Monday, February 26, 2007 10:48 PM
 
Wollfe Relay III

 

PITBULLS:

 

          All expert players realize they need some sort of structure after a 2NT rebid. NMF or Checkback Stayman , Transfers or Wollfe relay are the popular choices. The choice of my partners & myself is the Wollfe relay invented by Bobby Wollfe. The Wollfe relay has the same advantages of the other methods but has one big advantage. This advantage is the ability to escape out of 2NT to a partial .

 

          Quite often we cheat on our responses especially when partner opens a minor & we have a 5 card or longer major. This is because we do not want to have 1♣/♦ passed out down 3 vul when we can make a major partial or worse a major game. Playing the Gandolfo intermediate jump shifts , the Wolffe relay should be mandatory. Tom bids a major at the one level with a weak jump shift hand. Partner now bids 2NT so you bid the 3♣ relay and over 3♦ you bid your major & partner has the option to pass. I did not say partner must pass but if her hand is not superb for the major , she should pass.

 

          Wollfe relay uses the “puppet Stayman” way of finding 4-4 major fits. Instead of responder asking the 2NT bidder if she has a 4 card major , she tells the opener that she is 4-4 in the majors. This is done via the relay as opener must puppet to 3♦ after the 3♣ bid. Partner after responding a heart , now bids her 4 card spade suit & we have used “Stayman”. The relay allows natural bidding to be strong which to me is the main advantage of the Wollfe relay.

 

          The main selling point of the Wolffe relay is using the relay as a slam try in partners minor. Instead of bidding 3NT directly, you relay first & then bid 3NT . This shows a balanced slam try in partners minor. Excellent , a slam try below or at 3NT ! Finding a 5-3 major fit is not done the NMF way. You do not use the relay to find a major fit as the hand can be passed out at the 3 level. You find your 5-3 fit the old fashioned way by rebidding your 5 card suit. If you have a 6 card suit just leap to 4 ! I repeat , rebid your 5 card major to find the 5-3 fit. Do not use the relay & bid 3NT as you are showing a slam try in partner’s minor.

 

          Gerber is thrown out using the Wolffe relay. A 4 club bid after a 2NT rebid is a 2nd suit , a slam try & if partner opened 1♣ it is a jump preference slam try. This work around is due to the 3♣ bid being used as a relay.

 

          Here are 4 example hands with partner opening 1♣ and rebidding 2NT. 1) ♠KJ10xx ♥xxx ♦Jxxx ♣x ,2)  ♠xxx ♥KJ10xx ♦Jxxx ♣x , 3) ♠K109x ♥xx ♦J109xxx ♣x  4)  ♠K109x ♥xx ♦x ♣J109xxx .

Hand #1 bid the relay , 3♠ & partner may pass. Ditto with hand #2 except with hearts. The 3rd hand partner will have no say as you are dropping her in 3♦ after the relay. The 4th hand you are bidding 4♣ after partner takes the relay and partner has the option of passing if a 11 trick club contract is too rich for her blood. In most cases she will carry on to 5♣ as we may have a big fit.