Cream of the Crop 11

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CHECKBACK STAYMAN BY RESPONDER Eddie Kantar has pointed out the unplayability of standard bidding after a 1NT rebid by opener: Opener Responder 1C 1S 1NT? Responder may now want to sign off, invite game, or force to game with a suit bid. There are only two levels of bidding available for the three actions, however, and three into two won't go. Kantar's answer was to make all jump rebids by responder invita- tional. With stronger hands he bids an artificial 2C and then makes his forcing bid. Unfortunately he can't sign off in clubs. Others remedy that drawback by using the lowest unbid minor ("New Minor Forcing") for the artificial bid, permitting responder to sign off in opener's minor suit. He can no longer sign off in the unbid minor, however. Presumably this is a lesser evil. But what if there is no unbid minor? Opener Responder 1C 1D 1NT? How can responder make a sign-off bid in clubs, an invitational bid in clubs, or a forcing bid in clubs, with only two bids to choose from (2C and 3C)? The same problem arises if responder wants to rebid in diamonds. How to sign off, invite, or force in diamonds? The use of three-level jumps as invitational has other weaknesses. In the first auction above, suppose responder bids an invitational 3C after opener's 1NT rebid, and opener holds SQ32 H-AJ5 D-K84 C-K732. What now? Bid 3S and find responder with a weak four suit? Besides, 3S is forcing, accepting the game invitation. No, opener must pass and perhaps miss a 5-3 spade fit. His problem is worse with a 3-4-3-3 hand. If responder uses "New Minor Forcing" with five spades and invitational strength, she can't then show good club support (a 3C bid following NMF is forcing to game). Another situation: You have D-K983 H-Q1086 D-KQJ4 C-8 and respond 1H to partner's 1D opening. After his 1NT rebid you invite with 3D. He now bids 3NT with SAJ10 H-K7 D-A7632 C-Q75 and has no play, down two. How could he tell that five diamonds would be a better contract? You might have held S8 H-Q1086 D-KQJ4 C-K983, and notrump is the right spot. There ought to be a way to describe these three-suited hands more accurately. Another: Partner opens 1C and you say 1S with SA97542 H-K983 D-7 C-85. When he rebids 1NT you must sign off with 2S, but he could easily have four hearts: SQ H-A1075 D-KJ5 C-KJ432 A heart contract is better, but how do you get there? A 2H rebid shows a weak 5-5 in the majors, maybe 6-5, or even 5-4, but not 6-4. More: You respond 1S to a 1C opening, holding SAJ75 H-62 D-863 C-KQJ2. When partner rebids 1NT, should you bid 3C or 2NT? If he has a minimum 2NT might be better, especially if he has only three clubs. If only we could invite game and show club support without going past the two level. One more: You have SAJ7632 H-K D-A76 C-J95 and respond 1S after partner opens 1C. When he rebids 1NT, should you bid 3NT or 4S? Wouldn't it be nice if 3S were forcing? Let's try this approach as a solution to most such problems: Opener Responder 1C/1D/1H 1D/1H/1S 1NT 3C/3D/3H/3S - forcing 2D/2H/2S - weak (except for reverses) 2C - Checkback Stayman A 2C rebid is Checkback Stayman (CS), forcing and artificial. It usually shows a game try sort of hand, about 11 high card points (HCP). As we shall see, CS may also be used with some weaker or stronger hands. Warning: DO NOT USE CHECKBACK STAYMAN IF A REVERSE OR OTHER NATURAL BID WILL SUFFICE! Partner will assume you do not have a good natural call when you use CS, and will therefore exclude certain holdings when he tries to picture your hand. Suppose you have S43 H-AJ97 D-AK1083 C-J4. After answering 1D to partner's 1C opening, your next call when he rebids 1NT is 2H--a good descriptive forcing reverse, implying five diamonds and four hearts. CS would be unnecessary and incorrect. One advantage of playing CS is that opener can bypass a four-card major suit, e.g., rebidding 1NT after opening 1C with a 4-3-3-3 hand such as S9765 H-Q103 D-AJ9 C-AQ8 and receiving a red suit response. Even if a 4-4 fit is missed, such hands often play just as well in notrump if responder is also balanced. If she is unbalanced, she may be able to use CS to "check back" for spades. Besides, you don't want responder to make a club preference with a hand such as S842 H-A987 D-32 C-K973, as she would after a 1S rebid. Nor do you want her competing to 3C with four-card support. In fact, we can make this a rule: After opening 1C, a new suit bid at the one level implies more than three clubs. Now, how do you respond to CS? -- Show three-card support for partner's major, or a very strong doubleton--two of the top four honors. -- Lacking that, show an unbid major or rebid a five-card heart suit. (Not spades? No. How can you rebid 1NT after opening 1S?) -- Lacking any of these, bid 2D. Opener Responder 1C 1S 1NT 2C 2H - four hearts, denies three spades 2S - spade support, may have four hearts 2D - denies spade support or four hearts If responder does not pass opener's response to CS, her next bid has one of the following meanings: -- A bid of 3C is a weak sign-off: Opener Responder Opener Responder 1C 1D 1D 1S 1NT 2C 1NT 2C 2D 3C any 3C Opener usually passes, but in the first auction he could now bid 3D with something like SA43 H-K76 D-9862 C-AQ5. In the second auction, responder has a weak hand, 4-6 in the black suits, and opener must pass. -- A 2NT bid shows clubs and a game-invitational hand: Opener Responder Opener Responder 1C 1H 1D 1S 1NT 2C 1NT 2C 2D 2NT 2D 2NT In both cases responder is showing clubs and a game invitational hand, probably unbalanced. If opener bids 3C, declining the invitation, responder will pass. If opener bids anything else, he is accepting the game try. Occasionally opener will pass the 2NT bid, with a minimum hand and strength in the "unbid" suits. The 2NT bid is invitational in clubs when made immediately after the 2C call, but: Opener Responder 1C 1D 1NT 2C 2D 2H 2S 2NT is a natural bid (I'll explain this auction later.) -- A bid of 3D, 3H, or 3S is invitational, not forcing: Opener Responder 1C 1S 1NT 2C 2S 3D/3H/3S are all invitational Opener is unlikely to pass 3H, however. To do so he would have a weak hand with four hearts and a poor fit: SJ76 H-8652 D-QJ10 C-AKQ Try this sequence: Opener Responder 1D 1H 1NT 2C 2H 3D The 3D bid is invitational and denies five hearts. Opener must not go back to hearts unless he has a good hand and wants to be in game. With five hearts responder must bid 3H instead of 3D for her game try. The principle is this: WHEN OPENER SHOWS SUPPORT FOR RESPONDER'S MAJOR, RESPONDER'S BID OF A MINOR SUIT OR NOTRUMP DENIES HAVING FIVE CARDS IN THE MAJOR. -- A heart raise at the two level is invitational, implying three- card support: Opener Responder 1H 1S 1NT 2C 2D 2H Responder has J10x or better in hearts. With four hearts she would usually invite with a 3H bid, but 2H may be preferred when the hand is marginal for a game invitation. Opener must pass 2H with a minimum hand, perhaps playing a 4-3 fit. With more than a minimum he can bid 2S, 2NT, or 3H (all invitational); 3C, 3D, or 3S (all forcing); 3NT; or 4H. Of course the spade raises show only good doubleton support, since opener has denied holding three spades. If opener bids 2S in response to 2C, preventing responder from showing three-card support for hearts, the heart support can be shown indirectly: Opener Responder 1H 1S 1NT 2C 2S 2NT/3D (3H requires four hearts) Both 2NT and 3D, showing clubs and diamonds respectively, also promise three-card heart support. This is not merely conven- tional--it is logical. Responder must have only four spades, right? And her minor can't be five cards long, or she would have bid it first. So her two suits are 4-4. Why is she using CS? She must have three-card support for hearts. Opener can now place the contract, playing responder for J10x or better in hearts. He must bid 4H if he wants to be in that game, because responder usually passes 3H. Responder is limited to three-card heart support in the last auction, and neither 2NT or 3D is forcing. The 3D bid is pretty safe, since opener must have either a good hand or four diamonds if he lacks a five-card heart suit. With 3-4-3-3 or 3-4-2-4 shape he would open 1C, not 1H, with a minimum hand. If he has only four hearts in a weak hand, his shape is 3-4-4-2, so 3D will be a satisfactory contract (better than 2NT, considering the doubleton club in both hands) if opener doesn't want to play in hearts. What does responder have in this auction? Opener Responder 1H 1S 1NT 2H Answer: A weak unbalanced hand, such as SK7642 H-1073 D-2 C-K432. This sequence implies five spades and tends to deny J10x or better in hearts, with which an original 2H response should be preferred (despite the five spades). With an unbalanced hand and only four spades, raise 1H to 2H, even with three small hearts. -- A new suit at the two level is forcing: Opener Responder 1C 1D 1NT 2C 2D 2S The 2S bid is forcing. Opener must bid 2NT. Opener has denied holding four spades, so responder can only be bidding 2S on the way to describing her hand. She may have 4-4-4-1 distribution, for instance. Opener bids 2NT as a mark-time bid, letting responder get on with the bidding. If spades are unbid and opener bids 2S over 2H, after he has denied holding four spades, that shows a double stopper in spades: Opener Responder 1C 1D 1NT 2C 2D 2H 2S shows a double stopper Opener's 2D bid denied four hearts or four spades. His 2S bid shows good strength in spades, without which he must bid 2NT. Responder might have SJ H-A975 D-KJ875 C-Q93. When opener bids 2S over 2H, responder can bid 2NT (instead of 3C) to invite game. Another situation: Opener Responder 1C 1S 1NT 2C 2D 2H The 2H bid shows four hearts only, since responder would jump to 3H (invitational) with five. Responder must now bid 2S. Her 2D response denied a holding of four hearts or three spades, so responder must only be trying to describe her hand fully. Perhaps she has a weak hand with six spades and four hearts, using the 2H bid as a device to get back to spades (2S over 2D would show five spades, not six). Or she might have SAJ874 H-K652 D-J9 C-Q8, planning to bid 2NT after the forced 2S bid. She could not bid 2NT over 2D because that would show clubs, remember? Suppose the original response was 1H and responder follows up her 2C bid with 2S, after opener shows heart support: Opener Responder 1C 1H 1NT 2C 2H 2S Here opener could have four spades, since he must show heart support as a first priority. If so, he can now raise spades (jumping with a maximum). Otherwise, he bids 2NT and awaits responder's next move (which will not be a pass). When a responder who uses CS bids two suits, then bids notrump or raises opener, she is making a game try. When she bids all three suits other than the one opened, she is forcing to game: Opener Responder Opener Responder 1C 1S 1C 1H 1NT 2C 1NT 2C 2D 2H 2D 2S 2S 2NT/3C 2NT 3D The 1S responder has only invited game with her last bid, so opener passes with a minimum. The 1H responder, who has also bid spades and diamonds, has made a game force, perhaps with a 4-5-4-0 hand (but could be 4-4-4-1). The 3D bid is natural, not "Fourth Suit Artificial," a convention that does not apply in CS sequences. -- A rebid of a major suit at the two level shows a weak hand and a five-card suit, with trump support for opener's minor, or a minor suit on the side, or both: Opener Responder 1D 1S 1NT 2C 2D 2S With nothing but six spades and a weak hand, responder would have bid 2S over 1NT. With six spades and four hearts, she would have bid 2H over 2D, forcing opener to bid 2S. The 2S bid therefore shows five spades, and opener can pass with a good doubleton (J10 or better) in spades. Otherwise he must bid 2NT with two or three clubs (at least three, in this case), and 3C with four or more. Responder will then place the contract in either clubs or diamonds. Occasionally it will be impossible for opener to have less than four clubs: Opener Responder 1C 1S 1NT 2C 2D 2S Opener has denied holding four hearts or three spades, so he has eight cards in the minors and could hardly have opened a three-card club suit. In this situation a 2NT bid would show four clubs and a 3C bid would show five. There is one other such case: Opener Responder 1C 1H 1NT 2C 2D 2H Responder has five hearts and a weak hand, with diamonds or clubs in reserve. With a weak 4-6 in the majors, responder must bid 2H, not 2C, over 1NT. Again, opener must have at least four clubs, so a 2NT bid would show four, a 3C bid five. What would a 2S bid by opener mean at this point? "I have three strong spades and the minimum number of clubs--four." Responder can then bid 2NT with SJ H-J9872 D-AJ87 C-Q65. Opener will not take the 2NT bid as invita- tional, since the 2H bid denies interest in game. Opener's hand: SKQ9 H-65 D-KQ83 C-KJ72 If opener has SA32 H-65 D-KQ83 C-KJ72, he bids 2NT over 2H, showing four clubs. Then responder, knowing opener is 4-4 in the minor suits, would place the contract by bidding 3D. Finally, if the 8D were the 8C, opener would bid 3C over 2H and responder would pass. In the following auction responder has SQ9873 H-7 D-K108 C-A965: Opener Responder 1D 1S 1NT 2C 2H 2S 3C Pass Opener must have a hand like: SK H-Q863 D-AQJ7 C-K1032, since his 3C bid shows four clubs. Responder therefore passes. This procedure of bidding 2NT or 3C (sometimes 2S) to indicate the number of clubs held applies only when responder has shown a weak hand by rebidding her major after using CS. A jump to 3NT after opener shows support for responder's major suit implies four cards in the other major or (if the opening was 1H) support for opener's hearts: Opener Responder 1C 1S 1NT 2C 2S 3NT Responder must have four hearts, so opener can bid 4H if he has a heart suit. Opener Responder 1H 1S 1NT 2C 2S 3NT Responder must have three-card heart support to be using CS, since she apparently has only four spades: SKQ73 H-Q103 D-AK4 C-542. Opener can now bid 4H with a hand such as SJ54 H-KJ762 D-QJ5 C-AJ. With CS opener can bypass a four-card major with a notrumpish hand. After opening 1C with S10754 H-KJ8 D-A93 C-KQ4, he can rebid 1NT after a 1D or 1H response. If responder has an unbalanced hand with four spades she will usually be able to check back with a 2C bid, or reverse into spades. With SJ632 H-AQ D-KQJ6 C-J86, she has no need to check for spades with such a beautiful hand for notrump. She will raise to 3NT, avoiding the bad spade contract that most partnerships will find. Opener should not suppress a four-card spade suit after a 1H response unless he has three hearts. There are many weak hands with which responder, holding five hearts and a singleton, will use CS. She is counting on a 2D or 2H bid from opener, and 2S would get the bidding too high. Knowing that opener must bid 2H over CS with three hearts and four spades, her assumption is a safe one. If you must rebid 1NT after a 1H response, holding four spades and a doubleton heart, make sure the doubleton is very strong: S5432 H-KJ D-AQJ C-K1098. Then you can bid 2H if responder rebids 2C. Don't bid 2D, which denies four spades. After responding 1H to 1D with S9 H-A10763 D-Q975 C-J32, do not bid 2D when opener rebids 1NT. A 2D preference denies five hearts, with which a 2C bid is safe (opener will bid 2D or 2H, not 2S). With three hearts opener no longer has to guess whether to pass a 2D preference or show the heart support. Suppose responder has a weak hand with spades and diamonds: Opener Responder 1H 1S 1NT 2D A slight problem here is that responder, lacking the strength for an original 2D response, could have six diamonds and only four spades. If opener has 3-3 in those suits he will prefer spades, so responder may have to go on to 3D, which opener must pass. Could responder have a weak hand with 4-5 in spades-diamonds? No. With such a hand responder should just pass 1NT. Remember that a weak 4-3-5-1 hand should make an initial response of 2H, not 1S, even with three small hearts, because bidding 1S and then 2H implies a five-card spade suit. If responder is 4-5 in spades-diamonds, her distribution will be 4-2-5-2 or 4-1-5-3, suitable for a 1NT contract. CS applies when 1NT is opener's third bid. There is only one such sequence: Opener Responder 1C 1D 1H 1S 1NT 2C is CS All subsequent bids have the same meaning as previously described. A 2H bid by opener would show five hearts, which is not impossible, or a strong four: S-KJ H-97632 D-Q3 C-AKJ3 or S-J5 H-AK105 D-876 C-A653. Responder can now raise hearts with three-card support. By the way, the 1S bid is not "Fourth Suit Artificial." To use Fourth Suit Artificial responder must bid 2S, not 1S. The 2NT bid to show clubs is often useful with a 4-4-4-1 hand. Partner opens 1D, you bid 1H with S-Q H-KQ52 D-K652 C-Q987, and he rebids 1NT. Your CS call now fetches a 2D bid. The best move now is not a 3D raise, the natural inclination, but 2NT (showing clubs). Partner will assume you have a two-suited hand with hearts and clubs, and will usually bid 3NT or 3C. If he bids 3C, you bid 3D, completing the picture of your hand. He might pass 2NT, but that's all right--he must have good spades to do so. If he happens to bid 3D over 2NT (showing five diamonds and accepting the game try), you will raise. He must have a good hand with weak spades, so five diamonds should be playable. He might have S-643 D-A4 D-AJ432 C-AJ3. CS is not generally used with a 4-4-4-1 hand when the singleton is in opener's suit, unless responder has a game-going hand. After responding 1H to 1D with S-J763 H-AK76 D-8 C-K1098, you can only raise opener's 1NT rebid to 2NT. A 2C bid could lead to trouble: Opener Responder 1D 1H 1NT 2C 2D 2S 2NT ? Responder doesn't know whether to pass or bid 3NT, since opener could have anywhere from 12 to 15 HCP. A 3C bid at this point would be forcing and highly misleading. With a game-going hand CS may be used safely, and responder can usually show all three suits. Suppose she has S-A652 H-AK93 D-3 C-Q1084. The bidding might go: Opener Responder 1D 1H 1NT 2C 2D 2S 2NT 3C The 3C bid is forcing, and responder implies a 4-4-4-1 hand. Shall we give opener a hand like this, to reward good bidding: S-K5 H-QJ D-97653 C-AKJ9. The great fit justifies an immediate jump to 6C. An invitational hand with 5-3-3-2 distribution should just raise notrump, even with a five-card major. Partner opens 1D and you respond 1H with S-A3 H-Q10964 D-Q76 C-K83. After his 1NT rebid you should raise to 2NT rather than bid 2C. You have a balanced hand, partner has not raised hearts, so respect his judgment and raise notrump. Besides, he can bid 3H over 2NT if he wants to. If you use CS and opener bids 2D, you cannot raise to 2NT (since a 2NT bid now would show clubs). With a game-going hand the 2C bid is safe, but it is usually better to just raise notrump with 5-3-3-2 hands. CS is not normally used with 4-4-3-2 hands, but there are excep- tions: -- With two strong four-card suits, one of which is partner's suit, and little strength outside, CS may be preferable to a notrump raise: S-KQJ3 H-87 D-AJ102 C-943. Partner opens 1D and you respond 1S. After his 1NT rebid you can bid 2C, intending to follow with a diamond raise. This course is safer than a raise of 1NT to 2NT. -- When responder is strong enough for game opposite a minimum, she can use CS to check for an unbid major, even with 4-4-3-2 distribution: S-AQ104 H-972 D-AKJ10 C-J3. Partner opens 1C, you say 1D, and he rebids 1NT. It is permissible to bid 2C, just in case opener has bypassed a four-card spade suit. If opener does not bid 2S, you jump to 3NT. With a weaker hand, however (S-AQ103 H-854 D-KJ82 C-75), a 1D responder to a 1C opening can only raise 1NT to 2NT, because CS doesn't work. That is one reason for bidding 1S instead of 1D with this sort of hand. -- CS can be used with a 4-4-3-2 hand of invitational strength if it includes good three-card support for opener's hearts (J10x or better). I said earlier that responder should not use CS "if a reverse or other natural bid will suffice." There are some situations where a reverse won't "suffice." Suppose you have S-A1093 H-KJ873 D-Q96 C-4 and partner opens 1D, you say 1H, and he rebids 1NT. What now? Reverse with a 2S bid or use CS? Answer: Bid 2C with this sort of hand, planning to show spades next, then follow with an invitation- al diamond raise if partner doesn't fit one of the majors. With a game-going hand (add a queen) you can bid 2S over 1NT, reversing, then raise diamonds. You can treat this as a forcing sequence if you don't already, because CS is available for invitational strength hands. The reverse sequence does not "suffice" to show both invitational and game-going hands of this type. When a passed hand jumps to the three level after opener's 1NT rebid, opener may choose to pass the supposed force if the jump is a raise of his suit or a jump in the same suit: South West North East Pass Pass Pass 1C Pass 1S Pass 1NT Pass 3C Pass Pass East opened with S-86 H-9765 D-KQ4 C-AQJ3. Naturally the 3C bid shows a great hand despite the original pass, since an invitational (CS) sequence is available. West's hand: S-AK75 H-4 D-875 C-K9874. Perhaps opener should keep going with a 3D bid, getting the partnership to a mediocre 5C game. When the jump is in a new suit, however, opener may not pass: South West North East Pass Pass 1C Pass 1S Pass 1NT Pass 3H - forcing If opener can only bid 3S (poor hand, poor fit) now, responder may pass. Opener can raise hearts with only three trumps, because responder must have at least 5-5, probably better, in the majors. When the Opponents Intervene CS is used even when the opening bid was overcalled: North East South West 1C 1H 1S Pass 1NT Pass 2C is CS All further bids by either partner retain the usual meanings, except that a natural bid in an opposing suit can show either four cards or a strong three. For instance, a 2H response by North would show four hearts or three good hearts (e.g., KJx), (while denying three-card spade support). CS does not apply if the 1NT bid is doubled, however. The bidding reverts to standard bidding in that case: South West North East 1C Pass 1S Pass 1NT Dbl 2C - sign-off If there is an opposing bid following the 2C bid that initiates CS, direct doubles are for business, reopening doubles are for takeout, and all bids are natural: South West North East 1C Pass 1S Pass 1NT Pass 2C Pass 2D 2H Dbl - business South West North East 1D Pass 1S Pass 1NT Pass 2C 2H Pass Pass Dbl - takeout 2NT - natural 3C - may not be weak When an Artificial Bid Gets Doubled When an opponent doubles an artificial bid, including the CS 2C bid, any elaborate scheme for showing stopper(s) or lack of stopper in the doubled suit would get in the way of CS bidding sequences: South West North East 1H Pass 1S Pass 1NT Pass 2C Dbl Pass - good clubs, weak hand 2D/2H/2S - normal response Rdbl - good clubs, good hand The pass or redouble tends to deny five hearts or three spades. "Good clubs" means a biddable club suit, Q10xx or better. If the double of an artificial bid gets passed around, a redouble to reopen the bidding says nothing about the doubled suit. It just says, "Please continue the auction." When a Natural Bid Gets Doubled When a natural bid is doubled, a redouble is a suggestion (not a command) that the contract may be playable; a bid just ignores the double; and a pass is non-committal. Partner can do what he wants after a pass: continue the CS bidding, pass the double, or redouble (to play) himself. Summary After a 1NT rebid by opener: All three-level suit jumps by responder are forcing. Any two-level suit bid other than 2C or a reverse is weak. To invite game, responder first bids 2C (artificial). 2C followed by 3C is a weak sign-off, so: 2C followed by 2NT is a game-try club bid. Opener's action after CS: Show three-card support for responder's major suit. Lacking that, rebid a five-card suit or show an unbid major. Lacking either of these, bid 2D. When opener shows support for responder's major, responder's next bid of a minor suit or notrump denies five cards in the major. If responder's next bid after CS is a new suit at the two level, that is a force. When using CS, if responder shows two suits and then bids notrump or raises opener's suit, she is making a game try. When she bids all three suits other than the one opened, she is forcing to game. After CS, responder's rebid of a major at the two level shows a five-card suit and a weak hand. Responder must have support for opener's minor, or a minor suit on the side, or both. Opener can pass with a good doubleton in responder's major. Otherwise, he bids 2NT (sometimes 2S or 3C). When opener shows support for responder's major after CS, respon- der's jump to 3NT implies four cards in an unbid major, or adequate trump support for opener's hearts. After a 1NT rebid, a reverse by responder is forcing, and a subsequent raise of opener's suit is also forcing. Use CS with an invitational hand.