August 8, 2003 3:06 PM

1NT Response to a Minor

PITBULLS:

The bid of 1 of a minor and a 1NT response is a sequence that needs to be worked out by established partners . Standard methods are very weak (inaccurate ) and allow balancers in quite freely. Quite often these auctions are a power struggle just to buy the hand so some systemic bids are needed and predicated on keeping out the balancers . If you play 2NT as forcing to game ( 13-15 ) , the 1NT response should be very healthy and take the place of the invitational 2NT.

How are the 6 to a bad 9 balanced hands handled then ? Over a club opening , you can always manufacture a 1♦ bid on a 3 card suit. After a 1♦ opener , bidding a 3 card heart suit is less dangerous then it appears because a jump to 4♥ is a rare bid done on distribution only and hey it might be the right contract. A 1NT response to a 1♦ opener should be a good hand also.

A jump rebid in your minor or the other minor is pre-emptive and designed to be descriptive. There are other ways to describe good hands ( distributional or balanced ) If you have the minors and partner bids 1NT , you obviously have a minor fit somewhere. A simple rebid of your minor is a good hand and may contain a four card major. Balancers beware in these auctions.

1 minor-1NT , opener with strong balanced hands , can place the contract. However, with shortage in some suit and a good hand, needs to explore to find the proper contract. Since partner denies a major , bidding a major can have some systemic meaning. BJ Trelford has come up with the idea that a reverse to spades is always natural and game forcing. A reverse to hearts is a specialized game force and demands a relay to 2♠. If partner rebids her minor , bids the other minor or bids hearts after the relay , they are all natural and game forcing.

A 2NT rebid of 1NT is 18-19 and is only bid to allow partner to bail out in 3 of a minor. This means that a 3NT bid is a picture bid meaning a long running minor. All Invitational reverse hands or invitational jump rebids are shown by a simple rebid of the minor or a new minor at the two level.

♠Kx ♥x ♦AKxxx ♣ AQxxx is a 2♣ invitational bid after 1♦-P-1NT.

1♦/♣-1NT-3♣/♦ 6-card suit to play - keep out balancers

A weak 2♦ type of opener Kxx xx AQJ10xx xx 1♦-P-1NT-P 3♦ ( better then defending 2 of a major )

A strong diamond hand x Axx AQJ10xx AJx can be bid by rebidding 2♥ ( relay seq) or flat by a forcing 2NT xx Axx AQJ10xx AQ ( If the 1NT bidder does not show a spade stopper , 5♦ is best spot )

1♦-1NT-3♣ can be as short as 4-4 with a major shortage, NF - keep out balancers

xx xx AKxxx AJ10x 1♦-P-1NT-P 3♣ or xxxx x AKxx KQJx

This structure fits in with the non forcing jump shift reverse. It shows specifically a 6-5 and can be made on minimum HCP. A simple preference is not forcing .

x AQJxx AK10xxx x 1♦-P-1NT Since 2♥ is a relay , 3♥ shows a 6-5 or better distribution .

We can get to our 5-3 heart fit or on rare occasions a 6♦ slam . 1♦-2NT then 4♥ shows a 6-5 in the reds.

What about a club diamond reverse hand ? The 6-5 10-14 HCP can be shown by 1♣-P-1NT-P 3♦ . The normal reverse to 2♦ is game forcing. The flat reverses are shown by the forcing 2NT and the distributional reverses may be shown by the heart relay.