A few have suggested that the strong club chapter in the book was short of examples.
The structure is complicated by the need to regain symmetry with the limited openings, given shape showing starts at 1H, compared to 1D.
The first change is to reclassify 5M332 hands as 1-suiters. This is okay because the auction is effectively game-forcing, so it’s fine for these hands to come out at 3D.
(Compare 1H – 1S – 3D. Don’t want opener to do this with a balanced 11-count, when responder could also have a balanced 11-count. 1H – 1S – 2C – 2NT is better, though not great.)
The 2-suiters also require an adjustment to regain the lost step, to ensure that 5431s come out at 3D. That is done by putting the flat hands (4432, 4333) in a different box, so that a subsequent 2C response becomes part of the 2-suited structure, showing diamonds.
| 1C | ——– | ♠ 9 | 1S | 4+ hearts, not spades, not flat (& not Roman with both minors) |
| 1NT | ♥ AJ65 | 2C | & diamonds | |
| 2D | ♦ KQ842 | 2H | longer diamonds | |
| 2S | ♣ J73 | 2NT | high shortage | |
| 3C | 3D | 1-4-5-3 |
Also need to find a place for Roman with both minors. 2H is okay for these rare hands, allowing the club 1-suiters (6+) to start at 2S, the usual spot for 1-suiters.
Responding 1NT with diamonds is not great, could lead to wrong-siding 3NT. Some methods put some of the heart hands here instead. That’s a bit better because you will often play 4H, but also more convoluted.
That leaves the 2C & 2D responses free to show the flat hands. (Some designers have 1S for all the flat hands. They need to put some heart hands there as well, making it a multi response)
The flat hands could be split by strength, say 2C with 8-11, 2D with 12+.
As per usual, we prefer to focus on shape before strength, so
2C = 8+ flat with a 4-card major, 2D = 8+ balanced no major.
2D is good because the structure is the same as our 1NT opening. It also allows the good sequence
1C – 2D – 3NT, concealing shape.
This in turn leaves 2C with fewer shapes, which all get resolved by 3H. The other gain is in opener’s chain breaks. We have 2H/S natural on minimums with doubts about strain; 2NT is passable; 3x are splinters.