Saturday, January 20, 2007 8:48 AM

Transfers & Singletons

PITBULLS:

Most of us play transfers in all 4 suits by now because it is the best structure to show one suited or two suited hands opposite a NT opener. Coming with the territory of these transfers is the ability to show a singleton. A singleton is different from a Q bid. Duplication of value is identified right away & you know when to accelerate the auction. A king is a good card opposite a Q bid and may be useless opposite a singleton.

There are singleton showing bids defined into the structure. 1NT-P-2NT-P 3♦-P-any bid is defined to be a singleton . This bid is designed to stay out of 3NT or maybe get to a slam if there is no wastage in this suit. This bid is a singleton and not a Q bid. Balanced hands with a long diamond suit , are shown by bidding or jumping in NT.

The above applies to club transfers also. 1NT-P-2♠-P 3♣-P-any bid is a singleton. Balanced hands with a club suit , are shown by now bidding NT or jumping in NT. You can not Q bid one time and show a singleton the next time & expect partner to read the difference. The bid shows a singleton , period.

What about transfers into the majors ? Once partner has accepted the transfer , all jumps of one level are splinters . They are not KCB , Gerber or anything else silly. They are singletons. A double jump after partner has accepted the transfer is Exclusion KCB.

1NT-P-2♦-P

2♥-P-4♣,4♦,3♠ are splinters. 4♠,5♣.5♦ is Exclusion KCB.

When partner transfers and shows a 5-5 , singletons are also important. After you have shown your 5-5 and partner accepts when of the suits by bidding it directly or via a Q bid ( next suit up ) , the NT bidder is asking for the singleton. If responder is interested in more , she shows the singleton , otherwise she returns to the accepted trump suit..

Here is an auction from a Vanderbilt that shows the importance of have a singleton showing bid in your transfer structure. Partner opens 1NT and you hold ♠Ax ♥AKJ10xx ♦Qxxx ♣x . You transfer to hearts and then jump to 4♣ . Partner has ♠Kxxx ♥Qxx ♦AK10x ♣Ax and bids 4♦. You now take control of the hand with KCB and discover that partner has all the needed controls and the two key kings and try for 7♥. This is cold. Trying getting to 7♥ without the splinter.

Those brave enough to play a complex Stayman structure ( BJ & I ) have splinters built in all over the place ( if we can remember) . With a major fit found via Stayman , the other major says we have a stiff somewhere and we can ask where it is. We identify the stiffs in the specific Smolen distribution ( 5-4-3-1 ) with 5-4 in the majors. The advantage of this treatment is jumps to the 4 level is now Exclusion KCB and we bring voids into the picture.