NEW
MINOR FORCING / 1 NT REBID by Walt Sturm
Problems abound after opener rebids
1NT. According to the Captaincy Principle, new suits by responder are no longer
forcing. For example, after the beginning 1 minor - 1S - 1NT, 2H shows a weak
two-suiter; opener may only pass or correct to 2S. With a better hand,
responder may jump to 3H, but you need to know whether or not 3H is forcing.
Assuming it is forcing, how can you invite? If 3H is merely invitational, how
can you force? Does 3H promise 5, and if so, what do you do with only 4?
A more frequent problem
occurs after 1 minor - 1 major - 1NT when you were dealt a 5-card major. Of
course, you simply pass with a minimum, but how do you proceed with
invitational or forcing strength? The standard invitation is merely to raise to
2NT. Whenever opener accepts, he is obliged to show 3-card support on the way
to either game of your choosing. Unfortunately, he may not accept, leaving you
in 2NT and missing a possible 5-3 fit. And how do you force? A jump to 3 in
your suit, even if forcing, promises a 6-carder and doesn`t work well with partners
who are prone to rebid 1NT with a singleton, or worse, a void in your suit.
Another problem occurs with a
6-card major. A simple rebid guarantees six and is a sign-off. Do you play a
jump rebid is invitational or forcing? It obviously can`t be both, so what do
you bid with the other strength?
A simple solution to these
and other similar problems is to use the rebid of a new minor suit as an
artificial force. This allows opener to show 3-card support and whether he is
maximum. It also allows responder to make a subsequent gameforcing rebid in
either his suit or opener`s. Thus, any jump rebid by responder would be merely
invitational.
This convention requires
extensive partnership agreements because of the variety of cases that can
occur; don`t begin using it without in-depth discussions. For example, what
should opener bid holding a 3-4-3-3 shape after 1D-1S-1NT-2C? I would bid 2H,
but others might bid 2S (or 3S). You need to know what your partner would do.
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