Saturday, April 28, 2007 8:21 PM
 
 New Suit 2NT - Patterning Out

 

PITBULLS:

 

          The knock against 4th suit forcing is that it is not natural in a natural bidding system. When you use 4th suit forcing , partner has no idea about your distribution or where you live, The bid is a meaningless noise designed just to force to game. The 2NT bid as a one round force is a much more natural bid as it shows stoppers , length and values in the 4th suit. Does the bid have to be balanced ? Usually , but not necessarily. You can actual pattern out with 2NT where you can not with 4th suit forcing.

 

          Nancy Cook opened 1♦ with ♠x ♥xx ♦Axxxx ♣AKQxx and partner responded 1♠. Nancy rebid 2♣ and partner bid 2♥ . Nancy bid 3♣ and partner now bids 3♦. Do we have any idea about partners distribution ? Not a chance . He could hold ♠AKxx ♥xx ♦KQJx ♣xxx or just about any combination of diamonds & spades. We are have no idea. What if partner bid the new suit 2NT & then supports diamonds? Partner promises length & stoppers in the 4th suit with the new suit 2NT. With this inference , responder has actually patterned out when she supports diamonds. Nancy’s partner actually held ♠K10xxx ♥AJ109 ♦KJxx ♣void and with the new suit 2NT he maps out the shortness in clubs. Warned about this duplication of value they stay out of a bad 6♦ .

 

          This hand shows the importance of a Bridge fundamental. Support partner at the earliest possible opportunity. Do not make fancy Q bid’ s first to confuse the issue. Taking control without knowing the severe duplication of value in clubs is just guessing & not bidding. At Nancy’s table , her partner took control by bidding 4♦ KCB  which means you luck out or you do not. Change Nancy’s HCP’s to ♠Ax ♥K ♦AQxxx ♣J1098x and 7♦ is easy. By bidding new suit 2NT , this hand knows you are very short in clubs so she can take control. 4th suit forcing is really a terrible bid in a natural bidding system. Most of the time , the bid just causes confusion. Good players use XYZ at the one level & new suit 2NT at the two level to minimize the bid.