Two Diamonds

The 2 Opening shows 16-23 points with any 4441 distribution. The Opening is unconditionally forcing for One Round (although it is not unknown for Responder to pass with a Yarborough and a long (7+) Diamond suit). This Opening is the only 16+ hand-type that is not opened with 1♣.

Note: The responses and continuations to this Opening have changed radically as of December 2016

In unopposed sequences, there are only 4 categories that Responder's hand fall into:
  1. 0-4 hcp with a 6-card or longer suit
    2 Response
  2. 14+ hcp with a 2-suited hand (can be 4-4)
    Transfer into cheapest (normally) suit
  3. 0-4 hcp with either
    • Any 4333 distribution, or
    • Any 5332 hand where the doubleton is not immediately "above" the 5-card suit, or
    • Any 2-suiter with touching suits
    Transfer into cheapest 4+-card suit.
  4. Any other holding
    2 Response

Responses & Continuations


The full scheme of responses and continuations are as follows:
2-2 is forced with most hand-types. The exceptions appear further below:
-2 shows 16-19 and any 4441 distribution. Now:
-2NT is an automatic relay asking for the location of the singleton suit, and now:
-3 shows a Diamond singleton. No Eta Asks are permitted. Responder either signs off in the denomination of their choice at the appropriate level, or may bid Beta in the singleton suit first.
-3 shows a Heart singleton. No Eta Asks are permitted. Responder either signs off in the denomination of their choice at the appropriate level, or may bid Beta in the singleton suit first.
-3 shows a Spade singleton. No Eta Asks are permitted. Responder either signs off in the denomination of their choice at the appropriate level, or may bid Beta in the singleton suit first.
-3 shows a Club singleton. No Eta Asks are permitted. Responder either signs off in the denomination of their choice at the appropriate level, or may bid Beta in the singleton suit first.
-2NT shows 20-23 and 4441 shape with a singleton Club. Responder signs off at the appropriate level in the suit of their choice or can bid the singleton suit as Beta, but no Eta Asks are permitted.
-3 shows 20-23 and 4441 shape with a singleton Diamond. Responder signs off at the appropriate level in the suit of their choice or can bid the singleton suit as Beta, but no Eta Asks are permitted.
-3 shows 20-23 and 4441 shape with a singleton Heart. Responder signs off at the appropriate level in the suit of their choice or can bid the singleton suit as Beta, but no Eta Asks are permitted.
-3 shows 20-23 and 4441 shape with a singleton Spade. Responder signs off at the appropriate level in the suit of their choice or can bid the singleton suit as Beta, but no Eta Asks are permitted.
2-2 shows 0-4 with an unspecified 6-card or longer suit.
-2NT shows ANY 16-19 4441 (See below for 20+ hands)
-3x Responder simply bids their long suit and Opener will almost always pass unless a good maximum with a 4-card fit, in which case they may invite game in a Minor or bid game in a Major
-3x With 20-23 HCP Opener bids their singleton suit at the 3-level (Oliver's Twist)
-Pass If Opener hits Responder's long suit they almost invariably pass. However, with a maximum 4-count and and self-sufficient suit (eg: QJ109xxx), they may bid game in a Major or invite game in a Minor, despite Opener's singleton.
3/4y If Opener does NOT hit Responder's long suit, Responder corrects by bidding it at the cheapest level. Opener will usually bid game if it's a Major, since we will almost always make at least 10 tricks in these circumstances. If their suit is a Minor, they can bid game or invite at the 4-level.
2-2NT=> 2-3 are all 2-way transfers to 3x (next suit up), which show either
  1. 14+ with at least 4-card suits in the next suit up and another suit (See Notes below), or
  2. 0-4 HCP and exactly 4333 distribution with a 4-card holding in the next suit up (see Notes below)
Notes
  • Hand-type (1): Responder will normally transfer into the cheapest of their two suits but, if one of their suits is longer than the other (especially if it's a Major or they're 6-4 distribution) they have the option of transferring into the more expensive one first.
  • Hand-type (2): Responder may use this route if they are either 4333 or 5332 with a 3-card holding in the suit above theirs, or any 2-suiter with touching suits and a 4+-card holding in the suit immediately above the 4+-card suit they're transferring into. Either way, Responder always transfers into their cheapest 4-card or longer suit.
Opener's rebids and continuations are as follows:
-3x With a 4-card holding in the transfer suit, Opener completes the transfer
-Pass If Responder is 0-4 HCP with any distribution, they pass.
-3/4y If Responder is 14+ they treat Opener's completion of the transfer as a Gamma Ask in the transfer suit (4-card minimum length). Asking Bids are now established
-3y With a singleton in the transfer suit, Opener does not complete the transfer, but relays in the suit above the transfer suit (eg: 2-3-3)
-Pass If Responder is 0-4 HCP with any distribution, they pass, having reached the cheapest available fit of at least 7 cards. This is why 0-4 2-suiters must be touching and why a 5332 shape hand must have a 3-card suit immediately above the 5-card suit
-3/4z If Responder is 14+ they now bid their second suit as an Eta Ask (3NT asks in the suit Opener has actually bid). Asking Bids are now established.
Examples: 2-3♣-3-3♠ is Eta in Spades, and
2-3-3-3NT is Eta in Hearts

Coping with Intervention

General Guidance

Immediately over the 2 Opening
Over Responder's Initial Response of 2
Note: This also applies when partner has passed over the interference and this has been passed back to Opener:
Over Responder's Initial Response of 2
Over Responder's Initial 2-way Transfer (2NT -> 3)
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OCP System Change Log
Interference over 2 Openings (07-Apr-2017)
Completed documentation of interference immediately after Responder makes a 3-way Transfer, and also immediately after Opener either completes or denies a 2-way Transfer. This had never been fully documented before, so not repeated here. See the section on Interference on the Simple 2 page.
Responses to Two Diamond Opening (16-Dec-2016)
This is a major overhaul of the Simple System 2 Opening:
  • The 2 Response and continuations are largely unaffected, except that some hands that would originally have bid 2, now do something else.
  • The 2 Response now shows any 0-4 single-suited hand. Opener bids 2NT with a lower-range hand, but Oliver's Twist at the 3-level with an upper-range hand.
  • The Responses from 2NT through to 3 are now all 2-way transfers, showing either:
    1. 0-4 HCP with any any touching 2-suited hand or even 4333 or 5332 where the suit above their 4+-card suit is at least 3-card in length, or
    2. 14+ with any 2-suited hand, normally transferring into the cheapest or lower-ranking suit, but optionally into the high-ranking.
    Opener completes the transfer with a 4-card holding in the transfer suit and relays in the suit above with a singleton in the transfer suit. If Opener bids the transfer suit, Responder normally passes with any 0-4, but with 14+ treats the bid as Gamma. If Opener skips the transfer suit, again Responder normally passes with 0-4, but with 14+ bids their second suit as Eta (Cheapest bid in NT's normally is Gamma in the suit Opener actually bid.
  • For full details, please see the re-written 2 page.