Thursday, August 31, 2006 2:19 PM

Hand Evaluation - Minor Fits ( Competition )

PITBULLS:

4NT is never Blackwood when you have a minor fit & left alone by the opponents. We have minor suit KCB or Kickback at out disposal. When the opponents have interfered , we may just be finding our minor fit at a high level so playing 4NT as a contract still may be reasonable. In these situations , a Q bid of their suit at the 4 level is minor suit KCB.

The opponents open a weak 2♥ , you overcall 3♦ with ♠Jx ♥x ♦AKQJ98 ♣K109x . Partner bids 4♣ so you bid 4♥ KCB ( their suit) for clubs. You may want to play 4NT as a contract if you have a stiff club with a heart stopper. Partner bids 4NT showing 0 or 3 so now what ? Partner most likely has 6♣ so the queen is probably not an issue. You bid 7♣ , partners hand is ♠A10x ♥AJx ♦10x ♣AQJxx.

They open 3♦ , you overcall 4♣ with ♠Axx ♥x ♦xxx ♣AKQ10xx & partner bids 4NT with ♠J10xx ♥AKxx ♦QJx ♣Jx . This is to play so you pass and make your +630 with a diamond lead. 5♣ has no play as diamond ruffs are obvious. Over 4 clubs , if partner had ♠KQxx ♥AQxx ♦x ♣Jxxx she would bid 4♦ ( their suit ) KCB for clubs . You would now get to your +1370 in 6♣.

There are auctions ( depending on context ) where 4NT to play would be ridiculous on that particular competitive auction. This can only be interpreted as KCB for the minor. 4NT as KCB for a minor should be avoided though as you zoom past your contract pretty fast without the required controls. Use their suit for KCB is handy as all you lose is a Q bid probe. 4NT is still KCB for majors , Q bids are still Q bids when majors are involved.

In competitive auctions , minor suit KCB or Kickback does not exist with your minor fit ( sorry Ray ) . The reason is that a game force has not been established which is why minor suit KCB works in the first place. A jump to the 4 level in partner’s minor in competition is pre-emptive rather than KCB. 4NT or a Q bid in their suit must be KCB by agreement in competition.

Most experts have an agreement that you do not pull 3NT to 4 of a minor from a position of weakness . A minor bid at the 4 level in these auctions is defined to be KCB. Not so in competitive auctions. A pull to 4 of a minor just means that you feel 3NT is not safe so I am bailing to 4 of a minor which may be passed. There is no minor suit KCB in competition. You simply do not have the needed forcing to game requirement.