Wednesday, May 14, 2003 3:21 AM

 Hand Evaluation - 2/1 Non Forcing to Game ( Suit rebid )

 

PITBULLS:

 

I noticed that in Bridge World Standard 2001 , the experts polled recommended that 2/1 should not be forcing to game when the suit is rebid . In the era of making 4th suit noises to force to game,  it is easy to make sure the game force is flashed when you have a strong forcing to game 2/1 suit . There is no reason to be so rigid with 2/1 when you have a good rebidable 6 card suit . This concept only applies after a major opener because we must contend with the dreaded forcing NT response. The purpose of this 2/1 treatment is to rescue nice 6 card suits from the clutches of the forcing NT .

 

            The Standard American fix hands i.e. 10-12  HCP with a minor when partner opens a major are almost impossible to describe playing forcing NT . With a heart opener , we have the idle spade bid to get the message across that we have a minor hand in that HCP range . After a spade opener, it is impossible to show these hands so confusing auctions result . When I played with Subash , I asked him how he handled these problems hands. He replied he has given up , so plays 2/1 non forcing to game when the minor suit is rebid . You note that standard convention cards have a tick mark for partnerships who play it that way .

 

            When 2/1 was just in its growing pain stage multi decades ago , Vish and I decided that 2 , 2♣ and 2 over a spade opener and 2 diamonds/clubs over a heart opener was not forcing to game if the suit was rebid. This worked well so we could go to the two level with just a good 6 card heart suit and rebid it . This meant that the forcing 1NT did not have to go into contortions to jump in hearts . Vish and I assigned splinters to the bids instead. Same with strong 6 card minor hands under a game force . Since we would have bid 2/1 anyway , rebid our suit non forcing  , jumps in the minor were splinters instead of suits so clarified a lot of forcing  auctions .

 

            Bridge is a game of suits. Hiding a good 6 card suit within the forcing NT structure is just plain bad Bridge. By pulling these hands outside of the forcing NT , it frees jumps to mean splinters or fit showing jumps depending on the partnership preference. The forcing NT is a bad bid,  so allowing  good 6 card suits to escape its clutches  is a good idea. Less 3NT contracts get wrong sided that way & tight games in the other major are reached.

 

           

 

x

x

A

Q

x

 

K

10

 

 

x

9

 

 

x

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

    Partner opens a spade , you bid 1NT . Partner rebids 2 so now what ? A 3 splinter would be a nice bid to make . Playing 2/1 in hearts as non forcing to game , the  bid can not show hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

x

Q

x

A

x

J

 

K

x

x

 

x

 

x

 

x

 

 

 

x

     Partner opens 1 , you bid 1NT . Partner rebids 2♣ so would you not like

 to splinter to 3 ?  Playing 3 as strong , natural is impossible or else you would have gone the non forcing 2/1 route.

 

 

 

 

x

x

A

x

x

x

K

x

 

 

Q

x

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

     Scott and I had a disaster against the Cabays last night. Scott opened 1 , I bid  a forcing NT . Stan bid 2♣ & Scott bid 2 . Lisa bid 3which I doubled & turned on forcing passes for one round. Lisa then  bailed to 4♣ so Scott and I had a forcing pass misunderstanding so they played  it there . Meanwhile we are cold for 7 as Scott held ♠Axxxx AKQx Jxxxvoid .

 

  Now play 2/1 non forcing to game if suit rebid. 1   2  and then a 5♣ exclusion bid or some sort of club splinter 6 or 7 diamonds is reached . No forcing 1NT contortions .

 

 

x

x

A

A

x

x

K

X

 

 

Q

X

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

     O.K. now you do want to force to game . 1 2

                                                                            2  3

 

   What’s so difficult to come up with a 3♣ bid to force to game ? Partner will give  preference to diamonds if she has 3 so its almost like rebiding 3 anyway . You are not giving up much and you solve an unsolvable forcing 1NT bidding fix. 

 

           

The coach likes it !!!!