By Peter Rhead
Examples of transfer response to partner’s 1NT opening
We continue to investigate examples of your five common responses to partner’s One No-Trump opening. The five are PASS, Two No-Trump, Three No-Trump, Stayman and Transfers. Each response is dependent on your hand distribution and your point count. With less than 8 points you usually PASS. With 8-9 points you have more options. With 10 points or more, you are going for game which requires a partnership total of at least 25 points.
This week, you have examples of when to consider a Transfer response. You can have any number of points, including zero, to do a Transfer to a five-card major (Spades or Hearts).
You sit there with these five example hands. Your partner has opened One No-Trump showing a balanced or semi-balanced hand such as xxx xxxx xxx xxx (Spades Hearts Diamonds Clubs) or xx xxxxx xxx xxx with 15-17 points. What should you bid?
Case 1:
Spades Axxxx
Hearts xxx
Diamonds QJx
Clubs Kx
Case 1: You first respond Two Hearts as a Transfer to Spades. When opening 1NT partner completes the Transfer by bidding Two Spades, you jump to Three No-Trump. You want to be in game with your 11 points (15+11) and you have no other bid to force to game. You have told partner that you have five Spades and you want game. That is all he needs to know to make the final decision (3NT or Four Spades).
Case 2:
Spades xx
Hearts xx
Diamonds QJx
Clubs AKxxxx
Case 2: You respond Three No-Trump directly. You want to be in game (15+10) and you know you do not have enough points for a slam. It makes no sense to Transfer to Clubs where your partnership would have to go to Five Clubs for the game!
Case 3:
Spades xxxxx
Hearts QJxxx
Diamonds x
Clubs AK
Case 3: You have enough points to be in game (15+10). You first bid Two Hearts as a Transfer to Spades. Opening 1NT partner will complete the Transfer, Two Spades. Then you bid Three Hearts showing that also you have five Hearts and game points. Opening 1NT partner will now pick the game in Four Hearts or Spades or 3NT
Case 4:
Spades xx
Hearts AKJxx
Diamonds xxx
Clubs xxx
Case 4: You know your partnership might have a game (17+8). You first bid Two Diamonds as a Transfer to Hearts. After opening partner completes the Transfer with a bid of Two Hearts, you bid Two No-Trump inviting game. Opening partner will go to game if he has 17 points. Opening partner can correct to a Three Hearts part score or Four Hearts game if he prefers Hearts.
Case 5:
Spades Axxxx
Hearts xxxxx
Diamonds xx
Clubs x
Case 5: You first respond Two Hearts as a Transfer to Spades (your best suit). After opener completes the Transfer with a bid of Two Spades, you then PASS. Partner will be happier playing Two Spades with a seven-card fit than One No-Trump with this crummy dummy.
Next Week: Your sixth common response to partner’s One No-Trump opening
Remember, as we all fight COVID-19 with social isolation, if you want your Bridge fix, online competition is available for all skill levels. From the ACBL Bridge website, you can hook up either to play live people or to play robots. Either way you test or consolidate various Bridge skills. At ACBL.org just click on “Play Bridge” and follow the prompts for various choices.
If you wish to promote an activity in your Bridge group or ask a Bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will try to include it in this column.
Looking for more bridge tips? You’ll find them here.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!
0 Comments