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B B
14 BETTER
VOL. 16, NO. 2
BRIDGE
N OVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
This series is designed to answer the
question, ‘What’s Forcing?’ We are
always more relaxed knowing whether
we have the option of passing our
partner’s bid, or whether we must bid
again. These articles are designed to
increase our confidence in this area.
It was Ely Culbertson who first
suggested that responder’s bid of
a new suit at the one level should
be forcing. That was in the 1920s.
This has remained a fundamental
cornerstone of our bidding ever since.
If we open 1 and partner responds
1 , we are expected to bid again; the
only exception being if our partner
passed originally, showing less than
an opening bid.
That’s fine, but what if we now bid
a new suit as opener, or jump in suit,
or jump in notrump? Are these bids
forcing? The quick answer is no, but
there are exceptions. So let’s take a
closer look at opener’s rebid after
responder bids a suit at the one level.
Opener Bids a New Suit at
the One Level
A new suit by opener at the one level
is not forcing.
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
1 Pass
Responder has just enough to scrape
up a 1 response to the opening bid
of 1 ...5 high-card points plus 1
length point for the fifth heart. When
opener rebids 1 , continuing the
search for a major-suit fit, responder
doesn’t have to bid again.
Opener’s 1 rebid covers a wide
range of about 13–18 points. Here,
opener has the top of that range, 17
high-card points plus 1 length point
for the five-card club suit. Yet game
is well out of reach. Responder does
well to pass and settle for partscore.
If responder raises to 2 , opener will
at least make a move toward game,
and the partnership will be too high.
Opener Bids a New Lower-
Ranking Suit at the Two Level
Opener’s bid of a second suit at the
two level that is lower-ranking than
opener’s first suit is not forcing.
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
2 Pass
Opener’s second suit, diamonds, is
lower-ranking than opener’s first suit,
hearts. So the 2 rebid is not forcing,
even though opener can have anywhere
up to about 18 points. With a bare
minimum, responder can pass and
leave the partnership in partscore.
Just because responder can pass,
doesn’t mean that responder should
pass. Consider these hands:
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
2 2
3 4
Here responder could pass opener’s
2 rebid with a slight preference for
clubs and only 7 high-card points plus
1 length point for the five-card spade
suit. However, experienced players
would give ‘false preference’ back to
2 , opener’s original suit.
There are good reasons for this.
First, opener has at least five hearts
and may have only four clubs. Playing
in a 5–2 fit should be at least as good
as a 4–3 fit.Also, a major suit contract
is worth more per trick than a minor
suit contract. Most importantly, it gives
opener another chance to bid when
holding more than a minimum hand.
Here opener is happy to invite game,
and responder has enough to accept.
Opener Jumps in an Old Suit
Jump raises of responder’s suit or jump
rebids of opener’s suit are not forcing.
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
3 Pass
When responder bids 1 , opener
revalues the hand as 15 high-card
points plus 3 dummy points for the
singleton diamond. That’s too much
for a minimum raise to 2 , so opener
makes a jump raise to 3 , showing
about 17–18 points.With a minimum,
responder is free to pass.
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
3 Pass
Opener’s 3 rebid is invitational,
not forcing. Again it shows about
17–18 points. Here opener has 14
high-card points plus 3 length points.
What’s Forcing? by David Lindop
After a
One-Level
Response
in a Suit
OPENER RESPONDER
A K 7 5 Q J 6 4
A K 8 6 3 7 2
4 K 9 7 5
J 8 2 10 7 6
OPENER RESPONDER
K 9 7 5 J 8 6 3
7 4 K J 5 3 2
K Q 7 4 2
A K Q 5 2 3
OPENER RESPONDER
5 K 10 7 6 3
A J 8 7 3 4
A Q 6 2 J 9 7
K Q 2 J 5 4 3
OPENER RESPONDER
8 4 A 9 7 6 3
A K J 7 4 3 10 6
5 J 9 7
A K J 2 Q 10 3
OPENER RESPONDER
A K J Q 9 2
6 4 K J 8 7 3
K Q J 9 8 6 3 4
8 10 7 6 4