Sunday, March 27, 2005 1:43 PM

Hand Evaluation – Systemic ( Inverted Minors )

PITBULLS:

The minors are a subject in Bridge often neglected by partnerships. This is a serious oversight though , as minor slams and getting to the right game 3NT vrs 4 of a major is a tremendous source of IMPS. The corner stone of your minor structure should be inverted minors ,so let’s start there. In order to play jump raises in the minors pre-emptive at all times , we like inverted minors to include the limit raises as well as the game forcing hands. Therefore , you have an understanding that you can bail out at 3 of your minor to show the limit raise hands otherwise different bids result in a game force.

Some people play inverted minors deny a 4 card major. This is wrong , very wrong. When you want to force to game ( slamish ) with 5 or more of partners suit , make an inverted minor rather than bid your 4 card major. No amount of arguments will ever convince me you can play “catch up “ to describe hands like ♠xx ♥AKxx ♦AKxxx ♣xx when you respond a heart to a partner’s diamond opener. You must go into contortions with 4^th suit forcing so partner never gets a clear picture of your hand. Result usually is 3NT instead of +1370. In competition , Q bid the opponents suit showing a limit raise or better rather than bid your 4 card major also. It’s even more difficult to describe those big minor fit hands in competition.

OK, when you do suppress 4 card majors with inverted minors , you must have understandings made popular by Eric Kokish with his 1♦/2♣ understandings. With these understandings , Kokish says only one side of the partnership ( responder ) is allowed to explore for 4-4 major fits. Although not as strict , you must have similar understandings with inverted minors. When the inverted minor responder initially bids a major , it is natural so 4-4 major fits are found that way. This means that the opening minor bidder does suppress 4 card majors with balanced hands & major fits are found only by the other side of the table ( Kokish treatment ) . When the opening bidder does bid a major , he must be distributional with 5 or more in the minor or else he finds a different bid. 4-4 major fits can sometimes be found this way also. NT probes are sacrificed in favour of natural major suit bidding. You can get to 4♥ with the above hand nicely by this simple auction.

1♦-P-2♦-P

2NT-P-3♥-P

4♥-P-P-P

When you have an invitational hand instead of a game force , do not suppress your 4 card major in lieu of an inverted minor. You have ♠xx ♥AKxx ♦Kxxxx ♣xx so respond a heart to partners diamond opener and jump in diamonds later to show the invitational range diamond hands. These invitational hands are shown later with toys like 2 way NMF and Wolffe relays. For example this hand is shown after a 2NT rebid by partner with this Wollfe sequence.

1♦-P-1♥-P

2NT-P-3♣*-P

3♦-P-3NT-P . By making a relay before bidding 3NT , you are making a mild slam try with partners minor.

OK borrowing a page from Kokish , here are some inverted minor understandings. All balanced opening hands are described by rebidding some number of NT after the inverted minor. The 15-17 range hands are out as they would have been bid by an original 1NT . The 2NT rebid after an inverted minor can hold up to two 4 cards majors with HCP’s under a 1NT opener. The major fit , if any , is found by the other side bidding their major. A 3NT rebid is 18-19 a la Kokish so you have some KCB understandings after that bid. As stated previously , the inverted minor can bid a natural major but only with 5 of a minor & can even “pattern out” later. Jumps are splinters , the other minor is natural. Jumps in the agreed suit are KCB but a simple minor raise is not forcing as partner may only have an inverted raise over there. When you have a fear of “wrong siding “ the NT ( say with this hand ♠AJxx ♥xx ♦AQJx ♣xxx ) , bid a non forcing 3♦ after an inverted minor rather than 2NT.

When partner returns to your agreed minor after a 2NT rebid , it is to play with an original limit raise hand. All other bids after the 2NT rebid mean the game force is in effect. Combining the limit raise hands with the inverted minor , in order to free the jump raises to be pre-emptive is not that big a hassle. Just having a few escape hatches work nicely.