Saturday, March 31, 2007

Two-Way New Minor Forcing

This is what i believe to be expert standard two way new minor forcing.

1m-1M-1NT

2C = relay to 2D to show ALL invitational hands
2D = Game Forcing Checkback
2H = Natural to play
2S = (after 1S response) Natural to play, (after 1H response) 4S 4H invitational hand
2N = *Conventional
3C = Natural Slam Try
3D = Natural Slam Try
3H = Natural Slam Try
3S = Natural Slam Try
3N = Natural


after 1m-1M-1NT-2NT
2NT is a relay to 3C, that's how you sign off in clubs, then over 3C
Pass = Clubs
3D = 5 of my major, 4 of partners minor, low shortness
3H = 5 of my major, 4 of partners minor, high shortness
3S = 4 of my major, 5 of partners minor, low shortness
3N = 4 of my major, 5 of partners minor, high shortness

SOME RULES:
1) Remember all invitational hands must start with 2C, after the 2C relay every bid invites something, if you bid 2C then over partners 2D bid 3NT, that is invitational to 4M, 5332 choice of games. Since we use 2NT for that gizmo, our NT invitation must start with 2C as well.
2) This system is on after 1H-1S-1NT, but not after 1C-1D-1NT
3) This system is off in competition
4) When we jump rebid our major over 1NT it sets trumps and asks partner to cue bid for slam

Please post questions and I will update my posts based on your thoughts.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

1m - 1M
1N - 2C
2D - 2M*

*Does 2M show 5 or 6 card suit
If you do it with a 5 card suit. whats the difference with the auction below


Guess the follow up question
1m - 1M
1N - 2C
2D - 2N*

* Guessing this shows a 5 card suit


Thanks

Free said...

1m - 1M
1NT - 2C
2D - 2S

Does this show invite with 5+H and 4S (since an immediate 2S shows 4-4)?

About using 2NT as a puppet, followed by showing 5-4 and a shortness: what strength do you give such bids? Is it just a light slam invite or do you need a real "powerhouse"?

If you play reversed Flannery responses after 1m openings, 1m-1S-1NT-2H should be natural and GF. Any suggestions to make use of this extra possibility?

Gavin Wolpert said...

Jane... in the version i've shown in my blog, a direct 2NT is conventional, so 2C-2D-2NT is the only way to invite NT...

1m-1M;1N-2C;2D-2M... is either a 5 card invite or 6 with a bad suit. Partner is supposed to pass sometimes even with a bad maximum without a fit and bid 2NT with a good hand max without a fit... this typically will be a 5431 10 count thats hoping to buy a fit to get to game. If you have a good 6 card suit you go 2c-2d-3M.


Free: yes you are correct that 2C-2D-2S shows 4 - 5+. Its actually not neccessarily slam going, it can starts out just as trying for the best game, sometimes its crutial to find out you have xxx opposite a x and you can play 4M on a 4-3 fit (be carefull only to do that when the short hand is the one taking the ruffs)

Ed Judy said...

Dear Gavin,

You might want to add that to play 2D, simply pass after 2C-2D.

Checkback systems abound...I believe many experts use the system described in "Two-Way Checkback", Philip Cowan, December 1988, The Bridge World.

Unknown said...

My partner and I are interested in adding 2WNMF to our card. We agreed to add the version you have presented in your blog until we reached an impasse regarding the strength of a series of calls, i.e., are they designed to find the best game or to find slam? The rebids in question over 1nt-2nt!; 3c!- are: 3d/3h/3s/3nt.
Thank you and congrats for many reasons :)

benlessard said...

Great blog Gavin.

You could also use pass or correct responses after 2C

1D----1S----1Nt----2C (INV)
??

2D i refuse a D INV
2H i accept a D INV but refuse a 2S INV and my H are better then my S (so if responder have a good 5H-5S INV we are going to game)

2S i would have accept a D INV but refuse a M INV and my S are better then my H

2Nt i would accept any INV except a balanced INV (show average hand with short clubs)

3C+ GF accept everything.

With these responses you still can used 2D to play or 2D GF.

Also INV with D fit can be played at 2D instead of 3D.

More importantly we use the same P/C responses for 4th suit INV.

1D--1S---2C---???

here we reverse the meaning of the natural INV hands with 2H.

2D,2S are non-invitationnal (to play)
2H is all INV hands
2Nt+ are GF

So that with GF hand we can show fit or bid a GF 2nt right away. Its to avoid some clumsy sequences

1D---1H---2C---2S(GF)
3H---???


here you could have a big m fit and are a bit stucked.

also its allow us to stop in 2S instead of 3S.

1D---1S---2C----2H (INV)

2S= iwould refuse a 2S INV
2Nt I would accept a 2S INV but refuse a balanced INV.
3C I would accept a 2S & 2Nt INV but i would refuse a 3C INV
3D+ GF

Also some hand that fall between a 2Nt INV and a 3M INV or a 3M and a 3m inv.

1C---1S----2C----???

here with an INV hand but with no clear direction you are stucked. but if you can bid 2H as INV then
partner will respond 2S with a dead minimum or an average hand with no S suppot. Then you can take your chance in 2Nt or 3m.

If partner respond 2Nt (meaning he refuse a balanced INV but accept a S inv) then you can bid 4S

the pass or correct responses are maybe only a slight improvement over 2WNMF
(if you used 2C as all inv and 2D as forcing in both scheme . But in your method you still can stop in 2D while in mine an INV hand in D will be able to stop in 2D.

But in the 4th suit forcing form its a clear-cut improvement over standard 4th suit GF methods.