Table of Contents
Foreword 7
1 The Nature of Contested Auctions 9
The New Landscape
Competitive Methods
Doubles
Conventional Competitive Calls
2 Towards a Complete Method 21
Be Guided by Principles
Document
Define Completely, Exactly and Early
Reduce Clutter
Avoid Contradictions
Consolidate
A Taxonomy of Calls
Rule #1
Offensive and Defensive Strength
3 Intervening Against Opening Suit Bids 45
Requirements
Choice of Intervention
1NT Overcall
The Defensive Arsenal
Upper Limit to a Simple Overcall
The Effect of Length in the Opposing Suit
When Nothing Fits
Overcall on a Four-card Suit
4 Problems of the Advancer 63
Advancing vs. Responding
Existence of Fit
Direct Raises
Conventional Raises
Fit-showing Jumps
Notrump
New Suit Advances
Responding to Notrump Overcalls
Responding to Takeout Doubles
Jump Responses
Double Jump Response
Cuebid Response
After Redouble by Responder
After Other Actions by Responder
5 Competitive Problems of the Responder 87
Major-suit Raises
Minor-suit Raises
Suit Takeouts
Notrump Responses
The Negative Double
What Hands to Compete On
After a Takeout Double
After a 1NT Overcall
Michaels and Unusual Notrump
Switches and Transfers
6 Competitive Problems of the Opener 107
Reopening by Opener
Responding to a Reopening Double
When Opener is Balanced
When Both Opponents Bid
After a Reopening by Fourth Hand
Replying to a Negative Double
With Strong Hands
After Action by Advancer
Default Rebids
7 Low-Level Doubles - The Classic Approach 127
When is Double for Takeout?
Responsive Doubles
After an Overcall
Snapdragon Doubles
Double by Opener after One-over-one
Double by Responder after One-over-one
When the Opponents Bid and Raise
Repeat Takeout Double
Limited Trumps
8 Low-Level Doubles - The Modern Alternative 153
Forcing Sequences
One Hand Well-defined
Doubling at Second Opportunity
Doubles of Our Potential Suits
Doubles of Artificial Bids
Degrees of Takeout and Penalty
In Summary
9 Redoubles 169
Penalty Redoubles
Strength-showing Redoubles
Conventional Redoubles
Redoubles of Artificial Bids
S.O.S. Redoubles
Redouble as an Artificial Step
Penalty Passes of Redoubles
10 Forcing Competitive Auctions 181
Establishing a Force
Agreeing Trumps
Kinds of Forces
High-level Forces
Our Side Shows Strength
The Opponents Show Weakness
Pass-and-pull
Intervention Below Game in our Trump Suit
Pass/Double Inversion
11 Non-Forcing Competitive Auctions 205
Unclear Ownership
Transferable Values
Pressure
12 More on Intervening 215
Rebids by Overcaller
Rebids by Takeout Doubler
Entering Against Two Opponents
Reopening in Fourth Seat
Reopening Later in the Auction
Prebalancing
Passed-hand Intervention
Delayed Intervention and Trap Passes
13 Opening Preempts 239
Requirements
Responding to Preempts
Intervening over Preempts
Advancing a Two-level Takeout Double
Overcalls of Weak Twos
2NT Overcalls
Advancing Three-level Doubles
Gambling Passes
Advancer's Cuebid
3NT Overcalls
Higher Levels
14 The Effect of Artificial Bidding 259
Spread of Artificial Bids
Thirty Questions
Surrogates
Two Suits at Once
Unusual over Unusual
Adapting to Reduced Space
Germ Warfare
The Multi 2$
15 Defending Against Nebulous Minors 289
Modem Minor-suit Openings
Some History
How to Defend
One-suited, long in the suit opened
Two-suiters (5-5+)
Balanced hands
Three-suited hands
Major-suit Overcalls
Minor-suit Overcalls
16 Contention After Notrump Openings 301
Risks and Rewards of Competing
Conventional Intervention
D.O.N.T.
Astro and Aspro
Comparison with Weak Opening Two-bids
Reopening against 1NT
Countermeasures by the Opening Side
Independent Action by Opener
Reopening by Responder
17 Scrambling 318
High-Level Fit-Finding
Scrambling and Inviting
Escape Maneuvers
Bibliography 336
