Monday, October 31, 2005 10:02 AM

4S - KCB

PITBULLS:

Many experts use 4♠ as KCB when hearts is the trump suit. The reason is that it saves a step in the responses and allows 4NT to mean a Q bid or natural depending on the auction. I thought that this agreement was an unnecessary complication but I am starting to see why the bid is gaining favour among experts. I have played a version of this Kickback but only at the four level with minors agreed for the first time at the 4 level.

Bryan Maksymetz and I had a bidding disaster which would have been solved by having 4♠ reserved as Blackwood when hearts agreed. The auction went 1♠-P-2♦-P 2♥-P-3♥-P 3♠-P-4♣-X 4NT . I held

x AQxx A1098xx KJ and Bryan held AKQxx KJ109 KQ xx . Since Bryan bid 4NT as KCB we wrong sided the contract as 6NT is cold from my side. We gambled on the location of the club queen by bidding 6♥ but blew a slam swing when the doubler had both club honours. 4NT as Blackwood wrong sides slam contracts & takes options away.

When you have systemic bids that show splinters after a 1NT opener , you need 4NT as natural saying that you have no fit and duplication of value. A variant of the BJ Trelford hand AKxx AQxxx Qxx x after I open a strong NT and he bids the Smolen sequence . He jumps to 4♦ to show the 5-4-3-1 slam try and have QJ Kxx AJ10 Axxxx . I bid 4♠ as KCB hearts agreed and we get to our 6♥ contract. What if I held Qxx xx AKx KQJ10x ? I do not want to be forced to 4♥ as the “death response” as that is the only contract that we can not make. I bid 4NT to play saying I do not like hearts and I have clubs well under control.

Same sequence but I hold QJx Kx AKJxx Jxx and am interested in a diamond slam as partner shows 3 or 4 diamonds on this auction. Again 4NT should be to play so 4♠ is KCB for hearts but I place the final contract in 6♦ . Excellent result for this Smolen system.

Having spades as KCB makes sense as you are forced beyond the heart game anyway. You do not lose a spade Q bid as in a Q bidding auction , 4NT can be a spade Q bid if the auction dictates it can not be natural. OK colour me converted to using 4♠ as KCB when hearts are agreed.

Another good understanding is whenever the opponents force you to the 4 level in a minor , Q bidding their suit is KCB and 4NT it to play. 1♥-3♠-4♣-P 4NT is natural to play so 4♠ is KCB with clubs agreed. Having 4NT as a natural place to play a contract makes Bridge sense in many auctions. Here is a definition of Kickback from the internet :

Kickback

A variant of Roman Key Card Blackwood in which the asking bid is one step above four of the agreed trump suit. The concept is to ask for Key Cards at a lower level than with other Blackwood variations. It was first suggested by Mr. Jeff Rubens in the Bridge World magazine in 1981.The concept is that the bid immediately above four of the agreed trump suit is used to ask for Key Cards, thereby preserving bidding space. If the Club suit is the agreed trump suit, then 4 Diamonds is used as Kickback. If the Diamond suit is the agreed trump suit, then 4 Hearts is used as Kickback, with hearts agreed 4 spades is used as Kickback. With Spades as the agreed trump suit, then 4 No Trump is used.

If, however, the bid of 4 No Trump is an idle bid, then the bid of 4 No Trump can be used as a cuebid in the Kickback suits or as natural depending on the auction. Kickback followed by five of the Kickback suit strongly suggests a grand slam and possession of all the Key Cards plus the Queen of Trump and asks for specific Kings. Over the years Kickback has been refined. Kickback is only used when the trump agreement is finally agreed upon at the 4 level. Other means of minor suit KCB is used when trump agreement is found at earlier levels. ( 4 of the agreed minor suit for example )