Saturday, July 16, 2005 3:23 PM

Kickback

PITBULLS:

Kickback was originally invented by Reubens to handle minor suit auctions and avoid 4NT . It involved jumping to a major or bidding a major at the 4 level with a minor suit fit established. The bid just became KCB with steps starting from the Kickback suit up. You had an understanding that this was not a Q bid. If a major suit had been bid in the auction , you would choose the other one for Kickback. If both majors have been bid , then 4NT was used as KCB. Over the years Kantar modified minor suit KCB to a science where the level in which you made the agreement determined whether the agreed minor was KCB or not. This was reserved for forcing to game auctions only. Kickback started to slip into oblivion for minor suit agreements. However , Kickback is needed when one partner has limited their hand in some way. A forcing NT , a 2NT rebid in an inverted minor even a strong NT. A limited hand does not have minor suit KCB rights.

Just finding a minor suit at the 4 level remained a problem for Kantar. A famous Kantar saying if “finding a minor suit fit at the 4 level is the agreement and not the ask” . So what is the ask ? if it is unambiguous due to the auction , 4NT can not be to play , 4NT is the ask and is essentially Kickback. An example auction would be a strong jump shift in a minor. 1♠-P-1NT-P 3♦-P-4♦-P 4NT-? . Having 4NT in this auction to play is ludicrous. We have just found our fit at the 4 level so 4NT is KCB. However, is it not easier to have 4♥ as Kickback and keep the responses lower ? Partnerships can have the understanding that 4♥ is Kickback in this auction but 4NT can not be misinterpreted in this sequence.

If you have systemic toys, for example , after a strong 2NT opener where a denial of partners minor is needed , 4NT is to play we need Kickback. Here is a “re-stayman” auction after a 2NT auction playing puppet Stayman. 2NT-P-3♣-P 3NT-P-4♣-P 4♥*-P-4♠ . In our re-stayman auction , 4♥ is artificial say we hold a 5 card club suit. With no fit , partner bids 4NT to play. Since 4NT is unavailable as KCB , 4♠ Kickback must do the job.

In a simple auction where we just find a club fit at the 4 level , 4♦ is always Kickback.

1♠-P-2♥-P 3♣-P-4♣-P 4♦-P-? 4NT in these auctions can be to play and why sacrifice room when 4♦ is available giving much more room for responses ? Same with diamonds agreed at the 4 level. If 4♥ is available and 4NT might be ambiguous to play , why not use 4♥ for KCB Blackwood ? 1♠-P-2♦-P 2♠-P-3♦-P 4♦-P-4♥ This is Kickback for diamonds but 4NT can not be misinterpreted either. If partner looks sleepy , use 4NT J .

We like to avoid Kickback if at all possible so that we can preserve Q bids and avoid “kickback disasters” . We have an understanding that pulling partners 3NT to 4 of her minor must be KCB. This violates Kantars rule that the 4 level is for agreement only but why are you pulling 3NT if you are not interested in slam.? We do not pull 3NT to partners minor from a position of weakness. 4NT in minor suit auctions is quite often to play , so we do need another tool like Kickback.

BJ Trelford has another rule for avoiding Kickback misunderstandings. He says if a low ranking suit is available ( not previously bid) at the 4 level use it for Kickback. If you skipped that bid , then we are obviously Q bidding. If Kickback can be confusing and 4NT can not be to play on the auction , avoid a disaster by using 4NT. A simple rule for Kickback is if 4NT must be to play , we use Kickback for KCB. Q bidding takes a back seat to the Ace asking tool.

Splintering with a minor fit to the 4 level brings in Kickback understandings. xx Kxxx AJ AQxxx Partner opens 1♠ and they overcall 2♦ so you bid 3♣. Partner splinters to 4♦ . This is in effect finding the fit at the 4 level so 4♥ is Kickback and not a Q bid. May as well save room. 4NT can not be misinterpreted though or can it ? Maybe you have KQx of diamonds and want to play 4NT as a contract ?

One concept I have not bought into is Kickback for hearts. 4♠ as KCB saves only one step over 4NT as KCB. I do not want to get a headache over interpreting 4♠ bids. 4♠ is to play as far as we are concerned. I would rather define 4♠ in some heart auctions as Exclusion Blackwood. This makes way more sense to me.