Dear Ed & Peter,

What system is the best to use after partner opens with 2♣ (strong - approx. 22 pts)?
Negative Hearts was discussed and the step system (2♦ with 0 - 3 points, 2♥ with 4-6 points, 2♠ with 7-9 points, and 2NT with 10 or more.
We were told this was old-fashioned. Some people automatically respond 2♦ waiting call.
Can you suggest what you consider the best response?

Thanks,
Gail Silveman

Reply from Ed Hoogenkamp ('South'):

Dear Gail,

My own favourite system is to always respond 2♦, unless you have a hand with at least eight points and a five card suit with at least two out of the three top honours (AK, AQ or KQ).

The reason: the opener has:
- either a  strong balanced hand in which case he will rebid 2NT. Hereafter the 'system is on', meaning you respond like you would after partner's 2NT opening bid (e.g. transfers, Stayman). In this system the strong hand will almost always be declarer. It would be a pity if responder had bid a natural suit on his first bid...
- or a strong hand with a long suit, a suit he seriously suggests as the trump suit. What he doesn't need is non-information. If responder can bid any four card suit, opener will bid his own suit and no real information is exchanged. If you use my suggestion about the quality of the suit you bid, you give useful information to your partner.

You open 2♣. If partner now responds 2♥, meaning he has ♥KQxxx at least plus three more points at least, you bid 7NT!

Of course it doesn't always turn out this easy but you can see the advantage of knowing the quality of the suit.

With any other type of hand the reply is 2♦.

Peter will have something to say about this. I think in Norway they always respond 3NT (or was it 6NT?) with weak hands.

Regards from Barcelona

Reply from Peter van der Linden ('North'):

Dear Gail,

As usual Ed has picked the easy parts of the answer (what he says is correct, by the way - I thought I'd better mention it), leaving the tough part to me.

Firstly, he did not mention why the standard the response should be 2♦. The reason is that opener needs bidding space to describe his hand.
That is why your 'point count responses' are not practical. Suppose you would answer 2♥ (4-6 points) and partner bids 3♥. Apart from the serious disadvantage that a heart contract (which is very likely) is now in the wrong hand, you have now lost a precious level: how can you now establish hearts and make a slam try at the same time? How can you show a minor suit?

Furthermore Ed does not mention the difficult subject of: can the weak hand ever pass below game? How does he show his strength or weakness (after all 2♦ is not weak but relay); he does not like to keep on bidding on zero points if he doesn't have to. Here are the solutions:
If the opener bids a suit over 2♦, this is one round forcing. His partner now shows a weak hand by bidding the next suit, but not no trumps (though opinions differ about this situation). This is known as second negative, a strange name, since this is the first weak bid... The idea is again: saving bidding space.
If the 2♣-opener now rebids his suit, this is not forcing, but a new suit is. So:

¹ relay; any strength possible but denying a five card suit with two top honours and 8⁺ points
² second negative: weak hand; any other bid would have been gameforcing
³ not forcing

¹ relay; any strength possible but denying a five card suit with two top honours and 8⁺ points
² second negative: weak hand; any other bid would make the situation gameforcing
³ forcing (because it is a new suit)

¹ relay; any strength possible but denying a five card suit with two top honours and 8⁺ points
² gameforcing(!); the second negative: bid would be 3♣

One more detail: after partner's 2♦ relay a jump by opener shows a solid suit. After all, the same bid one level lower would have been forcing already, so the space-consuming jump must mean something special.  Logical is: solid suit; this suit is thus established as trumps, any suit by responder after this is a control showing bid therefore.

¹ relay; any strength possible but denying a five card suit with two top honours and 8⁺ points
² gameforcing, solid spade suit, establishing spades as trumps
³ club control

This system after 2♣ is easy to remember, very practical and gives the strong hand maximum opportunity to describe his hand on the lowest possible level. ('Possible', since of course 'opening at the two level in itself has already wasted a bidding level', as no doubt supporters of a strong club system will point out!).
No such trivialities in Barcelona: Ed usually jumps to game - any game- after his partner has opened. Then he resumes his siesta.

Regards from Orkanger