Friday,
December 22, 2006 4:31 AM
4 level pre-empts - 5NT
PITBULLS:
If
your 3 & 4 level pre-empts in 1st & 2nd seat are always
disciplined ( no outside
Aces & Kings ) , you can take advantage of that . 4NT KCB
can be used specifically for the trump suit. 4♣ Gerber can key on the trump suit for 3 level pre-empts using Kiz Fung’s 4♣ Gerber scheme. (0,0 or
(0,1) , (1,0) , (1,1) , (2,0) & (2,1) . This scheme is handy for Exclusion
KCB also.
What if you are interested
in a Grand Slam after partner pre-empts at the 4 level in a major ? We do not need 5NT as a Grand Slam
Force in the traditional sense as KCB is
sophisticated enough for the old purpose.
We need to re-define 5NT to ask the question is your suit “solid” ?
If you have a solid suit that can
play opposite a void , leap to 7 of your major. We further define the
pre-empters “solid suit” the
following way – solid
with help from your partner. Solid opposite xxx or Qx from partner & next a solid suit opposite 2 small or
singleton from partner. A return to the trump suit means no solid suit , period (KQJ10xxx(x) or AQJ10xxx(x) ) . This scheme allows hand evaluation by the pre-empter with regards to the length of her suit ( 7, 8 , 9 card suits) also.
If
the pre-empters suit is “solid” with help from partner consisting of 3 small or
the Qx , this means AKxxxxx or AKJ10xxx
, she bids 6♦
after the 5NT question. Partner
will take it from there and place the
contract. If the pre-empters suit is “solid” opposite xx or a
stiff , the pre-empter bids 6♣. Here is where partner gets into the
act & returns information to
the pre-empter. If partner has a void in the trump suit, she signs off in 6 of
the major. If partner has xx of the suit , she bids the grand slam as partner
has announced an 8 card suit to the AKJxxxxx
or the like. If partner has a singleton , she bids 6♦ after the 6♣ response & in this one case
only , the pre-empter places the final contract. AKxxxxxx is not good enough opposite a stiff but AKQxxxx is good enough for the grand. I
guess , even 9 card suits can be evaluated in accordance with these solidarity
rules.
Partner
opens 4♠
and you hold ♠x ♥AKxx ♦Axxx ♣AKQx
so you bid 5NT . If partner bids 6♦ , you sign off because she needs help from
you that you do not have. If
partner bids 7♠ ,
you correct to 7NT in case of a ruff. If partner bids 6♣ , you toss the ball
back to her court with a 6♦
bid. She bids 7 or 6 depending on whether your singleton will make her suit solid. If partner bids 6♠ , hope that she holds her
trump losers to one J.
Established
partnerships should have this “solid suit” check back
in their system. The death response after 5NT , is returning to the trump suit
as you probably have a trump loser. 4 of a major varies so much in trump quality , you need a bid like this
for correct slam bidding. In my opinion , anyway.