The original conventional method was developed and devised by Mr. Alvin Landy of Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. The concept is that of overcalling an opening bid of 1 No Trump by an opponent. The original version by Mr. Alvin Landy states that the overcall may be made either immediately or in the fourth seat following two passes. This is especially the case if the opponent has opened a weak No Trump with a lowest range of 12 high card points, which is the case when the bidding system of the opponents is the Acol bidding system.

Concept of Showing Both Majors

The conventional method is also based on the idea that the initiator can compete in the auction with a marginally weak to an average two-suited holding showing both Major suits, via an overcall of 2 Clubs either immediately or in the balancing seat after two consecutive passes.

The major deciding factor, especially in the immediate seat, is that the player must decide whether or not to compete by pre-calculating, pre-determining, pre-guessing a favorable result in the score, which will also be based on the state of vulnerability. In the balancing seat this decision to compete becomes easier to determine since the partner of the No Trump bidder has shown weakness in points by passing.

The strongly suggested point count is that the player planning to compete against a No Trump opening should hold a minimum of 5/6 points, but no more than 15/16 high card points. If the player holds points in excess of 16 plus high card points, then the player should first double and then bid. The following two holdings should clarify when a player should decide to compete and when not to compete. The reader will notice that the distribution is identical.

Example 1
Opponent		Overcall
AK8 A763 Q43 KJ5		QJ1096 QJ1094 75 9
1 NT		2

Example 2
Opponent		Overcall
KQJ AQ63 KJ43 J54		A9874 A10987 Q7 6
1 NT		Pass

The overcaller in Example 1 has a holding worth 5-6 playing tricks. The overcaller in Example 2 has a holding worth 3-4 playing tricks. The distribution is identical, and the values held by the overcaller in Example 1 equal 6 points as opposed to 10 points in Example 2, but the trick-taking capability of the holding in Example 1 equals at least 2-3 playing tricks more, which the overcaller can present to his partner, or advancer, as dummy, if the advancer becomes declarer.

Note: all partnerships solely basing and employing the evaluation method of Losing Trick Count should be very cautious in deciding to employ the Landy conventional method. As the bridge player can readily see, both holdings of the overcaller contain seven losing tricks.

Original Landy Convention

Opponent		Overcall		Meaning
AK8 A763 Q43 KJ5		QJ1096 QJ1094 75 9
1 NT				The range of the No Trump should be announced.
		2		Original Landy convention: Promises both Major suits, each of 5-card plus length.

Landy Variant by Michel Lebel

Note: The variant of Mr. Michel Lebel, who was born in Romania and is of Nantes, France, is identical to the original Landy conventional defense method except for the addition of the double promising a two-suited holding of two unspecified suits as outlined and described below. It is not known whether Mr. Michel Lebel proposed the application of this variant for a distributional pattern of 5-5, 5-4, and 4-4 depending on the state of vulnerability and/or other elements.

Example 1
Opponent		Overcall		Meaning
AK8 A763 Q43 KJ5		QJ1096 QJ1094 75 9
1 NT				The range of the No Trump should be announced.
		2		As in the original concept this overcall promises a two-suited holding with both Major suits. Note: the distributional pattern is per partnership agreement.

Example 2
Opponent		Overcall		Meaning
AK8 A763 Q43 KJ5		QJ1096 9 75 QJ1094
1 NT				The range of the No Trump should be announced.
		Double		Landy Variant by Michel Lebel: the addition of the double promises also a two-suited holding consisting of an unspecified Major suit and an unspecified Minor suit. The advancer, via relay bids, can discover the two specific suits. Note: the distributional pattern is per partnership agreement.

A double by the intervenor in the Landy Variant by Mr. Michel Lebel is very much different than the double employed in the original version (sometimes referred to as the classical version). In the original version the double by the overcaller promises a holding with a minimum of 15-16 high card points or more. The advancer will relay, or pass by competition, and the Landy bidder has the opportunity to bid either No Trump with balanced distribution and a minimum of 18 high card points or a suit with values of 15/16 high card points.

Note: All continuances by the advancer following a double are per partnership agreement. Since the 2 Clubs overcall is identical with the original Landy conventional defense method, then the continuances are generally employed. They are listed below for the convenience of the reader.

Note: Following a double by the overcaller, showing an unspecified Major suit and an unspecified Minor suit, then the continuances change.

Responses of the Advancer

The responses of the advancer, or partner of the overcaller, are shown below for the overcall of 2 Clubs, not for a double. It must be remembered that the advancer may be a passed hand before an opponent opens the auction with No Trump or also a passed hand, which immediately followed the No Trump opening by an opponent.

These responses become only valid if the partner of the No Trump bidder passes. All continuances in competition by the partner of the No Trump bidder are per partnership agreement.

The advancer may pass if the partner of the No Trump bidder competes.

Overcaller		Advancer		Meaning
2				Artificial. Shows both Major suits of 5-card plus length.
		Pass		Shows a weak holding with at least a 6-card plus Club suit.
		2		Shows a weak holding, minimum of 3-card support, and a preference for Hearts. The bid does not deny equal length in the other Major suit, only a preference.
		2		Shows a weak holding, minimum of 3-card support, and a preference for Spades. The bid does not deny equal length in the other Major suit, only a preference.
		2 NT *		This is an asking response requesting the intervenor (overcaller) to bid the better Major suit. The inference is that the advancer has equal support in both Major suits and sufficient values to support both Major suits on the three level. * See below.
		3		Shows excellent support for both Major suits and game values based on distribution and/or Losing Trick count. This first response by the advancer is artificial and game forcing.
		3		Natural bid. Shows at least a solid 5-card Diamond suit or a semi-solid 6-card plus Diamond suit.
		3		Invitational. Shows at least a 3-card support in Hearts, a distributional holding with ruffing ability and/or sufficient high card points located in both Major suits.
		3		Invitational. Shows at least a 3-card support in Spades, a distributional holding with ruffing ability and/or sufficient high card points located in both Major suits.

* Note: it must be noted that some variants employ the 2 No Trump response by the advancer as natural and employ only the 3 response as game forcing.

 

 

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.