Conventions that you should play if you play 5 card majors and a strong NT.

 

  1. New minor forcing
  2. Fourth suit forcing to game
  3. Jacoby transfers over 1 and 2NT
  4. Unassuming cue bids

 

  1. New minor forcing (NMF)

There are many hands where you wish to explore the strain and level where your partner opens one of a minor, you respond and she rebids 1NT (12-14/15).   If you don’t play this convention you basically have to guess what to bid next.   Here are three very normal examples.   Your partner opens 1♣ (maybe short or prepared (3+)), you respond with a perfect 1♠ and partner rebids 1NT (12-14 if you play 15-17 opening NT range, or 12-15, if it is 16-18 or 15-16 if you play Acol and a weak 12-14 NT).  

In each case you bid 2♦ (NB if your partner had opened 1♦ you would now bid 2♣).  

 

Partner will now bid out her hand showing preference for 3 card support of your suit.  If no 3 card support, bid a 4 card ♥ if neither, rebid NT (2NT with a min and 3NT with a max for your range) or rebid the minor with a 6 card suit.  After this you can judge whether to play in 2NT, game in NT or your major or play in a minor part score.

 

a)      ♠AKJ43                       b)         A10543                       c)         AQJ32

♥32                                          QJ2                                          Q

♦Q43                                       3                                              943

♣Q87                                      A1087                                     KQ109

 

So to get around this you bid the other minor after the 1NT response.  This is conventional (i.e. it does not promise 3 cards in the minor that you bid) it usually shows 5 cards in your first bid suit and asks if opener, who has denied 4 card support, by bidding 1NT has 3 of them.  It is also a forcing way of asking if partner has a 4 card ♥ suit but has been unable to show it as you responded ♠.

 

Also, contrast these two hand types

♠AJ1087                AJ1087

♥KQ103                K1032

♦3                          3

♣Q97                    987

 

The auction starts

1♦              1♠

1NT           ??

On both hands you would like to check for a 4-4 heart fit.  Let’s say that you choose to bid 2♥ on both of them.   On the first hand, if partner is a normal 2353 or 2344 then she can rebid 2NT with a minimum and 3NT with a maximum.  On the second one, what is she expected to do?   On a bad day you will play 3NT with no fit and 21 points between you.  Hopeless.  

The solution:  Playing NMF you bid 2♣ on the first hand (forcing) and 2♥ on the second hand not forcing.   So partner with 2344 or 2353 knows to pass 2♥ or give preference to 2♠ with say 3343 or occasionally 2254 shape.

 

  1. Fourth suit forcing (to game)  (FSF)

This is very similar to NMF and you really must play this type of convention in duplicate bridge.   This convention means that when you bid the fourth suit (i.e. your side has bid all 4 suits) it does not guarantee at least 3 cards in that suit but just asks partner to clarify her shape and strength.  Without this, how would you bid the following 3 hands on the auctions shown?

 

 

b)      ♠AKJ43                       b)         A10543                       c)         AQJ43

♥32                                          Q2                                           2

♦Q43                                       943                                          AQ9

♣Q87                                      A87                                         KQ109

 

In each case your partner opens 1♥ and you respond 1♠ and partner bids 2♣… what now?   Your partner has 12-17 points with 5♥+ and 4♣+.  

(a)    you do not know whether you should play game but the good ♠ suit and the ‘working Q♣’ makes it likely so you should bid 2♦ FSF.  Partner will bid 2♥, 2♠, 2NT, 3♣, 3♦, 3♥ , 3♠ or 3NT.   Let us examine what, logically, these bids might mean. 

2♥ indicates a minimum, still maybe only 5♥, denies 3♠ and denies a ♦ stop… Maybe 2524 shape or 1534.

2♠ is a minimum with 3 card ♠ support occasionally 2 cards with a top honour.

2NT denies 3♠ but shows a ♦ stop and 12-13 points.

3♣ shows 5+♣ and therefore may have longer ♥ again usually minimum.

3♦ is natural so is 0544 shape – so that you can play in the 4th suit when that is right

3♥ is a max hand usually 6 card ♥ denies 3♠. So 1624 or 2614.

3♠ is a max hand with 3♠. So 3514 or 3505.

3NT denies 3♠ but shows a ♦ stop and 14-17 points  NB is partner is 15-17 with a shortage in ♠ may bid this way.

 

(b) with this hand you are not strong enough to bid 2♦ game force so just give false preference to 2♥.  If partner has a better than minimum (12-14) hand she can bid out her shape or bid NT.   So after you bid 2♥ is partner bids 2♠ this shows 15-17 and 3514 and 2NT would be 15-17 with a short spade ( 2 or 1) any other suit bid would show extra strength and be a natural game try.

 

(c )  Here you do not know whether you want to play game in NT, ♠ or ♣ or maybe slam in one of these so bid 2♦ first to find out more, if partner denies ♠ support you can now bid ♣ and know that this is forcing to game so partner will not pass.

 

All the above bids are purely logical so not much remembering required.

 

There are many more examples where FSF is very useful.

 

 

  1. Jacoby Transfers and transfer breaks

These are often just called transfer and Oswald gets dropped.   Simply put, it is a way of bidding a red suit that asks you partner to bid the suit above (♦ è ♥ and ♥ è ♠).  Originally intended to explore for a 5-3 major fit after a 1NT or 2NT opening. {  It has expanded to allow for transfer into all 4 suits so ♠ è ♣ and NT è ♦.   Normally the transfer to a minor shows a 6 card suit unless it is followed by a natural (forcing) bid of a major showing 5-4 and implying shortage and, usually, weakness in one of the other suits.   Not everyone plays transfer in all 4 suits.

 

The transfer has big advantages over natural methods as you can bid a transfer on weak, invitational or strong hands.   3 examples below indicate the way an auction might develop after you partner opens 1NT 15-17.

 

c)      ♠J7543             b)         AJ543              c)         AQJ43

♥2                                2                                  2

♦10943                        Q1093                         AQ109

♣J87                            J87                               J109

 

The three auctions my go as follows:

a)         1NT                 2♥t         b)         1NT     2♥t         c)         1NT     2♥

2♠                    Pass                 2♠        2NTi                2♠        3♦fg

 

t = transfer

i = invitational

fg = forcing to game

 

Transfer breaks.

Do you always have to bid the transfer as requested?   The answer if you follow the law of total tricks, is “no”.   There are two basic approaches to transfer breaks.  To give nothing away you can jump in the transfer suit i.e. bid 3♠ in each of the above examples when you have a 5-4 fit.    This does not say whether you are min or max for your 1NT.  So partner will pass with (a) bid game on (b) and investigate slam on (c).   The law will protect most of the time.   The slightly more sophisticated response is to bid any weak doubleton or 2NT if you don’t have a weak doubleton with a maximum hand and simply jump transfer (as above with any minimum NT opener).  There are other approaches.  One used extensively in Australia is called Lavings there after the inventor.  

 

 

 

 

  1. Unassuming cue bids.

Your partner overcalls and you have a moderate or good hand.   How should you raise her?   If the overcall is say 7-17 points (as I recommend) you clearly need to be able to find out with it is minimum or not as well as any extra shape.

 

    1. ♠J75                 b)         AJ5                  c)         AQ43

♥43                              2                                  32

♦109432                      Q10932                       AQ109

♣J87                            J872                             J109

Your left hand opponent opens 1♥ and your partner overcalls 1♠.   What would you bid on the above 3 hands?   Without playing the law or unassuming cue bids you would (a) pass, (b) bid 2♠ and (c) bid 3 or 4♠.

I suggest that you bid 2♠ on both (a) and (b).   If you partner bids on this will show 16-17 points and a game try based on the suit bid or be pre-emptive if simply raising 2♠ to 3♠ (showing 6).  Obviously with (a) you will refuse the game try but accept with (b).   With hand (c) you simply bid the opponents suit 2♥.  This is an unassuming cue bid – it shows an opening hand or maximum pass if already passed, and usually 3+ card support. 

NB. Sometimes you will have say a balanced 15 count and no 3 card support and bid this way.

 

What does you partner respond?   With a bare minimum 7-11 points she should simply rebid her suit (♠ here) at the lowest level.  

With more than (11+) that, bid a 2nd suit or bid NT with a stop or jump in the first suit (usually 6 cards but maybe 5332 with no stop).   So with hand (c) you can safely play in 2♠ when your partner has made a light overcall.