after a multi jump the auction can die at 3m only if both players are minimum AND opener has no fit for responder's major. Over 1♦ a typical minimum should be something like ♠KQxxx ♥x ♦Axxx ♣xxx, with no upper limit.

Phil, on 2010-November-27, 12:44, said:

I like the 2N response although in practice playing it as 13+ works fine. With a 15-17 hand (the one you seemed concerned with) just raise 3N (which for us shows a 15-17) to 4. But why would you conceal a 4cM? It seems dangerous and unnecessary for opener to have to hunt for a 44 fit over 2N.

What you suggest about the range is sensible. Our approach is different because opener's 3NT needs a little latitude: it can show a minimum hand, necessarily unbalanced, since 3♣ and 3♦ are used as slam tries. Therefore, it's more comfortable to raise 3NT to 4NT holding 18+ points.
About the four-card majors, we prefer to anticipate notrump when holding a good balanced hand, allowing opener to reply 3♥ or 3♠ naturally (a new suit with four cards, the opening suit rebid with six): if opener has no major to offer, responder will declare in notrump and opponents will have no information about his majors. Take a look at Kent Feiler's page for the details.

[NickToll]

Siegmund, on 2010-November-27, 13:58, said:

The multi-fit bid is an interesting idea, one I may have to try out.

I also am a believer in limit+ inverted and game-forcing 2NT. Glad to be a little bit less alone in the world

If I had to guess right now, I would say to keep Inverted over 1D -- I find it much too valuable for stopper-finding to want to give it up -- and would probably abandon Reverse Flannery in favor of keeping all the other gadgets in play over 1D, but you might also be forced into playing 2H and 2S as natural fit bids since you lack the extra step you had in 1C-2D (I don't know exactly what your followups to the multi-fit are.)

This is exactly where my partnership is today: inverted raises and natural fit jumps. Simple and straightforward. Our attempt id to add another option to responder's.

If we want to keep the inverted 2♦ as well as the 2♥ response as weak Reverse Flannery, we are left with 2♠ as multi-fit. In this case opener could follow with:

• 2NT: three or more hearts
  
• 3♣: three or more spades
  
• 3♦: no interest for any major and a minimum
  
• 3♥+: no interest for any major, extra values, exact meaning to be defined (cue? short suit?)