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STOPLITE.CVA
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1995-08-21
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STOPLIGHT
Have you noticed how often partner jumps to 2NT when you respond
to an opening bid with a hand such as S-K8742 H-J9432 D-6 C-82? Of
course you must pass, even though you know that three of a major
would probably be a better contract. Having stretched to respond
1S, you dare not bid 3H, which is forcing. Game is unlikely, but
could be makeable if opener has a good fit with both majors, such
as S-AQ3 H-KQ10 D-AK7 C-J963. If you bid 3H, however, partner is
sure to turn up with S-Q6 H-K85 D-AKQ3 C-KQ32. Three hearts is the
right spot, but you can't stop there.
Another situation: You open 1D with S-AQ83 H-K4 D-QJ9762 C-4 and
partner responds 1H. Your 1S rebid fetches a 2NT rebid from
partner:
You Partner
1D 1H
1S 2NT
A 2NT rebid by responder is invitational, not forcing, for most
partnerships. In this auction partner perhaps has a hand of this
sort: S-K4 H-98732 D-K3 C-AJ82. Three diamonds would be much more
comfortable than a notrump contract, but can you stop in 3D? Isn't
any further bid by you an acceptance of partner's game invitation?
If you do play that a 3D bid now would be a sign-off, then you will
have trouble with a hand like S-AQ83 H-K4 D-AQJ872 C-4. You must
bid 3NT over 2NT, missing an easy slam if partner has the hand
shown. If you decide to go slamming in diamonds, partner may turn
up with an unsuitable hand: S-J4 H-AQ832 D-65 C-KJ87. For this
reason, and to avoid the possibility of misunderstandings, it is
common practice to play any further bid after an invitational jump
to 2NT as an acceptance of the game invitation. If the game try is
not to be accepted, then 2NT must be passed.
Most partnerships make one exception to this rule: After a third
or fourth seat opening, a rebid of the same suit by opener is a
sign-off bid after a 2NT response:
Opener Responder (a passed hand)
1S 2NT
3S is a sign-off
Any other rebid by opener is forcing, and is in general an
acceptance of the game try by responder. With a hand such as
S-KQ876 H-A9762 D-3 C-42 opener should not rebid 3H, which is
forcing. Opener would like responder to take a choice between 3H
and 3S, but how can that be done? There is, however, a small chance
of making game in a major. Responder could have S-AJ3 H-KQ8 D-Q87
C-8753. The only way to reach game is for opener to make the
terrible overbid of 3H. Then responder is sure to have S-J10 H-J108
D-AQ84 C-K953, and the result is a defeated game contract in hearts
or notrump.
What we need is a "stoplight" bid, one that says, "Stop! I'm
light!" The logical call, since it is the cheapest, is a bid of
3C. After any non-forcing jump to 2NT, a bid of 3C says, "I think
we should stop below game, unless you have a terrific fit. Please
bid 3D, and I'll clarify my hand--perhaps by passing!" Example:
Opener Responder (a passed hand)
1S 2NT
3C - Stoplight
A 2NT response by a passed hand is not forcing, but opener wants
to stop in three of a suit. Opener may have S-A87632 H-KQ4 D-4
C-Q32 or S-AQ863 H-9 D-A8763 C-42. When responder now bids 3D,
opener bids 3S with the first hand and passes with the second. In
this sequence responder should not bid 3D with a preference for
spades over diamonds. With S-J109 H-AJ5 D-Q92 C-KJ74 responder bids
3S, not 3D. With four hearts instead of four clubs responder bids
3H, in case opener has spades and hearts. Another example:
Opener Responder
1H 1S
2NT 3C - Stoplight
Now opener must bid 3D with equal length in spades and diamonds,
because partner could have more diamonds than spades. He could have
any of these hands:
1) S-J97632 H-4 D-Q8 C-J642
2) S-KJ765 H-543 D-J943 C-7
3) S-A873 H-4 D-J86543 C-65
4) S-Q9742 H-4 D-K10832 C-42
Responder wants to stop in 3S with hand 1), unless opener has a
fine spade fit with quick tricks outside. With hand 2) responder
will bid 3H if opener bids 3D, offering opener a choice between 3H
and 3S as a final contract. With 3) responder hopes to stop in 3D.
Otherwise the contract will be 4D, which figures to be better than
2NT, or 3S (giving responder a chance to practice playing a 4-3
trump suit with a 6-2 suit on the side). With 4) there is a good
chance that responder will end up playing 3D with a 5-3 fit in both
spades and diamonds. The difference is unimportant at rubber bridge
or IMP scoring, and stopping anywhere at the three level is likely
to be a top score (or if not, a bottom score) in a match point
contest.
The Stoplight bid is not an absolute command to play at the three
level. Suppose the bidding goes:
Opener Responder
1C 1D
2NT 3C - Stoplight
Responder probably wants to stop in 3D, but opener can bid 3NT with
a great diamond fit and fast tricks outside.
An inferential sequence:
Opener Responder
1C 1D
2NT 3C - Stoplight
3D 3NT
Since responder wanted to stop but did not pass 3D, the desired
contract must be clubs (or responder may just not be sure whether
to play in four of a minor or 3NT). Opener passes 3NT with a superb
hand such as S-AJ10 H-AJ9 D-KJ3 C-KQ98, but otherwise must bid 4C.
Responder might have S-6 H-83 D-A9762 C-J5432 or perhaps six clubs
and four diamonds.
But suppose responder has a better hand, and wants to be in game?
How can responder show club support in a good hand without going
past 3NT, since a 3C bid is artificial? We must find another call
to show a forward-going club bid in a game-going hand. Bid 3D to
show clubs? But then how would we show diamonds with a good hand?
Before solving this problem, let's take a look at the bids of 3H
and 3S over 2NT. These bids tell something about our major suit
holdings. If instead of using these bids to inform partner about
our majors, we ask partner about his majors, we can make that
inquiry with just one bid. By using one bid to serve the purpose
of two bids, we gain back the bid we used for Stoplight.
The bid that asks partner about the majors should obviously be 3D.
After a non-forcing jump to 2NT, a 3D bid asks, "Do you have one
of the following: 1) an unbid four-card major suit? 2) support for
a major that I have bid? 3) a rebiddable holding in a major that
you have bid? With two of these, bid 3H; with none, bid 3NT." For
instance:
Opener Responder
1H 1S
2NT 3D?
3H - five hearts, may have spade support
3S - spade support, four-card heart suit
3NT - neither of the above
The 3D inquiry is forcing to game, since Stoplight is used with
weak hands.
Now we have two unused bids--3H and 3S--which we can use to show
a club or diamond bid in a game-going hand. After a non-forcing
jump to 2NT, a 3H bid shows a normal forward-going 3C bid, and a
3S bid shows a normal forward-going 3D bid:
Opener Responder
1H 1S
2NT 3H shows clubs
3S shows diamonds
Opener now bids as if responder had made a normal forcing bid in
the indicated minor suit.
The artificial nature of a 3H or 3S bid still applies when the
minors have been bid previously:
Opener Responder
1C 1D
2NT 3H/3S
A 3H bid shows club support, while a 3S bid shows a rebiddable
diamond suit. Both bids are an acceptance of opener's game
invitation.
What should this auction show?:
South West North East
Pass Pass 1D Pass
2NT Pass 3C Pass
3D Pass 3H/3S?
Answer: Six diamonds and a five-card major, in a weak hand. South
normally takes a choice between North's two suits. If he bids 4D,
North is likely to pass, so he must bid five with a good fitting
hand.
The complete text of STOPLIGHT comprises six single-spaced pages,
including answers to the following questions:
Can the Stoplight bid ever be passed?
What if an opponent doubles some bid?
Is Stoplight used in competition?
Can Stoplight be used in conjunction with slam tries?
STOPLIGHT was published in Popular Bridge magazine, February, 1978.
The article won second place in the International Bridge Press
Association's Awards for Best Article or Series on a System or
Convention (C. C. Wei "Precision" Award). It was also published in
the Contract Bridge Forum, August/September 1982. It is included
in Bridge Conventions Complete, by Amalya Kearse.