The game of bridge offers one player to open the auction. The game of bridge also offers the opponents of the opener to compete, interfere, intervene, or overcall even after an initial pass. This is a competitive and defensive action and is generally based on a devised and developed conventional defense method.

The attempt has been made to list these defense methods on this web page. The attempt is to list them in alphabetical order owing to the fact that many defense methods have no official designation. The intent of the defense method is made clear in the description. The attempt has also been made to list defense methods to defense methods or methods for the responder and/or advancer, which are continuances in a competitive auction.

The reader, student, and visitor must please remember that these defense methods are only suggestions and recommendations, and that these defense methods do not always carry an official, or even semi-official designation. Many of these defense methods must be submitted to sponsoring organizations of national and international tournaments in order to become permitted as part of the partnership agreement.

Any bridge player wishing to add their defense method to this list can do so for the benefit of other bridge players. All contributions will be credited with the name of the contributor.

Bergen Impossible Three No Trump
Mr. Marty Bergen has suggested using a bid of 3 No Trump during the auction in order to perform a sacrifice against the opponents, when it appears that the opponents have a game contract in a suit.

Bergen Jump Cuebid as a Transfer to Three No Trump
Mr. Marty Bergen developed this conventional method to cover a certain situation which arises after an intervening overcall on the One Level, which is an important element to consider before implementing the jump cuebid as a transfer to 3 No Trump.

Bromad Convention
Very often every bridge partner will open the auction with a Major suit only to hear his Left Hand Opponent make a Takeout Double. Besides being annoying, the auction has been disturbed, and the relay of information has developed some speed-bumps. In order to overcome this situation, the concept of BROMAD was created to indicate, according to the partnership agreement, certain holdings. This concept was developed by Mr. Marty Bergen, bridge player, bridge theorist, bridge author.

Coded Raises
The origin of this concept is unknown. The concept states that whenever a Major suit opening by partner is doubled by the immediate opponent, then certain coded raises may be employed per partnership agreement to communicate specific information.

Common Sense Defense
This article, written by Marinesa Letizia, in the Bridge Bulletin published November 1997, presents a common sense and logical defense alternative to those situations, where the 1 No Trump opening has been overcalled and there is interference.

Copenhagen Convention
This conventional method was originated by Mr. John Trelde and Mr. Gert Lenk, both of Copenhagen, Denmark. The concept is a system of jump overcalls, which promises a two-suited holding after the auction has been opened by an opponent in a suit on the one level.

Dirigo System: A New Approach to Competitive Auctions
This conventional method employed in competition was developed by Mr. Dave LeGrow of Pennsylvania, United States, in the year 2005. The designation itself is taken from Latin and means I lead. The Dirigo System is a competitive bidding system that consists of an initial Transfer Overcall. It is activated when the opponents are first to open the bidding. If the first bid (or double) by the competing (non-opening) side is not a notrump bid (or double), it is intended as a transfer to the next highest suit. All subsequent bids by the competing side are natural. The intent of this system is to enhance the ability of the competing side to describe hands without having to make initial compromises. It permits the competing side to more fully engage in the auction and to neutralize the advantage that many aggressive (weak opener) systems provide. The link is a .pdf file and will be automatically opened by your browser.

DONT - Defense Method
This is a defense method to be employed by the responder of the No Trump opener after an immediate DONT-oriented double by the opponent. These guidelines to defend against a DONT-style double are suggestions only for a possible defense method.

Fishbein Convention
This convention was devised by Mr. Harry Fishbein. The concept of the Fishbein convention allows the player directly following the preemptive opener to make a Penalty Double. The double is not a Takeout Double and the partner must pass this double.

Gambling 3 No Trump - Defense Method
The attempt has been made to not only describe the conventional method, but to also present possible defence methods for the competition.

Geneva Convention
This conventional defense method was devised by Dr. William Konigsberger and Mr. Derrick Deane, both of Geneva, Switzerland, approximately in the years 1938 and 1939. These two bridge personalities and game theorists were involved in the evolution of the game of bridge in Europe, especially in devising methods to communicate information by bids and calls to partner, upon which logical and reasonable deductions could be more easily made.

Good Bad 2 No Trump
The presentation of this concept appears in the book authored by Mr. Larry Cohen in his publication entitled To Bid or Not to Bid - The Law of Total Tricks beginning with page 119. The content of this web page is an excerpt from this book and posted to the Internet with the direct permission of the author.

Kantar Cuebids - Kantar Cue Bids
This cuebid was devised by Mr. Edwin Kantar (aka Eddie Kantar). The designation can also be written as Kantar's Cuebid or Kantar Cue Bid. The cuebid can be employed in several bidding sequences, but the cuebid always shows one of two possible shapes and is limited in its employment.

Liberty Double versus Multi
The origin of this defense method is unknown, but the concept could prove advantageous to bridge players. The Liberty defense method versus the Multi offensive method is employed when the opponents opening bid has multiple weak possibilities with no known suit.

Mathe Bids Against Strong, Artificial 1 Club Openings
This conventional defense method was developed by Mr. Lewis L. Mathe, also known as simply Lew, of Canoga Park, California, He was born in 1915 and died in 1986. He is also the originator of Mathe Asking Bids. The Mathe conventional bids are generally to be employed in the immediate seat following the strong, generally artificial 1 Club opening since the partner of the strong 1 Club bidder must respond with zero values. However, the Mathe conventional bids may also be employed in the fourth seat following a weak response by the partner of the opener.

MeckWell Escape Bids
The concept behind these so-called escape bids has been developed and devised by Mr. Eric Rodwell and Mr. Jeff Meckstroth. The concept behind this agreement comprises a so-called Escape System, which is employed after one pair has opened the auction with a bid of 1 No Trump or one pair has overcalled a suit opening by the opponents with 1 No Trump and the opponents have used the call of double for penalty.

Michaels Cuebid
This convention allows one partner to inform his partner about a 2-suited hand. Distributional hands are very powerful, and this convention instructs the user how to use this tool.

Variations: Since the inception and development of the basic parameters of the concept to communicate a two-suited holding with one bid, the concept itself has been expanded, revised,and modified to form new versions based on the original concept. Following are various versions developed by bridge players in alphabetical order.

Extended Michaels Cuebids Over Minor Suit Openings
Also known as Spear Cuebids, the designation given to the concept by the developer Mr. Jack Spear. This information has been contributed by and courtesy of Mr. Jack Spear to this site in the year 2008 and is presented in its original version in a .pdf file format and will be automatically opened by your browser.

Note: The concept of Extended Michaels is also presented in the publication The Intermediate American Bidding System, American Bridge Series, Volume II, 1998, authored by Mr. Chris Hasney and Mr. Jerry Pottier, Publisher: Trafford Publishing, ISBN -10: 1-55212-210-7.

French Michaels Cubid
The French version of the Michaels Cuebid conventional method deals only with the opening bid of 1 Club by the opposing side.

Italian Michaels Cuebid
The Italian version of the Michaels Cuebid which shows an exact distribution of both Major suits.

Leaping Michaels
A version of Michaels Cuebids and which is employed only following a Weak Two bid in a Major suit opening by an opponent. Developed by Mr. Mark David Feldman of New York City, New York, United States.This is a method whereby the player makes a jump to four of a Minor suit over an opposing Major suit Weak Two bid, and sometimes preempts on the three level, to show a two-suiter.

Michelangelo
Developed and devised by Mr. Gordon Bower in the year 1999 and presented on his website. Addressing a certain weakness of the Michaels Cuebid method, this approach combines the features of Michaels Cuebids and the features of the Roman Jump Overcalls.

Michelangelo: A Better Alternative
This write-up on an alternative option to the Michaels Cuebid is presented on his website. The date of the revised version is dated December 2010. The web page will be opened by your browser in a new window. This information has also been only archived and preserved on this site in .pdf file format for future reference.

Modified Michaels Cuebid
This variation is played mostly in Canada, especially around the area of Quebec and has been contributed to this website by Mr. Lyse Mercille, Mr. Pierre Gauthier and Mr. Kamel Fergami, to whom we owe our thanks for contributing this variation of the Modified Michaels Cuebid convention for presentation on this site.

Specified Michaels
The origin of this conventional defense method is unknown. This conventional method is employed after the opponents have opened the auction with one of a Major suit. The rank of the Major suit is not relevant with the application of Specified Michaels.

Super Michaels
This method or modification of the Michaels Cuebid conventional defence method is based on the same principle of the Michaels Cuebid except that a jump cuebid of a Minor suit opening bid by the opposing side shows both Major suits and a jump cuebid of a Major suit promises the other Major suit and an unspecified Minor suit.

Top and Another Cuebids - T and A Cuebids
This conventional defense method was developed by Mr. Gene Hendricks. The defense method consists of a cuebid, generally an immediate cuebid of the opening suit bid by the opposing side, which can be employed both according to the principles of both the Michaels Cuebid and the Unusual No Trump overcall, both of which are defense methods.

Michaels Cuebid - Defense Method
The continuances for the responder of the opener following an immediate Michaels Cuebid are presented. A Michaels Cuebid generally shows a two-suited holding. The responder can continue to compete by employing bids, which convey certain required information. This information can also be found on the website of Shelagh Paulsson of Quebec, Canada. This information is only preserved and archived on this site in .pdf file format for future reference.

Modified Wemble
The origin of this defense method is unknown. The defense method can be employed following the opening bid by the opposing side of a suit on the one level to show a two-suited holding. The evaluation of the holding is generally based on the same parameters, upon which other, similar defense methods are based. The employment is dependent upon the state of vulnerability as is the normally required length of the two suits.

Multi 2 Diamonds Opening - Kleinman Defense Method
This method of defense against a 2 Diamonds opening by the opponents, employing the Multi 2 Diamonds convention, was devised by Mr. Danny Kleinman, a bridge expert player, who together with Mr. Eddie Kantar devised the Kantar Kleinman Slam Force.

Multi 2 Diamonds Defense Methods - Multi 2D Defense Methods

Version 1 - The origin of this defense method is unknown.

Version 2 - The origin of this defense method is unknown.

Liberty Double - The Liberty defense method versus the Multi offensive method is employed when the opponents opening bid has multiple weak possibilities with no known suit. This defense method is designed to increase the possibility of penalties while also providing, at the same time, some blocking bids.

NAMYATS - Defense Method
The conventional method of preempting on the four level presents largely any competition. This suggested method allows the competition to enter the auction.

Preemptive Openings - Defense Method
Defending against preempts on the three level have encouraged bridge partnerships to devise several methods to counteract and counter-attack, intending to share as much information as possible with the limited bidding space available. Some of these partnership agreements are simple, sometimes radical, methods and some have evolved into conventions of their own standing.

Responses to a Takeout Double by your Partner
The responses to a Takeout Double are dependent upon the situation. For example, has the responder passed or has the responder bid over the Takeout Double. The more preferred responses are presented to the bridge player and these responses are based upon the holding itself.

Sandwich No Trump
The origin of this conventional method is unknown, but is closely aligned and related to the conventional methods of Michaels and Unusual No Trump in that the defense method also communicates to partner a particular distribution.

Strong, Artificial Two Clubs Opening Bid - Defense Method
Mr. Alan Fraser Truscott, a prolific bridge writer and columnist for the New York Times, and theorist, devised a method for competing and interferring with the bidding sequence of the opponents, which would exchange information about the holdings. This method targeted mainly two-suited holdings, which could be shown with one bid on the two level. This method also proved to be a measureable calculation for the defenders to assess the possibility of a sacrifice.

Note: This method is also known as simply Truscott, but this designation does not define the original concept of Mr. Alan Fraser Truscott, who devised and originated several other defense methods, also against strong, artificial opening bids on the one level.

Suction Redwood
The origin of this conventional defense method is unknown. The Suction Redwood conventional defense method is employed against an immediate overcall of No Trump by the opponent on the one level.

Top and Bottom Cuebids - Bottom and Bottom Cuebids
The origin of these cuebids are unknown. They are employed after a suit opening of any opponent and not after any No Trump opening by the opponents. The direct cuebid of the suit of the opponent may be employed in direct seat or in the balancing seat. The concept behind this method is to show that the two suits of the cuebidder are known to be the highest unbid suit and lowest unbid suit of the suit of the opener.

Unusual No Trump
This conventional defense method was devised by Mr. Alvin Roth and Mr. Tobias Stone. The Unusual No Trump is a conventional defense method designed to show two suited hands in competitive situations with one bid. The logic and reasoning behind the convention is to consume bidding space and to describe to your partner the distribution of your hand as quickly and as accurately as possible.

Defense Methods to Unusual No Trump Overcall
There are several defense methods, which the responder of the opener can employ to continue to inform partner about his holding. Such defense methods to defense methods employed in competition are generally considered a matter for the partnership to establish. The attempt is made to present possible methods as a foundation.

Defense Method to Unusual No Trump Overcall Following a Major Suit Opening - This possible method is presented in .pdf file format and will be automatically opened by the 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.

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