The following conventions/treatments I recommend for all established partnerships playing 2/1 . Red , I feel is compulsory , Blue is highly recommended and green recommended . There is an e-mail written on each of the following topics ( click to view ).

 

  1. Kokish rebids over 1D/2C
  2. Tactics counter defense understandings
  3. Defensive signals – reverse Smith echos  , odd/even discards , suit preference when following suit
  4. Serious 3NT / Italian & Fred Gitleman style Q bidding
  5. Fit showing jumps as a passed hand
  6. The Vinnies Drury innovation
  7. Support Doubles
  8. Thrump Doubles
  9. Puppet Stayman
  10.  2C relay treatment
  11.   Forcing NT Gitleman relays over 2NT
  12.  Jump reverse rebids by opener
  13.  Subash 5-5 jumps
  14.  Wolff relay
  15.  ALL KCB understandings
  16. Jacoby 2NT with serious 3NT & relays
  17.  Flower bids as jumps to 4 of a major
  18.  4 way transfers over 1NT
  19.  Bergen raises
  20.  Kokish Game tries
  21.  DONT Rescues
  22. 2-WAY NMF
  23. D.S.I.P. Doubles

 

 

1.  Kokish rebids over 1D/2C     . This should be compulsory as the partnership has an understanding that the 2C bidder only initiates the search for the 4-4 major suit fit . The diamond opener does not have to bother mentioning a major because the 2C hand does not have one . This fact really simplifies these auctions and accuracy is enhanced and other good understandings emerge.

  

2. Tactics – counter defense         Needed by all good established partnerships

 

7. Support Doubles                         The importance of the 4th trump in hand evaluation especially in competition . Knowing that partner has only 3

  trump  makes penalty doubles easier and avoids silly game tries or game bids. Rosenkranz redoubles come with     

the territory

 

9.   Puppet Stayman                        Standard Stayman is very deficient for slam try understandings . This helps with 5-3 major fits and getting to slam

 after Stayman 

 

14.  Wolff relay                                  Standard bidding very weak after a 2NT rebid . Good source of IMPS to have some sort of structure . Wolff

 treatment good as any .

 

15. KCB understandings              KCB has been the most improved treatment I have seen while I have been away from the bridge scene . The

complexity needs partnership work though.

 

19. Bergen Raises                          Importance of the 4th trump in hand evaluation again . Knowing that partner has only 3 trump for a simple major

raise clarifies game tries , competing , penalty doubles …   1M 3M   pre-emptive is a pain for the opponents .

                                                     

20. Kokish Game Tries                  Need some sort of game try . These are the best in my opinion and fits in with Bergen nicely .

 

22. 2-way NMF                                 Best way to handle 1NT rebids

 

 

                                                                 

3. Defensive Signals                              An edge no matter how small is still an edge .

 

4. Serious 3NT/Italian Q bidding         Invented by Rodwell/Meckstroth . Expert pairs are converting all over the world.

 

8. Thrump Doubles                                Importance of 3NT can not be over stated . Why let a pre-empt get you by 3NT ??  4 level minor bids are silly .

 

12. Jump reverse rebids by opener    I think this would be fun to play . Since it is non forcing , it is like opening a two suited pre-empt . 6-5 hands in

the 10-15  HCP are hard to handle anyway so why not have some fun ??

 

16. Jacoby 2NT with serious                Serious 3NT improves Jacoby 2NT . Jacoby 2NT archaic so

       3NT & relays                                      why not jazz it up a bit with a relay .

 

18. 4 way transfers over 1NT                Best structure over 1NT in my opinion .

 

21. DONT Rescues                                  1NT doubled is a messy contract . Should have a rescue  sequence

 

5.   Fit showing jumps as                        Wasted  bid anyway for a jump shift . Would have opened a

       a passed hand                                   weak 2 previously rather than passing.

 

6.  The Vinnies Drury innovation          If splinters by a passed hand have a different meaning , then using a Drury treatment  to splinter is very good

 

10.    2C relay treatment                         Solves the age old problem of 2 suited 2C openers

 

11. Forcing NT – Gitleman relays         Solves the problem of weak 5-5’s or 6-4’s if partner rebids

        over 2NT                                            2NT after a 1NT forcing

 

13. Subash 5-5 jumps                              Standard bidding does not handle two suited major responses over a minor very well . Clarifies 4th suit

forcing .

 

17. Flower bids as jumps                        Jumps to 4 of a major offer very little information . Makes

      to 4 of a major                                      things tough in competition . A descriptive jump to 4  

                                                                       makes sense to me

 

23. D.S.I.P. Doubles                                 Dangerous but good partnerships should be able to handle

                                                                                                                them .