They Overcall 1NT

After They Overcall 1NT

After one of a suit by Partner, if your RHO overcalls 1NT, he is normally showing a hand in the 15-18 range, or thereabouts. Here are your options at this point in the proceedings:

(a) Pass … yes, this is the option that we sometimes forget;

(b) Double … opposite an opening hand, if you have 9+ points, you will usually do well to Double their 1NT overcall, announcing to Partner that your side has the balance of the HCPs, and suggesting a nice, fat, juicy penalty;

(c) Compete … for those hands which cannot double, it would be nice to have some methods which allow us to compete effectively at the two-level … let’s face it, with a smattering of points, but not enough to double, we hate to give them a free play in 1NT … so methods which get us back into the game, and get them out of 1NT, are much to be desired.

Pulling the Double

When Partner doubles their 1NT overcall, he is announcing that this is our hand, that we have most of the HCPs between us. Well, perhaps we should add “most of the time” to the end of that sentence, sometimes we open a little light (usually based on good distribution), and in those circumstances Opener will pull the Double. That’s pretty obvious, now let’s look at some sample auctions:

Pard RHO You LHO

1♥ 1NT Dbl Pass

2♣

An easy one, of course, just a weak hand with Hearts and Clubs.

Pard RHO You LHO

1♥ 1NT Dbl Pass

2NT

Clearly not natural, it would hardly make sense to contract for 2NT when we can defend 1NT doubled. The suggested treatment here is to play it as game-forcing, showing a highly distributional hand.

Competing

After they have overcalled 1NT, you could do a lot worse than to play all bids as natural. Nice and simple! In fact, if Partner’s opening bid was a major, then that is exactly what we suggest … bids at the 2-level are weak … jumps to the 3-level likewise, but with a longer suit.

But, if they have overcalled 1NT over Partner’s minor, then perhaps a little gadgetry is in order, something to get the majors into the auction. One popular method is Modified Cappelletti … this is frequently used after the opponents have opened 1NT, but it also has utility over their 1NT overcall, especially if Partner opened one of a minor. Here’s how it works:

Pard RHO You

1♦ 1NT ?? Dbl The usual punitive meaning

2♣ A Diamond one-suiter (or, here, as Partner opened 1♦, just Diamond

support) … or, a two-suited hand with a major and a minor ... Partner is

supposed to bid 2♦, after which you will name your major (or Pass if

you simply have Diamond support) ... now, Partner bids 2NT to escape

to 3 of the minor.

2♦ Both majors.

2♥ Natural

2♠ Natural

2NT Both minors (presumably somewhat better Clubs)