Thursday,
October 10, 2002 1:48 AM
KCB - Choice of Contracts
PITBULLS:
One of the advantages of the modern KCB is that all
bids after a 5 level response have specific meanings ( queen ask , specific suit ask , specific
king ask ) . However , unfortunately they are exceptions to this treatment. If
the asker gets a disappointing response (zero
or one ) then provision is made to escape to the safety of one of
your suits to play . Also at the 6 level
a good suit can be shown as the suit to play the contract or give you a choice of contracts . These
choice of contracts bids are normally made after a disappointing responses to
KCB. This includes a disappointing response to a queen ask. We have discovered holes in our trump suit so lets
find a different suit at the 6 level or higher. To avoid confusion with suit
asking bids and an offer to play a contract depends on whether we got a “good” KCB response or not. If the KCB response was 2 with or better , we
have a grand on our mind and the suit bid is an asking bid. After
JUMP of any kind or jump agreement for the asker's first bid suit, a new
suit at the six level is an asking bid, it is not to play.
FOLLOW UP BIDS AT THE FIVE
LEVEL AFTER A ZERO RESPONSE
At the five level most follow up bids by
the RKB bidder in the non-agreed suit are asking
bids, either the queen-ask (next step) or the SSA. However after a 0
response, a return to either player's first bid suit is to
play.
ZERO, I'M NO HERO
Opener
Responder
S.
3
S.
KQ5
H.
AKQJ105
H.
8
D.
AK83
D.
Q742
C.
KQ
C.
97432
Opener
Responder
2C
2D
(1)
2H
2NT
(2)
3D 4D
4S
(3) 5C (4)
5H
(5) All Pass
(1) Waiting
(2) Scattered values h
(3) RKB
(4) 0
(5) To play
FOLLOW-UP BIDS AT THE FIVE
LEVEL AFTER A "1" RESPONSE
1. A return to the asker's first bid suit
is to play.
2. A return to any previously supported suit is to play.
3. A return to partner's first bid suit is to play if it has been rebid,
otherwise it is the queen-ask (next step) or the SSA (not the next step).
4. If the queen-ask happens to be partner's rebid suit, the asker must skip
over that step and use the next step.
5. A return to 4NT after minor suit
agreement is to play after a zero or 1 response.
FOLLOW- UP BIDS AT THE SIX
LEVEL
1. Follow up bids in the asker's first bid suit at the six level is
to play. What happened to the
agreed suit? It's still there, but there may be compelling reasons to play
elsewhere like the asker has a solid suit.
2. The asker may have a two-suiter and may
have received simple preference for the first suit (perhaps showing a
doubleton) and still wish to play in the second suit. Bidding the
second suit at the six level in simple preference sequences offer responder a
choice of contracts. It is not an ask.
3. The opponent's bidding may have made it
impossible for the RKB bidder to show support for partner's first bid suit. If
so, a return to partner's suit is to play.
GIVING PARTNER A CHOICE
Opener
Responder
S.
AK1042 S.
Q7
H.
84
H.
AKJ63
D.
AKJ103 D.
Q74
C. K
C.
1093
Opener
Responder
1S
2H
3D
3S
(1)
4D
(2)
4H (3)
4NT
(4) 5C (5)
6D
(6)
All
Pass
(1) Simple preference; could be a
doubleton honor.
(2) Natural
(3) Cuebid
(4) RKB (1430)
(5) 1
(6) Choice of slams
REBIDDING YOUR SUIT AT THE SIX
LEVEL. DON'T TAKE ME BACK!
OPENER
RESPONDER
S.
AKJ3
S.
8642
H.
4
H.
AKJ962
D.
AK
D.
93
C.
KQJ1076
C.
3
OPENER
RESPONDER
2C
2H
3C
3H
3S
4S
4NT
(1)
5C (2)
5D
(3) 5S (4)
6C (5)
(1) RKB (1430)
(2) 1
(3) Queen-ask
(4) No
(5) To play
Escaping from the agreed suit can also take
place after a forced raise of a suit that has been jump rebid if the asker
returns to one of partner's previously bid suits after a queen-denial.
The following hand was bid in international
competition by former World Champions, Alain Levy and Christian Mari of
France.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Opener
(Mari)
Responder
(Levy)
S.
10
S.
AK87532
H.
KJ742
H.
6
D.
A62
D.
9
C.
A976
C.
KQ54
Opener
Responder
1H
1S
2C
2D
(1)
2H
(2)
3S
(3)
4S
4NT
(4)
5H
(5) 6C (6)
All Pass
(1) 4th suit-to create forcing auctions.
(2) Weak rebid (2NT also possible).
(3) Confirming a powerful suit.
(4) Preferring 4S to 3NT.
(5) RKB (1430-opener limited)
(6) 2 without
(7) To play given the queen-denial of a known powerful
suit.
PARTNER, PARTNER, THEY ARE
MAKING MY LIFE MISERABLE
Opener
Responder
(you)
S.
J84
S.
AK732
H.
6
H.
A10
D.
AQJ84 D.
K10732
C.
AQ43 C.
2
Opener
LHO
Responder RHO
1D
2H
2S
4H
4S
(1)
Pass 4NT (2)
Pass
5H
(3)
Pass 6D
(4)
All Pass
(1) Showing extras-not a minimum opening bid.
(2) RKB (1430)
(3) 2 without
(4) Choice of contracts
When the opener's first bid suit is
solid he may not want to play in another trump suit even though the other trump
suit is known to have the AKQ.
Opener
(West)
Responder
(East)
S.
A72
S.
KQ932 .
H.
KQJ H.
7
D.
5
D.
A10973
C.
AKQJ96 C. 42
West
North
East
South
1C
Pass
1S
Dbl.
Rdbl (1)
2H
4S
Pass
4NT
(2)
Pass 5S (3)
Pass
6C
(4)
All Pass
(1) Support redouble showing three spades
(2) RKB (1430 opener unlimited)
(3) 2 with
(4) To play
Opener must have solid clubs without the
SJ. If responder has the SJ he might consider converting to 6S.
After JUMP any kind of
jump agreement for the asker's first bid suit, a new suit at the six level
is an asking bid, it is not to play.
Opener
Responder
S.
A
S.
Q10832
H.
KQJ864 H.
A93
D.
4
D.
A73
C.
AK1092 C.
85
Opener
Responder
1H
1S
3C
4H
(1)
4NT
(2)
5H
(3)
6C
(4)
6D
(5)
? (6)
(1) Jump
preference for the first suit setting the trump suit.
(2) RKB
(3) 2 without
(4) SSA
(5) 3rd round control (A return to the trump
suit denies 3rd round control)..
(6) Close call between passing and bidding
7H. It depends upon whether the 3rd round control is the
queen or a doubleton and how good dummy's hearts are for ruffing clubs.
Most partners find it easier to deal with
bidding six and making seven as opposed to bidding seven and making
six.