Thursday, October 05, 2006 12:46 AM

Q Bids - 2NT

PITBULLS:

Q bids as limit raise or better is pretty standard bidding. What does a NT bid by partner mean after a Q bid ? We do not like splinters in competition , so we need to find a way of ferreting out a stiff. Enter the NT bid as the tool of choice after a Q bid. This bid should supersede the “serious 3NT” in competitive auctions only. Jump Q bids are still splinters . Sometimes your hand is not strong enough for that jump Q bid . Here is a sample hand.

♠x ♥J10xx ♦Axxx ♣Kxxx and partner opens 1♥ and they overcall 1♠. Bidding 3♠ as a splinter overstates the 8 HCP by a long shot so you bid 2♠. A NT bid by partner after a Q bid is an asking bid for any stiff . Playing the bid as natural is absurd. Partner holds ♠ Axx ♥ AKxxxxx ♦x ♣Ax and bids 2NT. You bid 3♠ as you have a stiff. Partner bids 4♣ and you bid 4♦ which brings KCB and a suit asking bid in clubs and a cold 7♥. The key to this auction was finding out about the stiff spade.

What about two level overcalls by the opponents and subsequent Q bids by partner ? This is where I think the “serious 3NT” should take a back seat to NT asking for a stiff. The serious 3NT was invented for forcing to game auctions and a limit raise or better is not a game force. Partner opens 1♠ and they overcall 2♥ which brings a 3♥ Q bid. Opener has ♠AKxxxx ♥x ♦Axxx ♣Kx and bids 3NT asking for a stiff. Partner bids 4♦ with ♠xxxx ♥Axx ♦x ♣AJxxx and you off to the races.

You open one of a major and they overcall two of a minor. Jumps at the 3 level are pre-emptive and natural . Jump Q bids are splinters and of course Q bids are limit raise or better. Again use 3NT by opener not as a “serious 3NT” per se but asking you for a stiff . By asking for a stiff you are making a serious slam try anyway. In limit raise or better auctions , serious 3NT does not make sense. Q bids should show extra as the auction is not even game forcing. We go right back to the Goren notion of Q bidding saying I have a good hand and am interested in slam. The “serious 3NT” is redundant so use it to ask for a stiff. We will call this treatment “internal splinters” .

People who play fit showing jumps are used to having NT always asking for a stiff. If you have a major suit fit or a two suited fit , using NT as natural is silly. 2NT is universally used as asking for a stiff after a Q bid or a systemic bid.