Light openings
I like light openings and strong 1C.
Personally, I feel that random interference to 1C against an experienced 1C pair is counter productive. I wouldn't really have much problems against such interferences with an experienced partner, provided we have discussed our defences beforehand. http://squeezingthedummy.blogspot.com/2006/01/interfering-over-strong-club.html
However, considering that I won't have much time to discuss defences against interference with most partners I play 1C with, I decide to go the polish way and include 2 additional meanings into 1C: 1) Any hand with 15+ hcp, 2) Any balanced 10-12 hcp( though it is not mandatory to open such hands), 3) Any distributional hand (10+) which wants to know partner's distribution- I'll be pretty happy if I meet opponents who uses destructive interference. Of course, if they don't, we have our nice perfect relays to get to the perfect game or slam. Actually, the strength of a light opening system is not in the 1C opening ( of course of we don't get interfered we will have a nice auction to the perfect game/slam), but rather in the extremely descriptive and limited 1D/1H/1S/1nT bids which allows partner to place the final contract with 1-2 bids. This has a huge advantage in competitive auctions.
Now why do I like light openings? I am a firm believer that any hand which is worth overcalling should be worth opening. For example, with 8 hcp, you would not overcall with a 4432 hand, but with 5431 or 5422 hand, most people would overcall or even preempt. With around 10 hcp, with 5332 non vul, some people would overcall at 1 level. I mean, if in a competitive auction, you were willing to introduce the suit at a 1 level, why should you wait for your opponents to open before introducing it? By communicating your hand as early as possible to your partner, it is possible for your partnership to make the right decisions before the opponents even get a chance to know of their fit. Of course, similarly, with 1o-12 hcp, balanced, vul, no sane person would overcall, and similarly, I feel such a hand should not be opened. The extremely offensive, quick nature of opening inbalanced hands light is what attracts me so fast.
Furthermore, the opening range is around 8/9-14, making it extremely limited. From the very first bid, the first question asked is, is your hand a shitty opening or a good opening? Thus it is possible to stop at 1nT with 11 hcp opposite 12 hcp. In fact, we will never be at 3 of a major voluntarily- which I think is a big advantage over 2/1 or SAYC, which requires you to invite at the 3 level. I think inviting at the 1 level or 2 level is much more efficient, and saves you those disgusting 3S-1 or 2nT-1 with 11 opposite 12 hcp. Another thing is the ability to stop at 1nT with 1 side holding 22 hcp and the other 1-2 hcp. Again, this is so much better than those disgusting 2nT-1 scores. Finally, game force is established very quickly, normally within the first 2 bids of the bidding, so you can either relay your entire hand at a low level(if you use relays) or cuebid at a very low level/ask aces and all that without even bypassing the 4 level. Again this is very efficient. Furthermore you would never be afraid of partner passing you below game level. One other advantage it has is the ability to jack up the bidding very quickly, ie 1S-3S or 1S-4S with neither side knowing whether your bid of 4S is to make or to preempt. It is possible to bid 4S with 13-14 hcp since you would know there is no possibility of a slam opposite a limited opener.
I have not really found much downsides to playing light opening system which uses incredibly descriptive 1 level opening bids, other than the incredible difficulty in finding partners to play'em with. Anyway here is a reference which is as good as any to start with light opening systems
Personally, I feel that random interference to 1C against an experienced 1C pair is counter productive. I wouldn't really have much problems against such interferences with an experienced partner, provided we have discussed our defences beforehand. http://squeezingthedummy.blogspot.com/2006/01/interfering-over-strong-club.html
However, considering that I won't have much time to discuss defences against interference with most partners I play 1C with, I decide to go the polish way and include 2 additional meanings into 1C: 1) Any hand with 15+ hcp, 2) Any balanced 10-12 hcp( though it is not mandatory to open such hands), 3) Any distributional hand (10+) which wants to know partner's distribution- I'll be pretty happy if I meet opponents who uses destructive interference. Of course, if they don't, we have our nice perfect relays to get to the perfect game or slam. Actually, the strength of a light opening system is not in the 1C opening ( of course of we don't get interfered we will have a nice auction to the perfect game/slam), but rather in the extremely descriptive and limited 1D/1H/1S/1nT bids which allows partner to place the final contract with 1-2 bids. This has a huge advantage in competitive auctions.
Now why do I like light openings? I am a firm believer that any hand which is worth overcalling should be worth opening. For example, with 8 hcp, you would not overcall with a 4432 hand, but with 5431 or 5422 hand, most people would overcall or even preempt. With around 10 hcp, with 5332 non vul, some people would overcall at 1 level. I mean, if in a competitive auction, you were willing to introduce the suit at a 1 level, why should you wait for your opponents to open before introducing it? By communicating your hand as early as possible to your partner, it is possible for your partnership to make the right decisions before the opponents even get a chance to know of their fit. Of course, similarly, with 1o-12 hcp, balanced, vul, no sane person would overcall, and similarly, I feel such a hand should not be opened. The extremely offensive, quick nature of opening inbalanced hands light is what attracts me so fast.
Furthermore, the opening range is around 8/9-14, making it extremely limited. From the very first bid, the first question asked is, is your hand a shitty opening or a good opening? Thus it is possible to stop at 1nT with 11 hcp opposite 12 hcp. In fact, we will never be at 3 of a major voluntarily- which I think is a big advantage over 2/1 or SAYC, which requires you to invite at the 3 level. I think inviting at the 1 level or 2 level is much more efficient, and saves you those disgusting 3S-1 or 2nT-1 with 11 opposite 12 hcp. Another thing is the ability to stop at 1nT with 1 side holding 22 hcp and the other 1-2 hcp. Again, this is so much better than those disgusting 2nT-1 scores. Finally, game force is established very quickly, normally within the first 2 bids of the bidding, so you can either relay your entire hand at a low level(if you use relays) or cuebid at a very low level/ask aces and all that without even bypassing the 4 level. Again this is very efficient. Furthermore you would never be afraid of partner passing you below game level. One other advantage it has is the ability to jack up the bidding very quickly, ie 1S-3S or 1S-4S with neither side knowing whether your bid of 4S is to make or to preempt. It is possible to bid 4S with 13-14 hcp since you would know there is no possibility of a slam opposite a limited opener.
I have not really found much downsides to playing light opening system which uses incredibly descriptive 1 level opening bids, other than the incredible difficulty in finding partners to play'em with. Anyway here is a reference which is as good as any to start with light opening systems
posted by Anonymous at 6:53 PM
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