Wednesday, May 14, 2003 3:21 AM

Hand Evaluation - 2/1 ( Suit rebid )

PITBULLS:

I noticed that in Bridge World Standard 2001 , the experts polled recommended that 2/1 should not be forcing to game when the suit is rebid . 2/1 non forcing to game when suit rebid is now part of Bridge World standard. In the era of making 4^th suit noises to force to game, it is easy to make sure the game force is flashed when you have a strong forcing to game 2/1 suit . There is no reason to be so rigid with 2/1 when you have a good rebidable 6 card suit with invitational values . Everyone knows that a good suit is a source of tricks & promoting these hands to a 2/1 works nicely. This concept only applies after a major opener because we must contend with the dreaded forcing NT response. otherwise The purpose of this 2/1 treatment is to rescue nice 6 card suits from the clutches of the forcing NT .

The Standard American fix hands i.e. 10-12 HCP with a minor fit when partner opens a major are almost impossible to describe playing forcing NT . With a heart opener , we have the idle spade bid to get the message across that we have a minor hand in that HCP range that fits partners rebid . After a spade opener, it is impossible to show these fitting hands so confusing auctions result . When I played with Subash , I asked him how he handled these problems hands. He replied he has given up , so plays 2/1 non forcing to game when the minor suit is rebid . You note that standard convention cards have a tick mark for partnerships who play it that way .

When 2/1 was just in its growing pain stage multi decades ago , Vish and I decided that 2 ♥ , 2♣ and 2♦ over a spade opener and 2 diamonds/clubs over a heart opener was not forcing to game when the suit was rebid. This worked well so we could go to the two level with just a good 6 card heart suit and rebid it . This meant that the forcing 1NT did not have to go into contortions to jump in hearts or any other single suit . Vish and I assigned splinters to the bids instead. Same with strong 6 card minor hands under a game force . Since we would have bid 2/1 anyway & rebid our suit non forcing , jumps in the minor were splinters instead of suits so this treatment clarified a lot of fit showing auctions .

Bridge is a game of suits for trick taking potential. Hiding a good 6 card suit within the forcing NT structure is just plain bad Bridge. By pulling these hands outside of the forcing NT , it frees jumps to mean splinters or fit showing jumps depending on the partnership preference. The forcing NT is a bad overburdened bid, so allowing good 6 card suits to escape its clutches is a good idea. Less 3NT contracts get wrong sided that way & tight games in the other major are reached. Secondary minor fits are found from the 2/1 side.

A 2/1 does not have to be a HCP totaling structure. Other hand evaluation concepts like good suits & or distributional two suits can also be accommodated with a 2/1 Your 2/1 understandings over a major of course have a direct bearing on your forcing 1NT. The forcing NT now becomes more manageable..

x	x	A	Q
x		K	10
		x	9
		x	x
			x
			x

Partner opens a spade , you bid 1NT . Partner rebids 2♦ so now what ? A 3♥ splinter would be a nice bid to make . Playing 2/1 in hearts as non forcing to game , the bid can not show hearts.

x	Q	x	A
x	J		K
x	x		x
	x		x
			x

Partner opens 1♠ , you bid 1NT . Partner rebids 2♣ so would you not like

to splinter to 3♦ ? Playing 3♦ as strong & natural is impossible or else you would have gone the non forcing 2/1 route.

x	x	A	x
x	x	K	x
		Q	x
		x
		x
		x

Scott and I had a disaster against the Cabays last night. Scott opened 1♠ , I bid a forcing NT . Stan bid 2♣ & Scott bid 2♥ . Lisa bid 3♦ which I doubled & turned on forcing passes for one round. Lisa then bailed to 4♣ so Scott and I had a forcing pass misunderstanding so they played it there . Meanwhile we are cold for 7♦ as Scott held ♠Axxxx ♥AKQx ♦Jxxx ♣void .

Now play 2/1 non forcing to game when suit rebid. 1♠ 2♦ followed by a 5♣ exclusion bid or some sort of club splinter 6 or 7 diamonds is reached . No forcing 1NT contortions .

x	x	A	A
x	x	K	X
		Q	X
		x
		x
		x

O.K. now you do want to force to game . 1♠ 2♦

2♥ 3♣

What’s so difficult to come up with a 3♣ bid to force to game ? Partner will give preference to diamonds when she has 3 so it’s almost like rebiding 3♦ anyway . You are not giving up much and you solve an unsolvable forcing 1NT bidding fix.

The coach likes it !!!!