4 Way Transfers

Wednesday, September 11, 2002

4 Way Transfers

PITBULLS:

Over 1NT openers , minor suit transfers are a great tool . This article from the net also solves a number of other sticky situations over a 1NT opener . These methods give you an excellent structure over 1NT for the tough hands .

FOUR SUIT TRANSFERS

These days it is rare to come across a partnership that does not play Jacoby transfers over a 1NT opening. For many though, that is the extent of their use of transfers. Of course, they are missing out on one of the great innovations in the game. In this lesson we'll present you with various ways to utilize all of the extra bids transfers make available. Everyone has their own pet methods, but there are essentially two families of transfers over 1NT.

Assuming 2§ is Stayman and 2¨/2© as red suit transfers, there are two major schools of thought on how to use 2ª, 2NT and the 3 level bids. In these notes we will concentrate on developing a structure that also uses transfers to the minors.

1NT-2ª is a transfer to clubs 6 card suit and 3 types of club hands weak , invitational , game force &

1NT-2NT is a transfer to diamonds 6 card suit and 3 types of diamond hands , invitational , game force:

When you open 1NT and partner bids 2¨, transferring to hearts, you will usually complete the transfer by bidding 2© because doing anything else carries you beyond your safety level when partner has a weak hand. When the transfer is to a minor, that is not the case. When responder shows clubs with a 2ª bid you can bid either 2NT or 3§ and still stop in the relative safety of 3§.

The "standard" method is to bid 3§ on most hands and "break" the transfer by bidding 2NT with a good club fit ( super acceptance ).

With diamonds you super accept by bidding 3§ and bid 3¨ otherwise

Above, we said that partner bids 2NT over 2ª with a fit. So, what exactly is defined as a "fit"? Usually this is considered to be Q-x-x or better and it is up to individual partnerships to agree whether they treat A-x or K-x as a fit. The advantages of doing so are clear:

ª J8 © 963 ¨ 97 § AQ10864

Partner opens 1NT. Do you pass, remove to a club partial, or punt 3NT? The answer is probably that if partner has a club holding like K-x-x then 3NT is probably a good shot. Opposite two low clubs, 3§ is likely to be the limit of the hand.

When responder has a very weak hand and is simply correcting the contract to 3§ it makes no difference what opener does. If he responds 3§ to the 2ª transfer, responder just passes, and if opener bids 2NT then responder bids 3§ himself, which must be passed. Similar sequences allow responder to remove himself to 3¨.

What about the strong minor hands game force & slam tries ? These have a great advantage in that you have a bid to keep out of 3NT without a stopper or find a lack of duplication of value for slam purposes. If you bid something else after transferring to a minor it is shortness !

ª KQ85 © 75 ¨ K1096 § AKJ ª A43 © 7 ¨ AQJ1875 § Q105

1NT 2NT

3§ 3©

4¨ 6¨

O.K. the 3 level jump bids are available over 1NT . Some people play 3§ to show a weak 5-5 in the minors and 3¨ to show a strong 5-5 in the minors .

There is another way to use these bids and that is the always troublesome 3 suited hands .

Let's start with 3 suited and quasi 3 suited hands. Playing transfers and Stayman, how would you handle this hand when partner opens 1NT?

ª KJ85 © 7 ¨ K1096 § AJ95

You obviously cannot start with a transfer, having no 5 card suit. So, let's say you start with Stayman. Partner responds 2©. Now I guess you give up and settle for 3NT? Unfortunately partner's hand is:

ª A3 © 10853 ¨ AQ5 § KQ72

The opponents cash the first five heart tricks. One down! Unlucky -- hearts could have been 4-4 and the opponent did well to lead one after the Stayman response. Will teammates commiserate? They come back hopeful of gaining a swing on the board as their opponents stopped in 5§+1 with slam cold. Do you think they will be impressed that their -600 is 12 IMPs out rather than 13 in the plus column?

You are hardly better placed if partner bids 2¨ in response to Stayman. You'll be sure that a minor suit game or perhaps a slam is the right contract, but how on earth do you get there?

Now how about this one:

ª 3 © KQ7 ¨ K9753 § KJ93

Once again, partner opens 1NT. You could start by transferring to diamonds, but then what? Do you really want to give up on 3NT by bidding 4§ next? Why should partner have a minor suit fit? Why shouldn't he have good spades? The answer of course, is that he might have anything. 3NT may easily be the right spot, but so too might 5§, 5¨, 6§, 6¨ or even 4©. You just don’t know, and you have to guess.

Since you have all of the 3 level bids available, you could do worse than use them to address the problems presented by these 3 suited hands. The following works, although you can just as easily devise your own ways to handle the problem. These are the immediate responses to the 1NT opening:

3§ shows a 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-4-0 with a short major and four cards in the other major

3¨ shows a 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-4-0 with exactly 4-4 in the majors

3ª shows at least 5-4 in the minors with less than 4ª and at most one heart

Let's say the auction starts 1NT-3§. Opener will usually bid 3¨, which is an artificial relay asking responder which major he has. Responder now simply bids his major and opener should be well placed to choose the denomination. Obviously if he bids a minor at the 4 level, that suit is then agreed and responder can investigate a slam if his hand merits doing so.

Continuations after a 3¨ response are similar, in that opener can bid 3© to ask which minor responder has. 3ª now shows clubs and all other bids show diamond length -- 3NT, since it is non forcing, denying any slam interest.

After the 3©/3ª responses, opener will usually be able to set the suit immediately, since responder's suits are already known.

Finally, let's look at those hands on which most systems leave you no alternative but to raise notrump, either straight to slam or with a quantitative 4NT.

Opener’s Hand Responder’s Hand

Despite the combined 31 HCP ten tricks is the limit in notrump. (If you add a queen to either hand, bringing the combined point count to 33, most pairs would bid to 6NT -- one down.) However, if you were to switch the red suits, most pairs would find their way to a heart contract, which makes 12 tricks fairly comfortably either by ruffing two clubs in responder's hand or by ruffing two spades in opener's. Only a 6-1 black suit break or a really wicked trump split will prevent 6¨ making on the hands as given above.

For most pairs, the auction would start 1NT-2§-2¨-: At this point responder would mentally shrug his shoulders and make a quantitative raise to 4NT. Reaching a diamond contract is never an option.

However, with slam aspirations, responder should be able to discover more about opener's hand. Since you are playing 4 suit transfers, 1NT-2§-2any-3§ is no longer needed to escape from 1NT when you have long clubs or a forcing club hand . 3§ is therefore available for a much more useful purpose. ( Cabay used this against me Thurs nite where 6D makes & Vinnies got there by the seat of their pants ) . Use it as a second inquiry or “Re-Stayman” .

With the strong 5-5 minor hands you can start off with normal Stayman and then “re-Stayman with 3♣” to find a minor fit . The author suggests some sequences below :

We are sure that you could construct your own structure, but the one outlined below works. Note that opener's responses to the second inquiry will depend on his first response to Stayman, since in each case certain hands types are no longer possible. We will leave you to work out the subsequent auction with your regular partner.