Bidding over Interference Without a Fit

By Neil H. Timm

Your partner opens the bidding with a one level suit bid and the opponents bid a suit at the two-level. What bid do you make that is forcing when you do not have a fit in partner’s bid suit? Clearly, with a fit a of the over caller’s suit is forcing showing at least 3-card support and 10+ points. However, what if you do not have a fit? Playing 2/1, introducing a new suit at the 2-level requires 11+ points and a five-card suit. How do you show a strong hand versus a weak hand? What bids are forcing and non-forcing?

A common practice is to employ Negative Free Bids (NFB); published in the ACBL Bridge Bulletin, January - May, 2005 (5 parts) and also discussed by Marty Bergen in his book “Better Bidding with Bergen - Volume Two, Competitive Bidding, Fit Bids and More” (1986), page 54.

NEGATIVE FREE BID

DEFINITION – Negative Free Bids are used when partner opens the bidding at the one level and the opponents show a one suited hand by bidding at the 1/2/3 levels through 3♦. If responder now bids any new suit at the two or three level, the bid shows a 5+-card suit and is non-forcing showing 5-10 HCP. With 11+ points one must double and bid their suit, a game force bidding sequence. The NFB and the doubles must be alerted since the new suit is non-forcing and the double may not be negative.

Lets look at an example when the bidding goes: 1♠ - (2♣) - 2♥*. How does opener respond? The NFB of 2♥* shows 5-10 HCP and 5+ hearts—must be alerted.

Pass Minimal hand with hearts 2♠/3♦ Less tan three hearts and non-forcing 2NT Invitational to 3NT may have heart fit 3♥ Preemptive heart raise 3♣ Game invitational raise in hearts 3♠ Natural and invitational 3NT Natural and no heart fit 4♣/4♦ Delayed splinter with heart fit 4♥ Sign-off 4NT 1430 Keycard Blackwood for hearts 5♣/5♦ Exclusion Keycard Blackwood for hearts with club/diamond

With a strong hand, the bidding sequence would be: 1♠ - (2♣) – X*.

Note that the double may not be negative, it only shows 11+ HCP and is forcing. Responder bids 2♠. Partner may raise or bid his own suit 3♦.

Examples of NFB weak sequences (5-10 HCP):

Partner NFB

1♣/1♦ 1♠ 2♥* 1♣ 1♥/1♠ 2♦* 1♣ 2♠/2♠ 3♦* 1♦ 2♥/2♠ 3♣* 1♥ 1♠ 2♣*/2♦* 1♥ 2♣/2♦ 2♠* 1♥ 3♣ 3♦* 1♠ 3♣/3♦ 3♥*

Using the definition of a NFB, none of the following are NFB’s.

1♣ 1♥ 1♠ (Natural 1-level bid) 1♦ 3♥ 3♠ (Natural, NFB applies through 3♦ by over caller) 1♣ 2♣ 2♦ (Natural, opponents have shown a 2-suited hand)

So far, we've showed how responder can show a long suit with a relatively weak hand and a forcing hand. With the Negative Free Bids, you can also show a third hand type: one that's at the top of the NFB point-range and has a very strong suit.

To show this highly invitational hand, responder jump-shifts after an opponent’s overcall. The jump in a new suit now shows:

• A strong 6+-card suit. • Game-invitational values (11+ HCP)

Instead of Playing Negative Free Bids, one may employ Negative doubles; except at the 1-level you must choose one approach or the other, you cannot play both.

NEGATIVE DOUBLES

DEFINITION – The strength requirements for a are:

1 level double = 6+ HCP 2 level minor double = 8+ HCP 2 level major double = 11+ HCP (some allow 10+) 3+ level double = 12+ HCP

Prerequisites for a Negative Double:

- No fit with partner - Support for the unbid suits when at the 1 or 2 levels - Lacking points and stoppers in RHO’s suit to bid Notrump - Lacking a biddable 5+ card suit (requires 11+ points at the 2+ level) - Sufficient strength to compete, considering without finding a fit you and partner should have about 20 points to play 1 NT, 22-23 points in 2 NT (with stoppers).

Let’s look at some simple examples of the basic Negative Double

1♣/♦ – (1♥) – X Negative Double promising 4 Spades, not 5 and 6+HCP 1♣/♦ – (1♥) – 1♠ Promising 5 Spades for this exact auction and 6+ HCP 1♣/♦ – (1♠) – X Promises 4 Hearts and 6+ HCP (with 5 bid 2♥ and 10/11+ HCP) 1♣/♦ – (1♠) – 2♥ Promises 5+ Hearts and 10/11+ points 1♦ – (2♣) – X Usually 4-4 in the majors and 10/11 HCP or one 4+card major, other major might be a good 3 card suit and 11+ points since if partner does not bid your 4-card major you must bid 2NT 1♣ – (1♦) – 1♥/♠ bid 6+ points

Unlike Negative Free Bids, a Negative Doubles ARE NOT alerted.

Depending on the partnership agreements, Negative Doubles may be played as “on” through 3 Spades, 4 Hearts, 5 Diamonds, NO LIMIT, etc. Advanced players play Negative Doubles at higher levels than casual players.

At high levels, such as RHO’s 4 Spade preemptive bid, they play the Negative Double as showing “cards” to allow partner to pass for penalty with a poor fit (in Hearts here) and lacking primary honors/quick tricks.

What follows are examples penalty doubles --- they are not negative; interest in penalizing the opponents.

1♥ – (2♥) – X 1♣ – (2NT) – X 1♥/1♠ – (1NT) – X 1M– (3NT) – X