The bridge community and the bridge experts have developed, invented, originated and then modified different response methods to the strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening. It is important for the partnership to define first a distributional pattern, which falls within the requirements for such an opening and then, secondly, decide upon the continuances. It is these continuances, which is critical for relaying and communicating definitive information between two bridge players.

Information as to Content

The attempt is made to present several various methods for such continuances below. These methods should be examined and reviewed by the bridge player, by the bridge partnership, and employed until the bridge player and/or partnership feels comfortable with such method or methods.

If any bridge player would like to contribute a response method, which is not listed here, we would greatly appreciate this contribution, so that other bridge players can benefit from this information.

Ace Showing Responses
These are responses to a forcing strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening bis that are based on the theory that the opener with a powerful unbalanced or semi-balanced hand is more interested in the first-round controls of his partner than in his long suit or general strength.

Albarran and de Nexon Responses
This concept was introduced and devised by Mr. Pierre Albarran, born 1894 in West Indies and died February 23, 1960 in Paris, France, and Mr. Baron Robert de Nexon, born 1892 and died 1967, of France, and authors of the bridge book: Notre Methode de Bridge, published in the year 1935.

Albert Two Clubs Responses
The origin of this conventional method is unknown. The Albert Two Clubs bid is response method to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening bid by partner. This conventional method is also applicable even if the responder has previously passed and the strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening bid has occurred in third or fourth seat.

Automatic Two Diamonds Response
A treatment devised by several partnerships, whereby the only response permitted to a strong artificial Two Clubs opening must be 2 Diamonds.

CAB Response Method
The C.A.B. responses to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening is a feature of the C.A.B. bidding system devised by Col. George Gordon Joseph Walshe of London, England, who conceived of the concept in the mid-1930s. However, it was Mr. Leslie William Dodds of London, England, who amended the fundamental concept, and who is accredited with the further development and promotion of the concept within the bridge community. These responses are also part of the Acol bidding system generally employed in England and Australia with minor differentiations.

Cheaper Minor as a Second Negative
This treatment has been developed for those holdings by the responder, in which a distributional Major suit could possibly lead to a game contract by making a natural bid. On the other side of the coin, the responder would also prefer to show a holding, in which a game contract is most likely not possible, and the partnership agreement is that by rebidding the cheaper Minor suit, the responder can show zero or minimum values on his second negative rebid.

Control Showing Responses
This conventional method is a derivation of several bidding systems developed and defined by bridge experts from Italy. The intention is to immediately show with the first response the number of Aces and Kings contained in the hand of the responder. This particular conventional method is sometimes referred to as step responses.

Danish Control Showing Responses
The original concept is designated as Control Showing Responses (also Step Responses) to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening. These original responses should be viewed first and then the variation and/or version as suggested by Mr. Lars Blakset and Mr. Soren Christiansen of Denmark.

Edgar Kaplan Control Showing Responses
The original concept is designated as control showing responses (also step responses) to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening bid. These original responses should be viewed first and then the variation and/or version as suggested by Mr. Edgar Kaplan.

George Rosenkranz Control Showing Responses
The original concept is designated as control showing responses (also step responses) to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening bid. These original responses should be viewed first and then the variation and/or version as suggested by Mr. George Rosenkranz of Mexico City, Mexico, which not only show the number of controls but also possible stoppers in suits for a suitable No Trump contract.

New South Wales Control Responses
The original concept is designated as control showing responses (also step responses) to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening bid. These original responses should be viewed first and then the responses provided by the Australian System designated as New South Wales, and which is a variant of the Vienna System, devised and developed by Mr. Richard John Cummings (aka Dick) and Mr. Thomas Peter Seres (aka Tim) and other Australians.

Oswald Jacoby Step / Control Showing Responses
The original concept is designated as control showing responses (also step responses) to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening bid. They were developed by Mr. Oswald Jacoby, one of the leading bridge personalities and bridge theorists. The concept is based on the idea that each response conveys a narrowed and specific range of high card points based on the Work Point Count evaluation method.

Cooper 2 Clubs Response System
Contributed by Mr. Ted Cooper in email messages illustrating his response method to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening bid.

Note: Response System is an updated version as of September 10, 2016. This is a photograph (.jpg format) of his response system, which can be enlarged by the visitor.

Note: Response System is dated February 8, 2016. This is a photograph (.jpg format) of his response system, which can be enlarged by the visitor.

Eric Kokish's Response Method
Mr. Eric Kokish believes that most experts are correct in the opinion, that two-suited holdings should not be opened with the artificial, strong 2 Clubs bid. Therefore, when the 2 Clubs opener shows a second suit, it is expected to be a 4-card suit. This stipulation affects some of the recommended sequences.

Herbert Negative
The concept that a negative response in a variety of situations can be made by making the cheapest possible suit response. It can also be a one-step bid to deny holding any values at all. Advocated by Mr. Walter Herbert when he was a member of the Austrian National Team in the Thirties. The Herbert Negative found also application in the Vienna System.

Herbert Negative by Advancer - Herbert Negatives
The original conventional method was devised and advocated by Mr. Walter Herbert, but this more precise and definitive version was developed by Mr. Daniel Auby of Vallentuna Municipality in Stockholm County, Sweden. In the continuances and as a response to a Takeout double, a bid of the next higher-ranking available suit is negative, showing weak values.

Herbert Second Negative Response
A convention to show the lower range of a weak response used by the responder on the second rebid. This conventional method was developed and devised by Mr. Walter Herbert, (born 1902 - died 1975), who was born in Germany, and who became a citizen of the United States. He lived in San Diego, California, United States, where he was also the Artistic and later General Director and Conductor of the San Diego Opera.

Gamma Responses
These responses to a Strong, Artificial 2 Clubs opening were developed by Dr. Édouard Lachand of France. He also devised the Gamma System, which features a 2 Clubs opening bid being employed with two different holdings.

Martelsby Responses
The basic concept is designated as control showing responses (also step responses) to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening. These original responses should be viewed first and then the variation and/or version as suggested by Mr. Charles U. Martel, (aka Chip), of Davis, California, United States, and Mr. Lewis Stansby, (aka Lew), of Castro Valley, California, United States. Their version combines not only the opportunity to show the number of controls held by partner after a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening, but also the actual suit, in which the controls are located.

Monaco Responses by Pierre Ghestem
As devised by Mr. Pierre Ghestem and Mr. Claude Delmouly of France. This response method constitutes a feature of the Monaco Bidding System, which was also devised and developed by both Mr. Pierre Ghestem and Mr. Claude Delmouly. The first responses, in general, show the number of Aces and Kings held plus strength. Via this conventional method it is also possible for the partnership to exchange information about the possession of Queens.

Monaco Responses - Variation
The origin of this variation, which employs natural responses, is unknown. They are, reportedly, generally taught and played in the country of Israel. These responses are based on the conventional method of Natural Responses, and are natural responses instead of artificial responses. This is a variation of responses based on the original concept as developed by Mr. Pierre Ghestem and Mr. Claude Delmouly of France and which they describe in their publication Le Monaco: Le bridge de demain.

Natural Responses
The origin of these responses is unknown. This conventional method, employed in responding to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening by partner, is completely natural except for the first response of 2 Diamonds, which is artificial and negative. As a result, all other responses by partner are natural and positive.

Five-Five Natural Responses - 5-5 Responses
The origin of these responses is unknown. This version of the natural responses method follows the basic outline of the original concept, but has one specific requirement for all suit bids by the responder.

Marshall Miles Version of Natural Responses
Mr. Marshall Miles of California proposed an altered version of the original concept of Natural Responses by reversing the bids so that they also reflect a certain amount of values, thereby communicating to partner a minimum amount of points in the suit bid plus the required length of the suit bid.

Two Diamonds Negative Response
A response method showing a certain and definite range of values held by the responder to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening bid by partner, and which allows the partnership to stop short of game to play in a partscore contract.

Two Diamonds Positive Response
A partnership agreement, whereby the only possible positive response is 2 Diamonds after an opening of a strong artificial 2 Clubs bid.

Two Diamonds As Negative And 2 Hearts as Neutral Response
Following a strong artificial Two Clubs opening bid, several partnerships have included in their partnership agreement the understanding that a response of 2 Diamonds is an extremely negative response, showing close to or zero values, and that a response of 2 Hearts shows a holding of additional strength, and is regarded as a neutral response.

Two Hearts Negative Response
Among the many and various responses to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening are the following first responses to let the opener know a possible distribution and a possible number of values held by the responder.

Super Sudhaker
This conventional method has been developed, contributed and presented with his express permission by Mr. Sudhakar Bhatt. It is a conventional method of responding to a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening, whereby the responder may or may not be a passed hand. The concept has borrowed elements of other conventional methods, with which it has several similarities. However, the write-up presents certain requirements for the responder, which differ, and which also excludes the first response of a 2 No Trump bid. This is a .pdf file and will be automatically opened by your browser.

 

 

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.