BB

What’s Standard? by David Lindop

This series is based on Grant Standard, a set of conventions and RESPONDER ’S OPTIONS AFTER agreements that are in popular use OPENER ’S 1NT R EBID today, such as 15-17 1NT openings, Responder’s five-card majors, and weak two- NON -FORCING : bids. A summary chart of Grant Reverse • Pass. Standard and the corresponding • Old suit at the two level. convention card can be found at • Lower-ranking suit at two level *. www.AudreyGrant.com . The site (*Except when using new minor forcing.) also has Grant Basic, a simpler set INVITATIONAL : of agreements. So opener typically recognizes responder’s reverse because it makes • 2NT Earlier articles in this series the auction uncomfortable, especially • Jump to three level in old suit. appeared in the Bridge Bulletin and if opener has a minimum hand. FORCING : can also be found under ‘Articles’ at Responder is bidding a suit for which • Jump in a new suit. www.AudreyGrant.com . opener is unlikely to have support — • A reverse at the two level. since opener bypassed it —and the n the previous issue, we looked auction is already at the two level. OPENER RESPONDER at opener’s reverse —a non-jump So what does the reverse show? 1o 1n Ibid in a new suit at the two level Responder’s reverse shows 13 or 1NT ? that is higher-ranking than opener’s more points and is forcing to game. With only 10 high- first suit. After a one-level response, There are two situations in which m A K 8 4 card points, game is n this shows extra strength and is responder can make a reverse: unlikely, since opener Q J 7 3 forcing for one round. Can responder o 8 2 • When opener rebids 1NT. has a maximum of 14 p also make a reverse bid? Let’s see. • When opener rebids the same points. We want to 9 6 5 Responder’s Reverse suit at the two level. stop in partscore, and 1NT looks Let’s look at both situations, since like the best spot, so we should pass. Responder can indeed make a reverse responder’s options are a little We don’t need to worry about bid. As with opener’s reverse, this different in each case. showing the spades. Opener has typically occurs at the two level: m When Opener Rebids 1NT denied four spades, and a bid of 2 RESPONDER ’S REVERSE would be a reverse, showing 13 or OPENER RESPONDER more points and forcing to game! A non-jump bid at the two level in 1o 1n a new suit that is higher-ranking Here we have only 1NT ? m than responder’s first bid suit. 5 high-card points 9 6 n J 9 8 6 5 2 Opener’s 1NT rebid describes a plus 2 length points o Suppose responder is South: minimum balanced hand of about for the six-card suit, K 7 3 n p J 4 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 12 –14 points, too weak to open but we can rebid 2 , 1p Pass 1o 1NT. But it says more than that. an old (previously bid) suit at the Pass 1NT Pass 2n Opener does not have four-card two level, to play. We know there’s n support for hearts, since opener’s an eight-card fit, since opener has South’s 2 is a reverse. It is a new priority is to raise to 2 n. In fact, shown a balanced hand and must suit at the two level that is higher- many players might raise to 2 n with have at least two hearts. ranking than South’s first bid suit, three-card support when holding a diamonds. Note the following points: Playing standard m doubleton in one of the unbid suits. methods, we can bid 4 • Responder’s first bid was one- n Q J 7 6 2 Opener has also denied four 2p with this hand. o of-a-suit. spades. Opener’s priority is to bid Since it is lower- 9 2 p K J 9 4 3 • Responder’s second bid is in a 1m with a four-card suit, so that the ranking than our first suit opener bypassed — hearts. partnership doesn’t miss an eight- suit, it is not forcing. Opener can • Opener would have to bid at the card fit. pass or give preference back to 2 n. three level to give preference to Responder must now choose a (See the later section on new minor responder’s first suit —3o. rebid and has the following options: forcing for an alternative approach.) BETTER 14 BRIDGE VOL . 13, N O. 5 MAY /J UNE 2009 BB With 11 high-card m When Opener Rebids a Suit A new suit by m points, we want to A Q J 3 responder is forcing, 9 4 n OPENER RESPONDER n invite game. There’s Q 10 6 4 but it is not forcing K J 7 6 2 o 1p 1n o A K 8 4 no need to bid spades, 6 4 to game. With 11 p Q 7 3 2p ? p 7 5 as partner has already high-card points, we bypassed that suit. Instead, we raise When the auction begins this way, can afford to move toward game by to 2NT, showing 11-12 points. opener is showing a minimum bidding 2 o, waiting to see what unbalanced hand, typically with a With 10 high- partner does next. Partner may six-card or longer suit. As with the card points plus 2 m 7 3 show support for hearts or bid 1NT rebid, opener does not have length points for n K Q 9 8 6 3 notrump with a spade stopper. o four-card support for hearts and has the six-card suit, J 4 With 15 high-card p denied a four-card spade suit. m we have enough to A 6 4 points, we have K 9 4 n Responder now has these options n A K J 2 make an invitational jump to 3 , an enough strength to o old suit at the three level. when choosing a rebid: take the partnership 9 3 p K J 7 5 to game, but we To make a forcing m RESPONDER ’S OPTIONS AFTER bid, we can jump to 7 4 aren’t sure which is the best game. n A K 6 5 2 OPENER REBIDS A SUIT the three level in a A raise to 3 p would not be forcing, o 5 NON -FORCING : new suit, 3 p. Using and we don’t want to jump to 3NT p A Q 9 7 3 • Pass. standard methods, a with no stopper in diamonds. p • Rebid responder’s suit (old suit) rebid of 2 would not be forcing. at the two level. We can make use of responder’s reverse by bidding 2 m, forcing to Here we finally m A Q 9 7 4 INVITATIONAL : game. Opener’s next bid should have a hand for a n A J 7 6 5 2 • 2NT true reverse by o 5 • Raise opener’s suit (old suit) to help us decide where we belong. responder. We have p 6 three level. In summary, responder’s reverse is enough strength to • Jump in responder’s suit (old usually used as simply a forcing bid, force to game. We plan to rebid the suit) to the three level. when looking for the best contract. spades next, showing a five-card FORCING : Reverse Versus Fourth Suit suit, and by inference, six or more • New suit at the two level — If opener has bid two suits, responder’s hearts —since we bid hearts first. forcing one round. bid of a new suit is ‘fourth suit’: This type of hand is rare. A reverse • A reverse at the two level — WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH by responder is more commonly forcing to game. p o used on a hand like 1 Pass 1 m A 9 4 m n this. Here we’d like OPENER RESPONDER Pass 1 Pass 2 n A K J 7 3 p n n to make a forcing bid o 1 1 Responder’s 2 bid after three A J 7 6 2p ? other suits have been bid is the fourth showing support for p 4 diamonds. However, With this hand, we suit. The standard agreement is that neither 2 o—an old suit at the two should pass. Partner m K 9 6 4 responder’s bid of the fourth suit at n level —nor 3 o—an old suit at the presumably has a six- K J 7 6 3 the two level or higher is an artificial card or longer club suit, o 9 8 3 game-forcing bid . So fourth suit is three level —would be forcing. p Instead, we can make use of the didn’t support hearts, 4 not technically a reverse, although reverse into 2 m. and doesn’t have four spades. Best there is a similarity in that both bids are forcing to game. We don’t intend to play in spades, to stop early on a likely misfit. We since opener has already denied can’t bid 2NT, since that would be New Minor Forcing four of them. We just need a forcing invitational with 11-12 points. Some partnerships play the ‘new With 12 high-card bid. ‘Fourth suit’ (see later) isn’t m K Q 9 3 minor forcing’ convention after available, since only two suits have points, we can invite n opener’s 1NT rebid. game by bidding 2NT. A J 7 5 been bid. o Q 9 2 OPENER RESPONDER Partner won’t have four p o n The reverse acts as a ‘marathon hearts or four spades, so 4 3 1 1 bid’ —forcing to game. If opener there’s no possible major-suit fit. 1NT ? next bids 2NT or 3 p, for example, Here we have 11 If the partnership o m m 4 we can now bid 3 without fear of high-card points and 7 3 agreement is that 2 p n A Q 6 2 n Q J 7 6 2 being passed. We may belong in can invite game by is forcing, we can’t 3NT, but we first want to explore o Q 10 7 2 o 9 2 raising to 3 p. We don’t p bid it with this hand. p the possibility that we might belong K 9 5 Instead, we’ll have to K J 9 4 3 o o n n want to bid notrump in 5 or 6 , or perhaps 4 or 6 . with nothing in the spade suit. settle for passing or rebidding 2 n. BETTER 15 BRIDGE VOL . 13, N O. 5 MAY /J UNE 2009