Double Club System

Kokish Relay

The Kokish Relay is a clever little trick that keeps the auction lower and simpler when bidding strong balanced hands. It is an important part of the Double Club System after the 1♣ opening bid.

Note: For those of you who are already familiar with the Kokish Relay, we do not use the Kokish Relay after a 2♣ opening bid for reasons that are described in Danny Kleinman's recommendations on how to respond to a 2♣ opening bid.

What is the Kokish Relay?

It is a two-way 1♥ continuation to our forcing 1♣ opening bid and a 1♦ response. It shows either a natural club-heart unbalanced hand or a strong balanced hand, and asks responder to bid an artificial 1♠, after which opener describes which type of hand he has.

It is used to show two different balanced hand ranges with each NT rebid

In the Double Club System, even though our forcing 1♣ opening bid is not necessarily artificial (opener may have a normal club opening bid), we use the Kokish Relay after our 1♣ and 1♦ opening bid and response.

We use it in this way and for this purpose:

• After the auction has started 1♣, 1♦, if opener rebids 1♥ responder is required (though there are exceptions when responder has a fit for either clubs or hearts) to bid an artificial 1♠. The 1♥, 1♠ sequence is known as the "Kokish Relay".
• If opener next rebids in no trumps, he is showing a balanced hand of a higher strength range than the range that a no trumps rebid would have shown had he not used the Kokish Relay, and both of opener's previous clubs and hearts bids are artificial and indicate nothing about his club or heart holdings.
• If opener next rebids a suit, both his 1♣ bid and his 1♥ bid are confirmed as natural: opener promises at least 4 hearts and a strictly longer club suit.

The Kokish Relay enables the System to show two different ranges of balanced hand with each no trump rebid.

For full information about responder's possible actions after the auction has started 1♣, 1♦; 1♥ please refer to Double Club Auctions Starting 1C, 1D; 1H.

No Trump Ladder

The Double Club System's no trump ladder is (the bids marked * are a Kokish Relay):

	11-12 hcp:	You generally pass in first and second position.
	13-16 hcp:	1NT
	17-19 hcp:	1, 1; 1NT	or 1, 1/; 1NT    or 1, 2; 2NT
	20-22 hcp:	1, 1; 1*, 1*; 1NT	or 1, 1/; 2NT    or 1, 2; 2NT
	23-24 hcp:	2, 2; 2NT
	25-26 hcp:	1, 1; 2NT	or 1, 1/; 1NT    or 1, 2; 2NT
	27-30 hcp:	1, 1; 1*, 1*; 2NT	or 1, 1/; 2NT    or 1, 2; 2NT

You can see how the Kokish Relay enables opener to rebid either 1NT or 2NT with every strength of balanced hand from 17-30 hcp. This would be impossible without the use of the Kokish Relay.

Note that opener's rebids after a natural positive response are all forcing, so opener can safely make the same rebid with hands of widely different strength. He will be able to clarify his exact strength subsequently in the auction.

Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club