In the card game bridge, CoCa or ComfyCanapé is a conventional defense against opposing 1NT openings. When playing CoCa, over a 1NT opening of the opponents, both a double as well as a 2 overcall are conventional and establish spades and hearts, respectively as anchor suits. Higher overcalls can be either natural, or conventional. The convention was published in Bridge Magazine IMP.
CoCa overcalls
dbl = A) 4-card spades plus a longer suit, or B) 6-card spades 2 = A) 4-card hearts plus a longer suit, or B) 6-card hearts 2 = 4-4 majors 2 = 5-card plus minor suit 2 = 5-card plus minor suit The canapé structure of the dbl/2 CoCa bids is what lends the convention its name.
Responses
Following the CoCa double, the partner of the doubler responds as follows: - dbl - - ?? Similar responses apply to a 2 overcall: - 2 - - ??
Advantages/disadvantages
CoCa renders all unbalanced hands with a major suit biddable. Claimed advantage of CoCa over other conventional defenses to 1NT openings, is that the first CoCa bid establishes at least one major anchor suit. Obviously, this advantage can turn into a disadvantage in cases knowledge of this anchor suit helps the opponents with a key decision during play. Furthermore, for nine out of the twelve frequently occurring 5-4 two suiters, the structure of the CoCa-overcalls allows the partnership to sign-off in the longer suit at the two level. Moreover, for five of these 5-4 hands, also the 4-card is known to partner before the biddinggoes beyond that suit at the two-level. As a result, the treatment minimises the chance of ending up in a Moysian fit whilst a better fit is available. Like using Brozel, Lionel and DONT, using CoCa carries the consequence of losing the penalty double over opponent's 1NT. Although this is sometimes seen as a loss, the inventor of the Lionel convention, Lionel Wright, argues that this loss turns into an advantage as it opens the possibility to defend 1NT doubled with split points between both defending partners. As a balanced holding of the majority of points is far more likely to occur than holding the majority of points in an imbalanced way, a conventional non-penalty double over 1NT holds the potential of paying-off on many hands. Also, non-penalty doubles are more difficult to deal with than traditional business doubles.
