.
Responder will certainly be misled.
He will expect that opener's first bid suit is a 5-card suit,
not a 4-card suit,
and will not expect a choice of three possible trump suits.
It is not convenient, or wise, to open strong three-suiters with the same opening bid
as other strong unbalanced hands, which in most systems (including the Double Club System)
is usually 2.
Responder will certainly be misled.
He will expect that opener's first bid suit is a 5-card suit,
not a 4-card suit,
and will not expect a choice of three possible trump suits.
Furthermore, even a strong three-suited hand has little playing strength unless an 8-card trump fit exists. A three-loser 4-4-4-1 hand is unlikely to make game without help from partner, either in the form of high cards opposite opener's shortage or 4-card support for one of opener's suits.
The Double Club System opens strong three-suiters (with three losers or fewer)
with 1, unless the short suit is clubs
(we open with 2 and
rebid an artificial 3
when opener's short suit is clubs).
Opening with 1 leaves room for all three suits to be shown,
as well as showing one of the suits immediately.
If responder bids 1
, as he frequently will,
opener is guaranteed to be able to show all three of his suits, and his game-forcing strength,
without risk of a premature pass from responder.
If responder makes a positive major-suit response in opener's short suit, responder is known to have a 5-card suit. Opener can simply treat his hand as balanced and bid it accordingly, using the System's strong balanced hand bids. And if responder bids one of opener's suits there is no problem, of course. Opener can splinter, agreeing the trump suit and inviting a slam.
, 1
We can show shortage in any of the three other suits without passing the two-level.
When opener has a heart suit, he bids 1
,
which is the Kokish Relay and therefore forcing.
Responder will usually complete the Kokish Relay by bidding 1
,
after which opener bids his third suit at the two-level.
The fact that opener can bid a new suit at the two level, when responder has not promised any values,
shows that opener has a very strong hand.
These sequences show a game-forcing hand with clubs, hearts and a third suit:
, 1; 1, 1; 2: shows game-forcing values with clubs, hearts and diamonds;, 1; 1, 1; 2: shows game-forcing values with clubs, hearts and spades.
Memory Guide: Opener's bid of a suit after using the Kokish Relay is always natural
and confirms that both the 1 and 1 bids were natural.
A bid of a suit above the level of 2, opposite a possible bust responder, is very strong.
When opener's short suit is hearts, his second bid is 2,
which is artificial and forcing.
Responder is required to relay with 2,
and opener's third bid is 2.
Once again, the fact that opener can bid a new suit at the two level, when responder has not promised any values,
shows that opener has a very strong hand.
Opener has a strong three-suiter and has bid the three suits that he has:
, 1; 2, 2; 2: shows game-forcing values with clubs, diamonds and spades.
Memory Guide: Opener's bid of 2
after using the 2 relay
shows that opener has the three suits that he has bid.
A bid of a suit above the level of 2, opposite a possible bust responder, is very strong.
Responder must be sure that he has correctly interpreted what opener's bidding sequence means. These sequences will occur rarely, so responder should use the following guide to ensure he gets the correct picture.
Memory Guide: If opener used the Kokish Relay and has then bid a suit, his three bids are natural. He therefore has clubs, hearts and the third suit he has bid. If opener did not use the Kokish Relay but has bid three suits, his missing suit is hearts. In all cases opener has bid the three suits that he holds.
Having ascertained the three suits shown, and therefore in which suit opener is short, responder will know how well the hands fit together and whether his values (if any) are useful. Responder will therefore take the captaincy and place the contract.
If responder has no 4-card support for any of opener's suits and has no useful values, he should sign off by passing or by bidding one of opener's suits at the lowest level. Although these Strong Three-Suited Hand bids are nominally Game-Forcing, the Game Force is cancelled if there is no fit, since a three-suited hand does not play well when there is no fit.
If responder has no 4-card support for any of opener's suits but has a double stopper in the fourth suit, he should jump to 3NT.
If responder has 4-card support for one of opener's suits, he should jump to game in the chosen suit if he has a very weak hand but should bid the chosen suit at an intermediate level if he can contribute some useful high cards. A slam could well be on, so room should be left for proper investigation.
A bid of 2NT by responder is a relay, asking opener to bid a 5-card suit if one is held. With no 5-card suit, opener bids his known singleton suit, or 3NT with a singleton ace. Responder already knows what opener's three suits are, so he can tell exactly from this reply whether opener has shown a 5-card suit or a singleton (and therefore 4-4-4-1 shape).
, 2
We can show shortage in clubs by making an artificial bid of 3:
, 2; 3: shows game-forcing values with diamonds, hearts and spades.
Memory Guide: We do not open 2
with Game-Forcing values and a club single-suiter.
Therefore opener's rebid of 3 is artificial.
We use it to show a three-suited hand that is short in clubs.
If responder has no 4-card support for any of opener's suits and has no useful values, he should sign off by passing (with long clubs and a bust hand) or by bidding one of opener's suits at the lowest level. Although these Strong Three-Suited Hand bids are nominally Game-Forcing, the Game Force is cancelled if there is no fit, since a three-suited hand does not play well when there is no fit.
If responder has no 4-card support for any of opener's suits but has a double stopper in clubs, he should bid 3NT.
If responder has 4-card support for one of opener's suits,
he should jump to game in the chosen suit if he has a very weak hand.
If he has some useful values and chooses diamonds as trumps, he can bid 4.
If he has some useful values and chooses one of the majors as trumps,
he must bid an artificial relay of 4
(which clearly cannot be mistaken as natural).
Opener will continue the relay with 4,
after which responder can bid the suit he chooses as trumps.
The fact that responder has taken this route tells opener that responder is strong enough to invite a slam,
and opener can continue with RKB if interested,
or with Exclusion RKB (5) if he is void in clubs.
Author: Chris Burton
Gravesend Bridge Club