Saturday, April 26, 2003 9:55 PM

Hand Evaluation – Systemic ( Kokish Rebids )

PITBULLS:

Sometimes a bidding treatment comes along that is so good that it should immediately be incorporated into an established partnerships bidding system . In my opinion , the Kokish rebids applicable only to a 1♦-P-2♣ auction is one of those treatments. In standard bidding , auctions that start of 1♦-P-2♣ are very clumsy . You play 5 card majors so you know partner as at least 5 cards in that major . With diamonds you have no such luxury . The diamond bidder can have 3 , 4 , 5 or more diamonds so ambiguity regarding diamond length is always present. . Even if the diamond opener now bids 2♥/2♠ , you are no better off as this could be a flat hand with short diamonds or a 5-4 with minimum points or maximum points . With club raises you do not have a clue either re HCP or distribution . These are very bad auctions for slam purposes or even getting to the right game. Kokish/Nagy came up with an idea that really clarifies & adds structure to these auctions . One basic rule – only the 2♣ bidder can initiate the search for the 4-4 major suit fit ! This one concept simplifies everything as the diamond bidder is no longer allowed to bid a 4 card major . Why should opener mention a major if the 2♣ bidder does not have one anyway ?? There is no 4-4 major fit to be found.

With this basic premise of the 2♣ bidder being in charge to find the major fit , you can assign artificial meanings to a major bid by the diamond opener . One basic rule for opener though, she must show a club fit first even if she has a 4 card major. 2♠ shows a strong club raise as opposed to a weak 3♣ raise . This simplifies slam tries . A 2♥ rebid shows the difficult to bid 4-4-4-1 hands with a stiff club . OK these two bids gets the artificiality out of the way so now natural bidding takes over. A 2NT rebid can show a flat hand regardless of major suit holding . This right sides the NT quite often & makes life difficult for opening leaders as she may have both majors. A 2♦ rebid can show 5 or more diamonds or 6-5’s in diamonds & a major . The odds are that the 2♦ rebid will have a 4 card major of course, as clubs are taken out of the equation. The diamond opener is not allowed to bid a 4 card major , so a major bid after showing length in diamonds must be 5 ! This shows the difficult 6-5 hands in the reds.

A balanced hand in the 15-17 HCP range with diamonds is impossible to have as you would have opened 1NT. The jump to 3NT shows the 18-19 range according to the inventers. Some partnerships do not like that treatment so play 2NT an either or bid showing both ranges. This keeps the major fit exploration at a lower level. Partnerships who play that treatment can define 3NT to be gambling showing a long solid diamond suit with an outside card.

1♦-P-2♣-P 1♦-P-2♣-P

2NT-P-3♠-P 2NT-P-3♠-P

4♠ ( minimum range) 4♥ ( maximum range with Q bid )

The Kokish structure discourages unnatural bidding by not allowing stoppers to be bid until the flat hand is described first. Once either side has bid NT , you can bid stoppers due to the “game before slam” principle. Priority is major suit fit first followed by groping for 3NT & followed by a minor suit slam.

With inverted minors , the Kokish thinking is similar except that the 4-4 major suit does not enter the picture. Unless responder is slamish from the onset , she will not bypass a 4 card major in favour of an inverted minor bid. It is idiotic bidding to bypass your 5 card club suit with a game going hand & bid your 4 card major. Responder , therefore must be the captain to find the major fit.

The following is a write up from the net on this excellent bidding treatment :

These rebids apply only when the bidding sequence has been 1 ♦ - 2 ♣:

2 ♦:	shows	5+ Diamonds, forcing
2 ♥:	shows	4-4-4-1 distribution ♣ stiff
2 ♠:	shows	a good Club raise
2 NT:	shows	12-14 HCPs, balanced distribution
3 ♣:	shows	a bad Club raise
3 ♦:	shows	16+ points and a 6-card Diamond suit
3 ♥:	shows	a Splinter bid in support of Clubs
3 ♠:	shows	also a Splinter bid in support of Clubs
3 NT:	shows	18-19 HCPs, balanced