Truscott Defense to 1C (One Club)

Truscott is a conventional defense to an artificial 1 opening bid. The convention named for the late Alan Truscott, expert player and longtime editor of the New York Times bridge column.

Over 1, the following actions all show two-suited hands:

Overcall	Meaning
Double	Clubs and hearts
1	Diamonds and hearts
1	Hearts and spades
1	Spades and clubs
1NT	Diamonds and spades
2	Clubs and diamonds

Partner usually passes or corrects to the other suit. Lacking a fit, partner can also bid a new 5+ card suit.

Truscott can also be employed over the negative 1 response, i.e. 1 - (Pass) - 1. The overcall structure is:

Overcall	Meaning
Double	Diamonds and spades
1	Hearts and spades
1	Spades and clubs
1NT	Clubs and hearts
2	Clubs and diamonds
2	Diamonds and hearts