2/1: Showing A Game Force Over 1m Openers

[gurgistan]

I am having difficulty showing a game force as responder over a 1m opener.

 

Over 1C, I bid 1M, I guess unless 2C or 3N is appropriate.

 

Over 1D, I still have the 1M, 3N and inverted minors options but I can also go 2C (I play it as 2/1 gf) but my 2C has to be a real suit ie four cards long yes?

[Phil]

If your concern is showing a GF right away, you can always play strong jump shifts. They aren't in vogue right now but they are a reasonable treatment.

 

Otherwise, in most auctions the determination of whether or not responder has a GF is postponed until the second round of bidding, or later. Doing so doesn't create any heartburn or inefficiencies.

[fromageGB]

I am not a fan of inverted minors over 1♣, particularly when the club may be as short as 2 cards. The principle behind inverted minors is that 3♣ may be a good advance sacrifice over their 2M contract. But if opener may be short, you need extreme length, and anyway partner may be 44 in both majors so their 2M contract may not be so makeable. 2♣ and 3♣ are in my view better employed as weak and natural, with you bidding 3 when your shape indicates more preemption.

 

I don't know the answer with natural responses. Certainly transfer walsh responses allow more control, as you can have an artificial 2♣ rebid over partner's completion of the major as an artificial GF, and you can easily have a different sequence that shows a game invitational club support bid equivalent to an inverted 2♣. (In our case this is a transfer to 1NT followed by a 2♠ rebid.)

 

Over 1♦ (guaranteeing 3 cards and probably longer) there is more use for an inverted 2♦ and then a 2♣ GF reply must have at least 4 cards, else what is the difference between that and 2♦? I would prefer 5 cards, with 4 just using the inverted 2♦. Over the latter, there is nothing stopping partner bidding clubs if he has them and is taking game on, and if he bids 2-any you can rebid 3♣ if GF.

 

I would be interested in seeing the "standard" answer.

[blackshoe]

A one level response to 1m is forcing; responder will have another chance to bid. If opener rebids 1NT, responder can use some form of checkback (I prefer two way checkback, in which 2♦ is GF, but even Crowhurst or NMF is forcing, so again responder will have another chance). If opener rebids a new suit, responder can use FSF. If opener rebids his minor, responder's new suit bid is forcing. That's pretty much the "standard" answer as I understand it.

[MrAce]

A one level response to 1m is forcing; responder will have another chance to bid. If opener rebids 1NT, responder can use some form of checkback (I prefer two way checkback, in which 2♦ is GF, but even Crowhurst or NMF is forcing, so again responder will have another chance). If opener rebids a new suit, responder can use FSF. If opener rebids his minor, responder's new suit bid is forcing. That's pretty much the "standard" answer as I understand it.

 

What he said

 

+1

 

Over a minor opening you make 1 round forcing bid only, and delay your GF bid to the 2nd round of your bid. I almost never go with inv minor when i have a 4 cards major suit to start with.

[Free]

When you play inverted minors you can always start with a natural forcing bid and show the extra strength later.

 

after 1♣-?

1♦/M = 4+♦/M

2♣ = 4+♣

 

after 1♦-?

1M = 4+M

2m = 4+m

 

Either way you have a 4 card suit somewhere, and you have a forcing bid available for each suit. I prefer 1♦-2♣ as forcing to 2NT only, although it's playable as GF for sure.

[Quantumcat]

I think it is a good agreement to make an inverted raise limited, e.g. 10-15 (if invitational+) or 13-15 (if GF). Then slam auctions are not so cloudy. E.g. 1♣-1♦, 1NT-4♣ is a serious slam try, 16+ whereas 1♦-2♦, 2NT-4♦ is a more mild slam try.

 

This is analogous (spelling??) to limited splinters. This is so once you are at the four-level both parties know what their values are, and know what they should be doing, cause they certainly don't have any more room to find out. Most people have the agreement a splinter has about 11-14 HCP and any stronger you have to do something else, and splinter later.

[han]

I'd like to point out that after an inverted minor response, you are at the 2-level.