Tuesday, April-07-09

Hand Evaluation  - Forcing NT ( 2♣ )

PITBULLS:

        I have written many articles discussing the shortcomings of the forcing NT . The 3 tier structure of an opening bid presents problems weak , intermediate & strong openers. The strong auctions have been improved with the multi 3♣ SJS except for the strong 5-4-3-1 ( semi-balanced auctions ) . Intermediate hands are still a problem with a minor rebid as are the "flannery hands" & the 1♠ opening burying heart contracts after a forcing NT. BART has been used to solve that problem but an Italian pair have come up with an ingenious solution to all of the above problems.

        Their solution is to make a 2♣ rebid after a 1NT response to a major as artificial & forcing one round. This one stroke of genius now makes a simple 2♥ rebid after a 1♠ opener show an intermediate hand. Gone now is the NT bidder stretching in case opener has invitational values with the 2♥ rebid. We now know when partner has invitational values immediately. In order to find heart fits after a 1♠ opener , a 2♦ rebid is also artificial & applies to certain difficult hand types. This artificial 2♦ rebid shows the BART problem semi-balanced hands of 5♠ & 3♥ or balanced hands with 3♥. 2NT after the 2♥ waiting bid shows the huge semi-balanced hands (17-20 ) & 2♠ shows the possible ♥ fit from the 3 card side.

    The 2♣ rebid is a catch all bid . The bid includes all ranges of ♣ rebids weak , intermediate & strong ( except strong 5-5's ) . The 2♣ bid includes the flannery fix hand , intermediate 2♦ ( 1♥ opener ) & weak 2♥ rebids. This 2♣ bid means a direct 2NT raise of a forcing NT is a picture bid showing a balanced  18-19 HCP's. How does a simple 2♣ rebid do all that ? The solution is that responder can make a waiting bid of 2♦ except with specialized hand types of her own.

        1♠-P-1NT-P

        2♣                                     

2♦ - waiting

2♥ - weak 5-4 ♠/♥

2♠ - any minimal balanced or semi-balanced with 5 spades but not 3♥

2NT – natural.

3♣ - clubs and higher

   3♦ - diamonds & hearts

   3♠ - 3 card limit raise

2nt – semi balanced, 17-20 HCP

3♣ - inquiry about shape

      -3♦ stiff ♦

      -3♥ stiff ♥

3♣ - 5-5 weak

3♦ - 5-5 weak

With the above understanding  1♠-P-1NT-P   3♥ is invitational 5-5 but the real payoff is a 2♥ rebid on a hand like ♠AKxxx ♥AJxx ♦AJx ♣x  which was previously impossible to bid.

With the artificial 2♦ rebid after a 1♠ opener , we need a 2♥ waiting bid.

2♥ - waiting

2♠ - any minimal balanced or semi-balanced with 5 spades and 3 hearts

2NT – natural, no 5 card ♥ suit

3♣ - clubs and higher

3♦ - diamonds & hearts

3♥ - invitational to 4♥

3♠ - 3 card limit raise

2nt* – semi-balanced, 17-20 HCP

3♣ - bid 4 card minor

3♦ - inquiry about shortness (3♥ = ♣, 3♠ = ♦, 3NT = ♥)

* 2nt denies 2-card heart suit, 5-4-2-2 hands are balanced and are bid through 2♣.

3♣/♦ - intermediate 5-5

The entire structure will not be presented . Ilya Kuzkin has written up the above system but we are in the midst of mastering the concepts & Ilya is still tweeking the structure.