Leaping Michaels

In the game of bridge, Leaping Michaels is a conventional overcall in 4♣ or 4♦ made in defense to opposing 2-level or 3-level preemptive openings.

A variant of the Michaels cuebid, Leaping Michaels shows a strong two-suited hand (5-5 or longer) that is less suitable for a takeout double and is game forcing.

Holding such two-suited hands and using Leaping Michaels, opponent's opening preempts between 2♦ and 3♠ inclusive are overcalled in accordance with the following table: After (3♦) – 4♣, a bid of 4♦ asks for the major.

Some partnerships prefer to interchange the meanings of the 4♣ and 4♦ bids following a 3♣ preempt so that 4♣ denotes diamonds and an undisclosed major.

Even after a Multi 2 diamonds preempt, Leaping Michaels can be utilised to good effect: