Monday, July 18, 2005 5:49 AM

Hand Evaluation - Forcing 1NT ( Hearts )

PITBULLS:

I think a forcing NT to a spade opener holding hearts is not a good mix. 4♥ games are a desirable result , so why hide the heart suit with a 1NT bid after a spade opener ?. This forcing NT with hearts , wrong sides the NT & distorts auctions. Most players know the advantage of 1♥-P-2♠-P being a natural weak jump shift. There is also a tactical advantage of playing 1♠-P-3♥-P as a weak jump shift in hearts. The bid is descriptive & tactical. I also like 2♥ with a 3♥ rebid after a spade opener as non forcing to game. This treatment removes these heart hands from the forcing 1NT structure. This is a good thing , believe me. 2NT rebids by opener , strong jump shifts , simple minor rebids all benefit from those hands not being around when responder bids a forcing NT .

My partners & I play jumps to 3♦ as a stiff in the other major, after opening one of a major so we do not need 1♠-P-3♥-P as a splinter. Playing the bid as a weak jump shift instead of a splinter reaps benefits. When partner opens a spade, you respond a forcing NT , the long heart suit weak or strong for all intents & purposes is out of there. Jumps in hearts can be defined as a fit showing jump within the forcing NT structure if a minor is rebid by opener. A 2♥ bid after a minor rebid ,can be defined as something more useful than just wanting to play in hearts with a long weak heart suit..

Invitational hands with a 5 card heart suit will still exist in the forcing 1NT structure. After a spade opener & a club rebid , a forcing 2♦ bid by responder handles these hands very nicely. What about a spade opener with a diamond rebid.? This leaves 2♥ to be BART like & forcing one round as the weak heart hands have already been taken out of the equation. Like the other BART , 1♠-P-1NT-P 2♦-P-2♥ is an either/or bid. The bid shows an invitational hand in hearts or a strong diamond raise.with shortness in spades or a two card trump raise. With clubs rebid the same thing. 2♥ shows an invitational hand or a strong club hand. What remains for the 2♦ bid is up to the partnership.

The bid works differently than BART in that 2♥ is a relay to two spades assuming the default of a raise with two trump. 2NT after the 2♠ bid shows the invitational heart hand ( 5 card suit) & 3♦ shows the strong diamond hand. Finally , a simple raise in diamonds can just be that – a simple raise in diamonds. Keep the balancers out or one last chance to do something constructive with the diamond fit or in the case of a club rebid , a club fit. As we are just inventing this treatment , we I have not worked out all the nuances yet. If you do not keep weak heart hands out of the forcing NT structure , 3♥ can now be the weak heart hand.

Lets try an auction. ♠x ♥Axx ♦Kxxxx ♣Kxxx ,partner opens 1♠. You bid 1NT & partner rebids 2♦ so you bid the 2♥ forcing bid. As ordered , partner relays to 2♠ , you bid 3♦ . Partner holds ♠J10xxx ♥x ♦AQxxx ♣Ax , 6♦ for +1370 might be attainable or at least getting to your 21 HCP game . Do you move with this hand after a simple diamond raise ? +170 in diamonds does not warm the hearts of team mates anywhere.

Try the other sequence showing the invitational heart hand with a 5 card suit. ♠x ♥AQxxx ♦xxx ♣Axxx ♠Q10xxx ♥Kxx ♦AKxx ♣x .

1♠-P-1NT-P

2♦-P-2♥-P

2♠-P-2NT-P

4♥-P-P-P . Do you move in a standard auction after a 2♥ bid or even a demented jump to 3♥ with a 5 card suit ?