By Val Rhead
One of the more useful conventions in the game of Bridge is the Transfer Convention. It follows a One-No-Trump opening bid by your partner. Your partner has told you that he has, most commonly, 15 to 17 points (some partnerships play a different point range) and a balanced or semi-balanced hand. The guideline is that he should have at least three suits with stoppers. The most common shape of the One-No-Trump hand may include a five-card major suit or a six-card minor suit. It may include two doubletons if there is a stopper in one of the doubleton suits. As of the recent ruling from ACBL, it may now include a singleton if it is an Ace, a King or a Queen (but not also a doubleton if one of the suits is a singleton honour.)
Because of this hand description, you have a good understanding of what is in the opener’s hand. The opener does not know what is in your hand. It could be zero points or it could be 25 points. Likely, the hand will fall somewhere between these two extremes. For this reason, THE RESPONDER IS THE CAPTAIN and you must lead the partnership to its final contract.
You may transfer with a hand anywhere within this 0-25 point range if you have a five-card major or a six-card minor. To bid a transfer, you bid the suit below your long suit. If you have a five-card Heart suit, you would bid Two Diamonds. The opener would announce “Transfer” to inform the opposition, and at opener’s turn, he would complete the transfer bidding Two Hearts. And yes, you can do a transfer if your long suit is a minor of six cards or more. If you have six or more Clubs, you could bid Two Spades as a transfer to Clubs. If you have six or more Diamonds, you would bid Three Clubs as a transfer to Diamonds. (Here again, partnership agreements may differ.) And these transfer bids may be made with zero points knowing that a seven card or more fit is better than playing One No Trump from one side of the partnership.
The opener at his next turn should complete the transfer. This is a guideline that makes good Bridge sense rather than a rule that would send you to Bridge jail if you didn’t comply. The opener has no idea what you have in your hand, except that you have at least five cards in the major suit of your transfer bid or at least six cards in the minor suit of your transfer bid.
Remember that THE RESPONDER IS THE CAPTAIN. You might be Captain with zero points. In this case you will pass opener’s bid completing the transfer. The opener should never rebid Two No Trump because he does not like the transfer to Diamonds when he has only two little Diamonds. But the Captain knows! You might have eight Diamonds! Now if you bid that wonderful Diamond suit, the hand would be played from the wrong side with the strong hand as the dummy hand for all the world to see. Also think, would you be happy if the opener passed your Two Diamond transfer bid because he kind of liked Diamonds better than Hearts. What if it turns out that you have a super hand? If everyone else passes, you would be unable to bid again and take the contract to a slam, maybe in Hearts, maybe in Diamonds, or maybe in No Trump. Who knows? The opener hasn’t given you the chance to finish bidding.
C’est dommage! I guess I’ve been playing too much bridge in Northern Ontario where we get a lot of French-Canadian players, or in Ottawa. But please Opener, don’t second-guess the transfer command. Just complete the transfer and let the Captain do his job.
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to vrhead23@gmail.com and I will try to include it in this column.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesday evening 7:00, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Contact Jan Roberts 705-635-2522 or [email protected] for information and partnerships.
The following winners are for Tuesday, Aug 28 with 19 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Vern Foell and Rod Dixon; 2. Joyce Ruttan and Bill Jensen; 3. Fay MacDonald and Yvonne Cox; 4. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 5. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; East-West 1. Art Insley and Don Evans; 2. Donna Jensen and Wayne Ruttan; 3. Linda Planeta and Margaret Sanderson; 4. Mary Whitehead and Helen Pearson; 5. Susan Marshall and Jan Roberts
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games for the Bracebridge Club are Mondays 7pm, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
The following winners are from Monday, Aug 27 with 21 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 2. Sheila Jenset and Jane Insley; 3. Lyn Walisser and Bev Howard; 4. Donna Tikuisis and Peter Tikuisis; 5. Carol Anne Robinson and Nancy Barber; 6. Gerry Flaherty and Vern Foell; East-West 1. Kathy Kent and David Kent; 2. Fay MacDonald and Mary Whitehead; 3. Art Insley and Don Evans; 4. Gaye Kastning and Bill Kastning; 5. Anne Hampton and Bill Hampton; 6. Lynda Mochrie and Wayne Mochrie;
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