Spectrum Series
Lesson III
The
Forcing 1NT
Response
One of the principle differences between 2/1 GF
and SAYC is the forcing response to a 1H or a 1S opening
bid by partner. While SOME will play the response as
only SEMI-FORCING, such that Opener can pass with a
5-3-3-2 type minimum, the orthodox approach is to treat
the 1NT response as 100% forcing. In face-to-face bridge
Opener "announces" this bid, by saying out loud "Forcing"
as soon as it is bid. On OKBridge it should be self-
alerted, and explained as "Forcing One Round", or "f 1 rd".
If you are not sure how to self-alert and explain, please
ask Shelagh or Colin.
The forcing 1NT response is, at once, the
strength and weakness of the 2/1 GF system. Critics are
quick to point out that the obligation to force beyond
the 1NT mark is suicidal at Matchpoints, where 1NT is
often the last and best spot to play flat or misfitting
hands. Supporters of 2/1 GF, on the other hand, point
to the many different hand types that can be described
via this flexible response.
Opener's Rebids
After 1H:1NT and 1S:1NT
After a 1H opening bid receives a 1NT reply from Responder, a strong Opener has these options: 1H:1NT:2NT - Flat, 17-19 points. 5-3-3-2 type. 1H:1NT:3H - 6+ Hearts, 17-19 points. The above two options are NOT forcing in themselves, but ANY non-game rebid by Responder WILL be forcing. 1H:1NT:3H:4C, then, is a cuebid in support of Opener's Hearts, since we would not "fight" Opener's major in order to play in a minor. 1H:1NT:2S - Reverse, 19-21, 4-5 or better majors. 1H:1NT:3C or 3D - Jump shift, 19-21. The above options are all forcing to game. Similarly, after 1S:1NT, we will have non-forcing but strong rebids of 2NT (17-19) and 3S (17-19). A single-suited weaker Opener will rebid the major only with 6+ card length there.
| |
 AJ10xxx |
 Ax |
 Kxx |
 Jx |
Rebid 2S over 1S:1NT.
| |
AJ10xx |
Axx |
Kxx |
Jx |
Do NOT rebid 2S over 1S:1NT. Prefer 2D here. As the above 5-3-3-2 type hand illustrates, Opener will often rebid in a 3-card minor opposite the forcing 1NT response--especially with a flat hand in the 13-16 point range. In fact, with a 4=5=2=2 hand, not strong enough to reverse into 2S, Opener may even rebid 2C on as few as TWO of them! For this reason, Responder must be cautious about passing or raising any such minor without 5+card support. If you choose to open 1NT with balanced hands holding a 5-card Major, your ranges above change slightly. Now, your 2NT rebid after partner's minimum response will be 18-19 HCP, and your point range for 1M:1NT:2m will be 13-14 if you have a balanced hand. Both Shep and Kaltica prefer this method, but it is more common for the 1NT opener to deny a 5-card Major. Some modernists play that 1M:1NT:2c is the rebid with any 5-3-3-2 distribution type, and therefore 1M:1NT:2d shows a four card suit. We don't recommend this, but want you to know it is an option. Holding a 2-suited hand, Opener will tend to bid the second suit, with two notable exceptions: 1. A 2S rebid, being a reverse, will require 19-21 points. 2. If our major is 6+ cards long, we will tend to bid a four card suit ONLY with 16-18 points and only when the 6-card major is not strong. With 13-15, we will rebid the 6-card major, to limit our hand as quickly as possible (e.g. 1H:1NT:2H).
| |
Ax |
AJ9xxx |
x |
KJxx |
After 1H:1NT, rebid 2H, not 2C here.
| |
AK109xx |
Ax |
AQxx |
x |
After 1S:1NT, rebid 3S, not 2D here.
| |
K10xxxx |
AQxx |
AK |
x |
Rebid 2H, not 2S or 3S here.
Questions
1a. You hold: S- KQxxx H- QJx D- K10x C- Kx.
What do you bid after 1S:1NT?
1b. You hold: S- KQxxx H- Ax D- AQx C- Kxx.
What do you bid after 1S:1NT?
1c. You hold: S- KQJxxx H- xx D- Qx C- KQx.
What do you bid after 1S:1NT?
1d. You hold: S- KQJxxx H- Ax D- x C- Qxxx.
What do you bid after 1S:1NT?
1e. You hold: S- KQJxxx H- AQxx D- x C- xx.
What do you bid after 1S:1NT?
Major Suit Raises
to the TWO Level
Some 2/1 GF players will play "constructive" raises in the majors. For these pairs, 1H:2H and 1S:2S will show 3+ card support and 8-10 points, rather than the 6-9 (or a bad 10) to which SAYCers are accustomed. With a less promising 6-7 points, these pairs will employ a forcing 1NT reply, followed by a correction to 2-of-Opener's-major.
| |
AJx |
K10x |
10xxx |
Jxx |
Raise 1H or 1S directly to 2H or 2S respectively.
| |
Axx |
K10x |
10xxx |
Jxx |
Respond 1NT and THEN bid 2-of-Opener's suit. The advantage of this approach comes when Opener has a 16-17 point hand. Opposite a 6-7 point hand, Opener can give up. Only opposite a Constructive Raise will Opener bother to invest in a game invitation.
| |
KQ10xx |
AJx |
xx |
AQx |
After 1S:1NT:2C:2S, Opener will pass. After 1S:2S, though, Opener may look for game. The drawback of the Constructive Raise approach comes when Responder uses the forcing 1NT reply and then bids Opener's major. Is 1H:1NT:2C:2H a "destructive" raise with 3+ card support for Hearts and 6-7 points or is it a simple preference with 6-9 points and a doubleton Heart, preferring Hearts to Clubs?
| |
Axx |
K10x |
10xxx |
xxx |
| |
Axx |
xx |
Kxxxx |
xxx |
BOTH of the above hands will rebid 2H over 1H:1NT:2C. So how is Opener to know where hir major is being supported or merely preferred to Clubs? For this reason, we recommend that you do NOT use Constructive Raises, and will not include them in the 2/1K or 2/1-Shep convention card. In standard praxis, if Responder has 4 Spades and support for 1H Opener's Hearts, Responder will bid Spades before raising Hearts with 8-10 points, but NOT with 6-7. Holding 6-7 points, Responder should raise 1H to 2H directly, even with 4+ Spades. 2/1-K inverts this tendency, raising Hearts directly with the 8-10 point hands and bidding the Spades first ONLY with the 6-7 point hands.
| |
KJ9x |
Qxx |
xx |
10xxx |
Playing with an unfamiliar partner, raise 1H to 2H. Playing 2/1K, bid 1S and THEN 2H.
| |
KJ9x |
KJx |
xx |
10xxx |
Playing with a stranger, bid 1S and then 2H. Playing 2/1K, raise to 2H directly. The reason for this 2/1-K tendency becomes evident when Opener rebids a MINOR after 1H:1S, when a 2H rebid by Responder is liable to "sound" weak anyway--often with only TWO card Heart support, making a simple preference to Hearts. 1H:1S:2C:2H, then, may show 2-card Heart support and a simple preference for Hearts over Clubs. Holding 8-10 points, better to have shown TRUE 3+card support via 1H:2H. Shep, being a fanatic about how many trump are shown on each sequence, prefers not to respond 1S with less than Limit Raise values. Thus, 1H:1S:2C:2H is always a doubleton for her.
Questions
1. How many trump does Responder promise on the
following auctions:
A. 1S:1NT:2C:2S
B. 1H:1S:1NT:2H
c. 1H:2H
2. What is Responder's point count on the following
auctions:
A. 1S:2S
B. 1H:1NT:2D:2H
C. 1H:1S:2D:2H
Major Suit Raises
to the THREE Level
SAYC makes no distinctions between 3 and 4-card support for partner's major. 2/1 GF, on the other hand, differentiates between three and four card support for any LIMIT or game-forcing raise. For example, 1H:3H and 1S:3S both promise 4+card support. With only THREE card support, Responder will begin with a forcing 1NT and then bid Opener's major at the 3-level (e.g. 1S:1NT:any:3S or 1H:1NT:any:3H). This modern style is in sharp contrast to the Classical style, where a forcing 1NT response followed by 3-of-Opener's-major showed a FLAT hand, while the LIMIT raise (i.e 1H:3H or 1S:3S) promised a ruffing value (void, singleton or doubleton). Any LIMIT raise of Hearts tends to deny four or more Spades, since we COULD bid 1S and then 3H to show the LIMIT raise with 4+ Spades.
Questions
1. You hold: S- Axxx H- Kxx D- Axx C- xxx A. What do you respond to partner's 1H opening? B. What do you respond to partner's 1S opening? 2. You hold: S- Kxx H- x D- xxxxx C- AQxx What do you respond to partner's 1S opening? 3. You hold: S- Kxx H- x D- xxxxx C- Qxxx What do you respond to partner's 1S opening?
The Forcing 1NT Response
with a Flat Hand
Responder's strategy with 10-12 points and a flat hand which includes 2-card support for Opener's major is to reply 1NT and then rebid 2NT.
| |
Jx |
K10x |
Qxxx |
AJ9x |
Respond 1NT to 1S and rebid 2NT. Responder's rebid with a flat 6-9 points is to bid to 2-of-Opener's major. If not playing Constructive Raises, this will always show only two card support.
| |
Qxx |
Qx |
xxx |
K10xxx |
Respond 1NT to 1H and rebid 2H.
1NT Responder
with a Long Suit
Holding a long suit which is lower ranked that Opener's, Responder will reply 1NT and then introduce the suit, jumping with 10-12 if the suit is quite strong.
| |
xx |
xxx |
AQJxxx |
xx |
Respond 1NT to 1S and rebid 2D over 2C.
| |
x |
AKJ10xx |
Qxx |
xxx |
Respond 1NT to 1S, and JUMP to 3H over 2C or 2D. Passing or supporting Opener's minor will require 5+ cards, owing to the distinct possibility that Opener may have fewer than 4 for the 2C or 2D rebid. A raise of the minor will show 8-12 points opposite a 1S opening bid, 8-10 points opposite a 1H opening bid. What, then, will Responder do with 11-12 points in support of 1H Opener's minor? Here we see a Bonanza Bid (aka the "impossible" major). After 1H:1NT:2C or 1H:1NT:2D, Responder can bid 2S to show 11-12 points in support of 1H Opener's minor. 2S, of course, cannot be NATURAL there, since Responder would have replied 1S, not 1NT, with 4+ Spades.
| |
xx |
x |
AQxxx |
A10xxx |
After 1H:1NT:2C or 2D, rebid 2S. We will also see this "impossible" major over 1H:1NT:2H, when a 3H rebid would show a strong BALANCED hand, 11-12 points, that includes Honour-x in Hearts. With a TRUE limit raise that includes 3-card support, Responder can rebid 2S over 1H:1NT:2H.
| |
xxx |
KJ |
AQxxx |
Jxx |
After 1H:1NT:2H, try 3H, lacking strength in either black suit for a 2NT rebid.
| |
Axx |
Qxx |
Axxxx |
xx |
Here, you would rebid 2S over 1H:1NT:2H to show that you ALWAYS intended a limit raise.
Discussion Points
1. Do you prefer to rebid your 4 card suit or 6 card major with minimum 2-suited hands. 2/1- K, 2/1-Spectrum = the 6 card major. 2/1- Shep = the 4 card suit. 2. Do we play constructive raises? 2/1- K, 2/1-Shep, 2/1- Spectrum = No. 3. With 5332 hand pattern, do we always rebid Two Clubs, or rebid our cheaper 3 card minor? 2/1- K, 2/1- Shep, 2/1- Spectrum = 3 card minor. 4. Does an immediate Limit Raise promise 4 trump, or an unbalanced hand? 2/1-K = an unbalanced hand. 2/1- Spectrum, 2/1- Shep = 4 trump. 5. How strong a hand do we need to respond 1S to 1H with three card support for Hearts? 2/1-K = minimum response. 2/1-Spectrum = 8+ 2/1-Shep = 10+
Final Quiz
1. How many Clubs do these auctions promise?
1a. 1S:1NT:2C ?
1b. 1H:1NT:2C ?
2. You hold: S-KJxx H- Axx D- Kxx C- xxx
What would your response to 1S be...
2a. ...playing the MODERN style?
2b ...playing the CLASSICAL style?
3. What do you rebid after 1H:1NT:2H with:
3a. S- Ax H- Qx D- A10xx C- 9xxxx
3b. S- Ax H- Qxx D- A10xx C- 9xxx
4. After 1H:1NT:2D what do you rebid with:
4a. S- KQx H xx D- K10xx C- K9xx
4b. S- Axx H- x D- Q10xx C- Jxxxx
4c. S- xx H- xx D- Q10xx C- AJxxx
4d. S- xx H- xx D- KQxxx C- K10xx
4e. S- Jxx H- x D- Kxx C- AQ9xxx
4f. S- Kxx H- Jxx D- Axxx C- Kxx
--------------- Last Revised 01-06-1999 ---------------
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The Spectrum Series, at 8:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. PST every second weekday, is a lecture program on the 2/1 Game Forcing system, from Opening Bids all the way through to the conventional aspects of 2/1 GF. Unlike the FireSide and 5th Chair sessions mentioned above, the Spectrum Series is a semi-public lesson program for our students. All are invited to stop by and enjoy these classes.  If you have any questions arising from these notes, or about the Spectrum Lesson Series, please do not hesitate to email me at: cpw@escape.ca |
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