Friday, December 23, 2005 6:47 AM

Finding Major Suit Fits

PITBULLS:

Eric Kokish advanced Bridge theory a great deal when he came up with the concept of allowing only one side ( responder) to find the major suit fit in certain auctions. After a 1♦-P-2♣ auction , Kokish only allows responder to seek out the 4-4 major suit fit. This works like a charm as it allows opener to bid NT with hands suitable for NT regardless of 4 card majors. This principle allows opener to bid her distribution and show diamond length or strong or weak club preference. Opener conceals her majors from the opening leaders when there is no need to bid them as responder does not have a major anyway. Since opener is not allowed to bid a major , artificial meanings can be assigned to major bids.

This Kokish principle of allowing only one partner to seek out major suit fits should be extended to inverted minors. With game forcing hands and 5 or more of partners minor, it is nonsense to distort your hand by bidding a 4 card major. You violate natural bidding and must resort to silly 4^th suit artificial auctions and you never catch up and describe your hand properly. No amount of convincing will ever get me to agree that 1♥ is the correct bid with xx AKxx AKQxx xx when partner opens 1♦ . Just apply the Kokish principle that only responder is allowed to find the major suit fit after inverted minors. This allows opener to bid NT to describe her distribution and hide her major suit holding from the opening leaders. If you subscribe to the idea of bidding stoppers rather than suits , only allow opener to bid that way. A major by responder is always natural

1♦-P-2♦-P

2NT-P-3♥-P

4♥-P-P-P

xx KQx Axxxx KJx 1♦-P-2♦-P I would bid 2NT but if you are the stopper bidding type , you can bid 2♥ and responders bid of 2♠ is natural and you confidently get to your 3NT game.

I go a step further and allow the 2NT invitational response after a minor opener to hide a 4 card major if the values are “soft” thus NT suitable. Partner opens 1♦ and you have QJxx KJx xx KQxx . I would bid 2NT

as right siding the NT and showing your values in one fell swoop are a distinct advantage. We play a relay to 3♣ as a two way bid. Either an out to escape to 3♦ or checkback for a 4-4 major suit fit. After a club opener and a 2NT response , 3♦ is either a reverse or :”check back” for a major suit fit.-

With partner bidding 2NT with the above hand , opener with AKxx x AJ10xx Jxx is not strong enough to reverse to 3♠. He bids 3♣ as a relay to 3♦ and then bids 3♠ which is natural and “checking back” for a major fit or even a possible Moysean. Partner bids 4♠ and you found your 4-4 major suit fit.

Always responding a 4 card major is “match point” paranoia . This practice distorts natural bidding and helps the opponents with their opening leads. A very bad Bridge mixture.