Wednesday, December 14, 2005 5:16 AM

Forcing NT - Hearts

PITBULLS:

The forcing NT after a spade opener causes problems with the heart suit. Correct games or the best partials were missed as the 6 card heart suit got “buried” by the 1NT bid. The solution that we have devised is to virtually divorce the forcing NT from 6 card heart suits. 1♠-P-3♥ is defined as a weak jump shift. This means that these hand types ( 6 card heart suits ) with a weak hand are taken out of the forcing NT structure.

Good 6 card heart suits with invitational values are also taken out of the forcing NT structure. These are shown by responding 2♥ and then 3♥. There is still one other hand type that should be removed from the forcing NT structure. This is the 6 card heart suit with invitational values but a weak suit. Q J10xxxx KQx Kxx As per Charles Goren , in this one case only , 2NT should not be a game force after a 2/1 in hearts and a 2 spade rebid. The 2NT bid should specifically show 6 hearts with invitational values. You can always manufacture a bid with game forcing values or leap to 3NT.

What this does is leaves the forcing NT to deal with 5 card heart suits with invitational values. This introduces a new concept with the forcing NT concept and a spade opening bid. 2♥ is always an invitational 5 card heart suit and 2♦ after a club rebid is a one round force.

After a 1♠ opener , a forcing NT and a 2♣ rebid 2♦ has dual meanings assigned to so it must be a one round force. 2♦ can be natural with bad diamonds ( did not make a non forcing 2/1 ) or a strong club raise. There are BART like responses where opener can “pattern out” and bid 2♥ showing a stiff diamond. 2NT by the diamond bidder shows the diamonds with invitational values and 3♣ shows a strong club raise. A 2♥ bid is simply an invitational 5 card suit heart hand so we do not need BART anymore.

After a 1♠ opener , a forcing NT and a 2♦ rebid , 2♥ is a one round force. 2♥ has a dual meaning of an invitational heart hand or a strong diamond raise. To clarify the dual meaning , 2♥ is a relay to 2♠ and 2NT shows the heart hand and 3♦ shows the strong diamond raise.

All the above understandings come about as we have taken the 6 card heart suit out of the forcing NT structure. 6 card heart suits and forcing NT’s were a horrible mix anyway. This leaves a jump to 3♥ after forcing NT & a minor rebid as a splinter with support in the minor. A more sensible use for the bid.