Woolsey Convention: Defense Against an Opponent's 1NT
Woolsey is a convention for competing after an opponent opens 1NT. It is not a response to partner’s 1NT. The method, associated with Kit Woolsey, gives one-suited and two-suited hands different routes into the auction.
Its distinctive call is double: a four-card major and a longer minor. That makes a hand with four hearts and five clubs describable without pretending to have a five-card heart suit.
Woolsey is closely related to Multi-Landy, and some references use the names together. The table below gives a basic strong-notrump agreement. Variations are explained separately so you and partner do not accidentally combine two versions.
Woolsey calls over 1NT
Assume your right-hand opponent opens a strong 1NT, such as 15-17 high-card points. Your calls mean:
| Your call | Meaning in this basic agreement |
|---|---|
| Double | Exactly four cards in one major and five or more in a minor |
| 2♣ | Both majors, normally at least 5-4 |
| 2♦ | One long major, normally six or more hearts or spades |
| 2♥ | Hearts and a minor, at least 5-5 in this version |
| 2♠ | Spades and a minor, at least 5-5 in this version |
| 2NT | Both minors, normally at least 5-5 |
| 3 of a suit | Natural |
These are shape descriptions, not an instruction to bid every qualifying hand. Suit quality, vulnerability, position and playing strength still matter. There is no single HCP minimum that makes every Woolsey action sound.
Responding to the Woolsey double
The overcaller’s partner is called the advancer. The continuations here assume both opponents pass after the initial action.
After (1NT) - Double - (Pass):
- 2♣ asks for the minor. Doubler passes with clubs or bids 2♦ with diamonds. Choose this route when you can tolerate either minor.
- 2♦ asks for the major. Doubler bids 2♥ or 2♠. With this basic double, doubler must not pass the asking bid.
- 2♥ or 2♠ is natural and nonforcing. It shows advancer’s own long suit, not a request to name doubler’s major.
For example, holding:
♠ 83
♥ KQ74
♦ 62
♣ AJ965You have 10 HCP, four hearts and five clubs. Double describes your shape. If partner asks with 2♣, pass. If partner asks with 2♦, bid 2♥. Whether to act with this hand depends on the vulnerability and your partnership’s strength requirements.
Do not confuse the two diamond calls: a direct 2♦ overcall shows a long major; 2♦ in response to a Woolsey double asks for the four-card major.
After 2♣: choose a major
Woolsey 2♣ uses the Landy idea: both majors. Advancer can bid 2♥ or 2♠ to choose a suit. With equal length in the majors, 2♦ asks overcaller to choose the longer or better major.
Suppose overcaller holds:
♠ AQ975
♥ KJ84
♦ 62
♣ 83This is a 10-HCP hand with five spades and four hearts. After a 2♣ overcall and partner’s 2♦ inquiry, rebid 2♠. Partner has not shown diamonds.
That extra asking step is useful when advancer has three cards in each major: the partnership can find its eight-card fit instead of guessing between a seven-card and an eight-card fit.
After 2♦: pass or correct
A direct 2♦ overcall shows one major, not diamonds. The economical response is 2♥, pass or correct:
Opponent You Opponent Partner
1NT 2♦ Pass 2♥
Pass PassYou have hearts. With spades, your last call would be 2♠ instead of Pass.
For example, with ♠ 83 ♥ KQJ974 ♦ A62 ♣ 85, you have six hearts and 10 HCP. The descriptive overcall is 2♦, followed by a pass of partner’s 2♥.
A direct 2♠ response to the 2♦ overcall can be played as pass-or-correct too: partner passes with spades or bids 3♥ with hearts. It therefore needs tolerance for hearts at the three level. Some pairs use it with invitational heart support. The meanings of 2NT inquiries and stronger continuations need separate agreement; they are not interchangeable across every Multi-Landy system.
After 2♥ or 2♠: major plus minor
These calls show a five-card major and a minor, not a major one-suiter. This article’s basic version requires five cards in the minor too.
With ♠ KQ975 ♥ 8 ♦ 62 ♣ AJ964, you have 10 HCP and 5-5 spades and clubs. The descriptive bid is 2♠. A double would misdescribe your spade length under the basic four-card-major agreement.
Advancer may pass with a suitable major fit. 2NT asks for the minor, and overcaller answers 3♣ or 3♦. Before asking, advancer must be prepared to play a minor at the three level.
After the initial 2NT overcall showing both minors, advancer normally chooses 3♣ or 3♦.
Woolsey, Multi-Landy and Cappelletti
The names alone do not settle every agreement.
| Method | Double | 2♣ | 2♦ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Woolsey here | Four-card major plus longer minor | Both majors | One long major |
| Multi-Landy | Partnership agreement; often a Woolsey-style double | Both majors | One long major |
| Cappelletti | Penalty | Any one-suiter | Both majors |
| DONT | Any one-suiter | Clubs and a higher suit | Diamonds and a major |
In particular, Woolsey 2♣ and 2♦ are not Cappelletti 2♣ and 2♦. Swapping the two methods in the middle of an auction can land you in a suit nobody holds.
Published treatments also differ on these points:
- Minor length after 2♥ or 2♠. The basic Woolsey summary uses 5-5; many Multi-Landy treatments allow a five-card major and a four-card minor.
- Additional doubles. Extended methods may include a long minor, a strong major one-suiter or a very strong balanced hand. Those additions change the responses. Do not add them while keeping the basic response rules unchanged.
- Weak notrump and balancing. Some pairs use Woolsey against strong notrumps but retain penalty doubles against weak notrumps. Balancing-seat shape and strength requirements may also differ.
Agree before playing
Write down which 1NT ranges and seats your agreement covers, the exact meanings of double and the two-level overcalls, and what happens when the opponents double, redouble or bid again. The uncontested responses above should not be applied automatically once an opponent has taken away an asking bid.
Disclose the actual agreement under the rules of your event, including the correct alert or announcement procedure. Saying only “Woolsey” does not tell an opponent whether your 2♠ promises a four-card or five-card minor.
The first memory check is simple: double shows 4-major/5-minor; 2♣ shows both majors; 2♦ shows one major. Then learn the responses with partner.
Sources and further reading
- Woolsey convention, Wikipedia, basic call structure and responses, citing The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge, sixth edition, page 576.
- Multi-Landy (Woolsey), Bridgebum, alternative doubles, 5-4 major-minor treatments, continuations and strong-versus-weak-notrump differences. Includes references to David Oakley’s Multi-Landy and Horton and van Cleeff’s The Mysterious Multi.
These online references were checked September 14, 2026. The distinction between their basic and extended treatments is intentional.