The origin of this conventional method is unknown, but the surname of Gates hints at Georgiana Gates of Houston, Texas, a World Bridge Federation member and who is also mentioned in The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge, Sixth Edition, page 649. She is also a contributor of bridge articles to The Bridge World magazine.

Note: Any additional information as to the origin of this conventional defense method would be greatly appreciated.

Principle of the Concept

By definition the word adjunct means something joined or added to another thing, but not essentially a part of it. Therefore, the Gates Adjunct is only a method supplementing a conventional method or the present partnership agreement. It is neither acted upon alone nor is it a stand-alone method.

The Gates Adjunct is employed by partnership agreement together with any defense method opposite an opponent's opening of 1 No Trump, generally with a 14 to 18 point range, showing a two-suited holding. The intervenor must also be a passed hand. The initiation of the Gates Adjunct is triggered by a call of double.

Note: The reason for this conventional method is to only supplement any partnership agreement, which employs a defense method to an opponent's No Trump opening, and which defense method does not include the possibility of an overcall of a double.

This particular situation in the auction is shown below, in which the Gates Adjunct can be employed as a supplemental method. The important feature is to remember and realize that the agreed defense method is the Landy conventional defense method, or any similar defense method, which employs the overcall of 2 Clubs to show a two-suited holding in both Major suits.

South (D)		West		North		East		Meaning
9 K7 983 KJ108765		KQ72 AQ6 QJ10 Q94		A10863 9542 AK 32		J54 J1083 76542 A
Pass								South, the Dealer, passes.
		1 NT						Opponent opens a 15-17 point No Trump.
				Pass				North, although holding 3 winning tricks, is not strong enough to take any defensive action and must pass.
						Pass		East, the partner of the No Trump bidder, is too weak to to take any action to improve upon the contract and passes.
Double								By supplementing the agreed partnership agreement of employing the Landy convention with the Gates Adjunct method South is able to show a 6-card plus Club suit with a double in this situation.

The Gates Adjunct fixes this flaw in the Landy conventional method, or similar defense methods, to show length in the Club suit via a double. Since the No Trump bidder has no rebid and North, being the next player in rotation and acting as the advancer, must bid 2 Clubs, knowing that partner has at least 6 cards in the Club suit. In this example, as the cards lie, North, the declarer, should lose zero tricks in Spades, two tricks in Hearts, zero tricks in Diamonds, and only one to two tricks in Clubs for a most likely positive result.

Note: As with all defense methods the player intervening with a Gates Adjunct call must be aware of the state of vulnerability and base the resulting score on being able to successfully fulfill the low-level partscore even if the opponents double for penalty.

Supplemental Adjunct

There are various defense methods employed after a No Trump opening by an opponent, and which employ both the overcalls of 2 Clubs and 2 Diamonds for takeouts, such as the Astro conventional method, and to which there are several modified variations. Included among these conventional methods is also the Ripstra conventional method, which does not include the overcall of a double to exchange information.

This situation in the auction is shown below, in which the Gates Adjunct can be employed as a supplemental method to correct this flaw in the partnership agreement of employing a defense method, which does not include a low level bid to show a Minor suit.

South (D)		West		North		East		Meaning
984 K7 A987652 3		KQ72 AQ6 QJ10 Q94		A106 9542 43 AK62		J53 J1083 K J10875
Pass								South, the Dealer, passes.
		1 NT						Opponent opens a 15-17 point No Trump.
				Pass				North has no option but to pass in rotation.
						Pass		East, the partner of the No Trump bidder, is too weak to to take any action to improve upon the contract and passes. A transfer to the Club suit with only 5 cards is not recommended.
Double								By supplementing the agreed partnership agreement of employing the Astro convention, or similar defense methods, with the Gates Adjunct method South is able to show a 6-card plus Minor suit with a double in this situation. Again, the initiator of the Gates Adjunct method must be a passed hand.
		Pass						No other option is available to the No Trump opener.
				2				The partner of the intervenor is required to relay to Clubs.
						Pass		Again, without holding any values, the partner of the No Trump bidder is forced to pass.
2								If the Minor suit is Clubs, then South will pass. Otherwise, the initiator of the Gates Adjunct corrects to Diamonds, which should be a 6-card plus suit.

Again, all requirements for the Gates Adjunct are met. The player initiating the employment of the Gates Adjunct via the double is a passed hand, having no opening values. The player has length in a Minor suit, which cannot be shown via the agreed conventional method at a low level. If South, in this auction, declares a contract of 2 Diamonds, with the No Trump bidder on his left, then South loses, with a finesse, one Spade trick, two Heart tricks, two Diamond tricks, and zero Club tricks, thereby fulfilling the contract of 2 Diamonds.

Note: Again the reminder that, as with all defense methods, the player intervening with a Gates Adjunct call must be aware of the state of vulnerability and base the result on being able to successfully fulfill the low-level partscore even if the opponents double for penalty.

Gates Adjunct for Natural Overcalls

Although less frequent, all defense methods, which employ natural bids following a No Trump opening, can supplement this partnership agreement with the Gates Adjunct to show both Major suits. There are many defense methods, which allow the opponents to compete in the auction, and several methods employ only natural bids to show a one-suited holding. However, the requirement to initiate a Gates Adjunct via a double remains the same as above. The initiator must be a passed hand in order to show a Major two-suited holding.

South (D)		West		North		East		Meaning
A9864 K9754 43 K		KQ72 AQ6 QJ10 Q94		J105 J108 AK9 J1087		3 32 87652 A6532
Pass								South, the Dealer, passes.
		1 NT						Opponent opens a 15-17 point No Trump.
				Pass				North, with a flat distribution, has no option but to pass in rotation.
						Pass		East, the partner of the No Trump bidder, is too weak to to take any action to improve upon the contract and passes.
Double								By supplementing the agreed partnership agreement of employing only natural overcalls following a No Trump opening by the opponents with the Gates Adjunct method South is able to show a holding with both Major suits, preferably a 5-5 distribution, with a double in this situation.
		Pass						No other option is available to the No Trump opener.
Continuances:				The partnership can agree on any possible continuances in this bidding situation. The following bids are only suggested bids.
				2				Shows equal length and strength in both Major suits and allows the Gates Adjunct bidder to select the better Major suit, leaving the No Trump bidder in the unfavorable position of having to lead to the first and subsequent tricks. This first response in a Minor suit indicates minimum values and is neither invitational nor game oriented.
				2				Shows equal length and strength in both Major suits and allows the Gates Adjunct bidder to select the better Major suit, leaving the No Trump bidder in the unfavorable position of having to lead to the first and subsequent tricks. This first response in a Minor suit indicates moderate values and is mildly invitational to game.
				2				To play.
				2				To play.
				3				A jump to the lower-ranking Minor suit shows a void in Clubs, support for either Major suit, with a preference for Hearts, and is invitational to game. (Note: may imply fewer values.)
				3				A jump to the higher-ranking Minor suit shows a void in Diamonds, support for either Major suit, with a preference for Spades, and is invitational to game. (Note: may imply moderate values.)
				3				Shows additional length in Hearts, distributional strength, and is mildly game invitational.
				3				Shows additional length in Spades, distributional strength, and is mildly game invitational.
				4				Although rare, a double jump to the lower-ranking Minor suit shows a void in Clubs, support for either Major suit, with a preference for Hearts, and is forcing to game.
				4				Although rare, a double jump to the higher-ranking Minor suit shows a void in Diamonds, support for either Major suit, with a preference for Spades, and is forcing to game.

 

 

If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.