Thursday, October 12, 2006 2:53 AM

2/1 - The Lone Ranger

PITBULLS:

An important part of our 2/1 understandings is how we handle the NT ranges. It is standard expert practice to have 2NT an either/or bid of either a minimum or the 18-19 range . The leap to 3NT is more rare is it shows the strong NT range. This means partner did not open 1NT due to a good 5 card major or a 5-4-2-2 or a 5-4-3-1 with a stiff in partners suit. A 3NT bid with a 5-4-3-1 is quite often necessary to right side the NT and simultaneously show the NT HCP range.

Here’s where the Kantar notion of the Lone Ranger comes into play. Lone Rangers have KCB rights. When you leap to 3NT and partner pulls 3NT to her minor it is KCB. Why ? You have already announced you do not have a fit with partners suit by leaping to 3NT. You have already announced your HCP’s. You do not pull 3NT to a minor from a position of weakness so you are given KCB rights. 4NT is a quantitative slam try. What if you pull 3NT to the other minor ? This is obviously natural and a slam try but it is not KCB. Why ? You do not know how well partner fits your 2^nd minor. She will Q bid to say she likes it and bid 4NT as the “death response”.

A Tormentee held ♠Kx ♥A ♦AJ10xx ♣KJxxx and I opened 1♥ on ♠AQJ ♥KJxxx ♦x ♣AQxx and partner bid 2♦. If there every was a hand to right side the NT this one is it with the black suit tenaces so you leap to 3NT. The Tormentee bids a natural slam try by introducing clubs at the 4 level. Partner bids 4♠ saying she likes clubs. 4NT now must be KCB for clubs as it is ludicrous to bail out to 4NT when partner likes your slam try. You bid 4NT and I respond 5♠ showing 2 with the queen. Partner now bids 6♦ . What is this ? This can not be a choice of contracts. Clubs were agreed long ago. Partner must be able to play the hand in 6NT so she is making an asking bid in the diamond suit. You have a stiff diamond so you leap to 7♣. This contract has 13 tricks.