In the modern game, being green versus red (non-vul v. vul) is a licence to bid on tram tickets: passing is for wimps. The aim is to be as obstructive as possible – anything to stop the opponents having a clear run at game. Hence the huge array of pre–emptive and two-suited overcalls that have been devised to make life difficult.
But although aggressive bidding can work brilliantly, it can also be dangerous – especially against experts, who are primed to take full advantage of any information you give them. Take the following deal from the Yeh Bros Cup in China some years ago. Peter Bertheau and Fredrik Nyström of Sweden bid a grand slam they wouldn’t have considered without some help from Japan’s Kazuo Furuta and Kadashi Teramoto (see diagram).
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