Saturday, September 07, 2002 11:26 PM

KCB - Agreed Suit

PITBULLS:

One of the basics of KCB is that there must be an “agreed” suit when partner leaps to 4NT . Kantar discusses this :  The rule is that if there is room in a forcing auction to support partner and that does not happen , 4NT is quantitative or in rare cases standard Blackwood.

If the opponents pre-empt you and there is no room , the last suit bid is agreed for KCB. If partner in a minor suit auction had a chance to support and did not , a jump to 4NT is quantitative. Do not be lazy. Support partner to clarify the situation !!

The opponents were a pest in this auction. I held KQxx x AJ10987x K and BJ Trelford opened 1♣ and I responded 1♦. They bid 2♥ and BJ bid 2♠ and RHO bid 3♥ . The opponents are pre-empting you in this auction by taking away bidding room. The last suit bid by BJ is the agreed suit for KCB purposes. I take control by bidding 4NT and we get to a cold grand slam via KCB & a suit asking bid in diamonds.

Kantar discusses 2♣ auctions where the 2♣ bidder has agreed suit KCB rights by virtue of the nature of the beast.

THE AGREED SUIT

If there is one area where partnership agreement is a must, it is having simple rules to determine the agreed suit when there has been no agreed suit!    Much depends upon system.    Two over one game forcing? Most expert partnerships have their own rules- and they are not all the same!    I am not on firm ground here, but I will offer several debatable suggestions.

Opener             Responder
1S                         4NT
?

Is spades the agreed suit because it was the last (only) bid suit?    Many players would say yes.    Not me.    Any experienced partnership must have a forcing raise.

Therefore, when responder wishes to ask for keycards in partner's opening major suit bid, he makes a forcing raise and then bids 4NT.    This, in turn, liberates a direct jump to 4NT to be ace asking with no agreed suit.    The way we used to play.

If responder picks up: S. x     H. KQx     D. AKQJxxx     C. KQ  he can leap to 4NT directly and get a simple ace answering response.

What about this sequence?

Opener             Responder
1S                         2D
2S                        4NT ?

Does this agree spades?    If you play 2 over 1 as a game force, you can bid 3S to agree spades and then 4NT.     Playing 2 over 1, 4NT in this sequence should NOT agree spades. It should probably agree diamonds.    Not everyone would agree with this

Here's another one:

Opener                     Responder
1S                             2D
2H                            4NT?

Is hearts the agreed suit?   Playing two over one, why didn't responder agree hearts first by raising to 3H and then bid 4NT?    Playing 2 over 1 this should not be RKB for hearts.

What about after a strong 2C opening followed by natural, not control showing, responses?
(a)                                                            
Opener                     Responder                
    2C                         2S                               
    3H                         3S                               
    4NT                        ?  

   (b)                                                   
Opener                     Responder           
    2C                         3C                             
    3H                         3S                             
   4NT                         ?    

 (c)
Opener                     Responder
  2C                            2D
 2H                             2S
 3H                             3S
 4NT                            ?   

Is hearts or spades the agreed suit?

Consider the first sequence where responder has bid and rebid spades.

You might try this: 

If the 2C opener bids a suit once  and the responder bids and rebids a suit, responder's suit is the agreed suit.

If the 2C opener bids one suit and the responder bids two different suits the 2C bidder's suit is still the agreed suit.

If the 2C opener bids and rebids the same suit, that is the agreed suit period.

If opener has: Axx      AKQxxx      AKQ      x   he would like spades to be considered the agreed suit.   But if opener has:  x      AKJ10xxx      AKQx      A    he would like hearts to be the considered agreed suit.

Also, you must be prepared to handle 4NT after they have laid a preempt on you. 

South         West         North         East
1H                 3C             3D             Pass
3S               Pass          4NT(?)

Is this for spades, hearts, diamonds, no agreed suit, or natural (may have too much to rebid 3NT?)

The rule when there is no room to establish a fit before game is reached , the last suit is the agreed suit . In this auction 4H/S would end the auction so 4NT agrees spades . A 4♣ Q bid would agree hearts and then 4NT is clearly for hearts .