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: We do not use the Kokish Relay after a 2♣ opening bid.

The Problem

When you have a strong balanced hand and your partner has not yet shown any values, you want to keep the bidding as low as possible for two reasons. First, partner may be bust, in which case you want to play at as low a level as you are able. Second, whether or not partner has any values, you want to be able to explore for the best denomination, which is not necessarily no trumps. If you have partscore values only, then you want to play at the lowest level possible. If you have game values, you need to be able to determine the best denomination without bypassing 3NT. Therefore it is essential that you can bid or rebid all balanced hands with either 1NT or 2NT since, if no trumps should prove to be the best denomination, you do not want to find yourself above 3NT by the time you find this out.

Unfortunately, though, in standard bidding systems you do not have a means of showing a balanced hand of 25+ hcp other than by opening with 2♣ and rebidding 3NT.

The Solution

Eric Kokish invented an extremely neat solution to this awkward situation. The solution is so easy to use that nearly all top players have adopted it and we have included it in the Double Club System.

Kokish actually invented the Kokish Relay for use after an artificial 2♣ opening bid, but it works equally well (better, in fact) when used with an artificial and forcing 1♣ opening bid, such as is found in the Blue Club or Precision systems.

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

In the Double Club System we use the Kokish Relay only in this situation:

• 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 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:	Open one of a suit if having a good 5-card diamond, heart or spade suit, otherwise pass.
	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 wildly different strength. He will be able to clarify his exact strength subsequently in the auction.

Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club