Tuesday, December 28, 2004 12:50 AM

2NT – The Relay Concept

PITBULLS:

The 2NT invitational bid in standard bidding needs a lot of help. This is mainly due to light opening bids or light responses but 2NT is cumbersome in it own right. The bid is a breeding ground for ambiguity and confusion. After a 2NT bid , it is hard to describe weaker hands from either side where you just want partner to leave you alone or good hand hands where you want partner to find the right game or try for slam. Luckily there is a fix that clarifies the situation. The humble 3♣ bid has to be sacrificed as a relay to 3♦ and a new set of bids emerge.

There is not one 2NT invitational bid that Tom and I play where we do not have a relay to assist us. To make it easy on the memory , relays always follow the Lebensohl principle. Generally , natural bidding is strong and when we want to “bail out” or show a minimum we go the relay route. Lets take two forcing 1NT auctions to demonstrate the power of the relay . You open 1♠ on AJ10xx xx AJ109x x and partner bids 1NT . You bid 2♦ and partner bids 2NT . You would like to play this hand in a quiet 3♦ partial so how ? Relays to the rescue . You bid 3♣ and partner must relay to 3♦ or give you spade preference. Mission accomplished. Same auction but different hand AJ10xx xx AKQJx x so over 2NT you bid 3♦ forcing as you did not relay. Partner now places the contract in 5♦ or 3NT and there is no guess work.

OK another 2NT auction with the forcing NT . AQJxx Jx Qxx AKJ You open 1♠ and partner bids 1NT with xx KQxxxx xxx xx . You bid 2NT and partner wants you to co-operate. He bids 3♣ and you take the relay to 3♦ . Partner bids 3♥ and that ends this particular auction. Now an auction without the relay AJxxx Axx AKx Qx and you open 1♠ with partner bidding 1NT with Kx KQxxx Qxxx xx . Partner bids 3♥ which shows values with maybe just a 5 card suit and is game forcing somewhere. You Q bid 4♦ and 4♥ ends the auction. +650 instead of –100 in 3NT .

How about the 2NT rebid when partner makes a one level response in a suit ? Yes , relays show the weaker range responses and bidding naturally shows stronger hands. These relays also find a fit in the unbid major. You hold Axxxx xx AKxx xx and partner opens 1♦ . You bid a spade and partner rebids 2NT . You bid 3♦ naturally and already you have flashed the slam try signal. If partner bids 3NT , you can give up as you have done your duty. What if you had Axxxx Kxxx xx xx and partner bids 1♦ . You respond a spade and partner bids 2NT . You bid 3♣ as a relay and partner bids 3♦. You now bid 3♥ and you have described a 5-4 with just game values. Bidding hearts immediately would have shown an interest in bigger and better things AKxxx AJxx xx xx for example.

After partner responds a major , Tom and I use the power of the relay to define our jumps to a major suit game. A jump to a major game is always based on distributional values whether it takes place in competition or not. We can get away with this due to a club jump shift being a relay in most cases. With a flat 18-19 HCP and a 4 card fit for partner we still bid 2NT after a club opener . We can get away with this due to a concept of breaking the relay. This 2NT jump describes our HCP range and balanced distribution. Rather than blithely bidding 3NT partner “checks back” with a 3♣ relay . If partner breaks the relay , giving support it shows 4 trump ! There is an advantage that 3NT may be the correct spot despite the 4-4 fit but the big advantage is you do not have to jump to 3 or 4 of the major with the 17-19 HCP range hands with balanced distribution.

What if partner bids 2NT invitational in competition or as a passed hand and you just want to improve the partial ? KQJxxx xx Axxx x you open a spade and LHO bids 2♥ and partner bids 2NT natural and invitational. Is 3 spades forcing ? You bid 3♣ as a relay and partner bids 3♦ . You bid 3♠ and you have describe a minimum opener with 6 spades. What if you had a good hand with spades where 3NT still might be the best spot ? KJxxxx xx AQx AJ and you bid 3♠ and partner bids 3NT. You pass as you have done your duty. This relay simplifies slam bidding also . AKxxxx Kx AKxx x with the same auction. 3 spades is absolutely forcing and you hear partner bid 4♣. Getting to your +1430 is now very simple.

You open a diamond with Axx xxx KQJ10xx x and partner bids 2NT as a passed hand or invitational if you play it that way. It is nice to be able to bail out to 3♦ via a relay ? Bidding naturally after 2NT is absolutely forcing and avoids silly jumps to show strength. You only sacrifce a club partial having these understandings. If you open 1♣ and partner bids 2NT in competition or otherwise 3♣ is not forcing and not a relay.

The above auctions show where 3♣ after an invitational 2NT is useful as a relay. There are many auctions where the 2NT bid itself is useful as a relay. Of course all the Lebensohl auctions are covered by that understanding and should be well understand by established partner ships. However there is a useful bid where the opponents are bidding at the two level in the sandwich position. This can be in an overcall situation , a takeout double situation , a negative double situation , after a forcing 1NT or whatever. By bidding in the sandwich position at the two level , the opponents take away your ability to jump at the 3 level to show invitational values. By jumping , you propel yourself past 3NT which is not good. Enter the good-bad 2NT as a fix. This revives the concept of “free bids”. If you bid freely it shows a good hand. If you just want to make a nuisance of yourself you must bid 2NT in all these auctions and partner takes the relay to 3♣ unless he is too strong. The good-bad 2NT is only defined for the opponents bidding in the sandwich position.

You can even use the “good-bad 2NT” from the overcalling side as long as the criteria is met that the opponents have bid at the two level in the sandwich position. 1♥-1♠-2♥- xx xx Axx AKJxxx you bid 3♣ which is forcing 1 round. What if you just wanted to make a nuisance of yourself ? xx xx xxx KQJ109x you bid 2NT and partner takes the relay to 3♣ and you make setup a potential sacrifice. When would you ever want 2NT to be natural in any of these auctions with doubles and Q bids available ? The opponents making a jump overcall at the two level is a nuisance bid. 2NT should be the good-bad 2NT in those situations also. I do not like the good-bad 2NT directly ( not in sandwich position ) though preferring to keep the old fashioned 2NT invite.