Friday, October 27, 2006 12:26 AM

Hand Evaluation – Minorwood ( Taking Control )

PITBULLS:

Minorwood should follow captaincy rules. Systemic minor suit KCB should not be possible from either a limited hand or even a strong NT. Why ? Because the other hand knows more about what is happening so is the captain of the auction. Normally system bidders do not like a strong NT taking control of an auction. In other auctions when a minor fit has been found under the 4 level , bidding the agreed minor at the 4 level is KCB. Not so when a strong NT is involved, because captaincy is not respected. We feel that in all systemic minor auctions involving a strong NT , Kickback should be KCB instead.

Here is an auction which drives the point home. My partner came up with a creative bid holding ♠Ax ♥x ♦AQ10xxx ♣KQxx after I opened 1NT . Partner has a variety of choices. He can show a single suited diamond hand , followed by showing the stiff heart or he can Re-Stayman the hand. My partner thought of a 3^rd alternative. He bid 3♠ which shows a stiff heart with and 5-4 in the minors !!. This way he got both minor suits in the mix with the stiff heart in one bid !!

I now bid 4♦ so what does that mean ? Technically , we found the fit at the 3 level via the systemic 3♠ bid so that should be KCB for diamonds. Wrong ! 4♦ just says this is the agreed suit announcing we do not have severe duplication of value in hearts. 4♥ by the other side is now KCB so the correct hand is taking control of the auction. It is now simple to get to 7♦ with the correct partner being captain of the auction.

Kickback is used as minor suit KCB when the minor fit is just found at the 4 level but it should also be used when the wrong person is bidding 4 of the minor. If the known limited hand is bidding 4 of the agreed minor or a strong NT is bidding 4 of a minor , minorwood does not apply . Adjust your system accordingly so there will be less KCB disasters.