New Minor Forcing
and Support Doubles/Redoubles
Application: 1of a minor opener, 1 of a major response
When opener bids one of a minor and responder bids one of a major, he could have either a 4 or 5 card suit. Both NMF and Support D/R are designed to help find the all-important 8-card major fit.
If opener has 4-card support for responder’s suit, she will raise (simple or jump, depending on her strength).
If responder rebids his suit without support from opener, he promises a 6-card suit. If he jump rebids, he also shows at least invitational strength (10+ points).
The question is how opener can show 3-card support for responder’s suit, in case responder has a 5-card suit.
Unless opener is unbalanced, she will typically bid 1NT on her rebid. For most of this discussion we will assume the bidding has been:
opener 1♣ or 1♦, responder 1♥ or 1♠, opener rebid 1NT
New Minor Forcing
As the name implies, this is a rebid by responder of the unbid minor. It is forcing and promises at least an invitational hand (10+ points). It asks opener to describe her major suits.
Typically, order of priority for opener’s rebid is:
1. 4 cards in the other major (except that 2♠ when responder has bid NMF after 1♥ first bid is sometimes avoided)
2. 3-card support for responder’s suit
3. bidding NT with a stopper in the unbid suit (responder’s NMF is not a real suit)
4. rebidding her minor suit of 5+ cards
Support Double or Redouble
If opponent bids after responder, a double by opener promises 3-card support for responder’s suit.
If opponent doubles responder’s first bid, a redouble by opener promises 3-card support for responder’s suit.
Other options
1. Two-way NMF: Regardless of which minor opener has bid, responder bids 2♣ to show NMF with invitational hand and 2♦ to show NMF with game-forcing strength.
2. Checkback Stayman: 2♣ rebid by responder is used instead of new minor (regardless of whether opening bid was 1♣ or 1♦). There is also a two-way checkback Stayman.
Practice Hands
For each hand, figure out the entire sequence of bids and rebids by opener and responder.
Hand 1
Opener Responder
♠ J 10 3 ♠ K Q 2
♥ K
J 10 ♥ A
7 5 3 2
♦ A
4 ♦ Q
3 2
♣
K 9 6 3 2 ♣
8 7
Hand 2
Opener Responder
♠ J 7 3 ♠ K Q 2
♥ K
Q 10 ♥ A
7 5 3 2
♦ A
4 ♦ Q
3 2
♣
A 9 6 3 2 ♣
8 7
Hand 3
Opener Responder
♠ K 10 3 ♠ 9 4
♥ 8
4 ♥ A
J 9 7 5
♦ A
9 7 ♦ K
Q 10 6 2
♣
K Q 6 3 2 ♣
8
Hand 4
Opener Responder
♠ Q J 9 ♠ 10 6 4
♥ 7
4 ♥ A
J 9 7 5
♦ A
9 7 5 ♦ K
6 4
♣
K Q 6 2 ♣
8 3
Hand 5
Opener Responder
♠ Q J 9 ♠ A 10 4 2
♥ 8
4 ♥ A
J 9 7 5
♦ A
9 7 5 2 ♦ K
Q 4
♣
K Q 6 ♣
8
Hand 6
Opener Responder
♠ K 10 3 ♠ 9 4
♥ 8
4 ♥ A
J 9 7 6 5
♦ A
9 7 ♦ K
Q 10
♣
K Q 6 3 2 ♣
8 7
Hand 7
Opener Responder
♠ K J 7 ♠ A 10 9 3 2
♥ A
Q 10 7 ♥ K
9 3 2
♦ A
6 5 3 ♦ J
2
♣
6 5 ♣
K 10
Hand 8
Opener Responder
♠ J 7 3 ♠ K 8 2
♥ K
Q 10 ♥ A
7 5 3 2
♦ A
J 3 ♦ Q
3 2
♣
A K 6 2 ♣
8 7
Hand 9
Opener Responder
♠ J 8 3 ♠ K 2
♥ K
J 10 ♥ A
7 5 3 2
♦ A
4 ♦ Q
3 2
♣
K 9 6 3 2 ♣
Q 8 7
Opener Responder Opponent
1 ♣ 1 ♥ 1
♠
Hand 10
Opener Responder
♠ J 8 3 ♠ K 2
♥ K
J 10 ♥ A
7 5 3 2
♦ A
4 ♦ Q
3 2
♣ K 9 6 3 2 ♣ Q 8 7
Opener Responder Opponent
1 ♣ 1 ♥ DBL
Hand 11
Opener Responder
♠ ? ♠ 9 8 3
♥ ? ♥ Q
J 7 6 3
♦ ? ♦ A
5
♣
? ♣
K J 4
Opener Responder
1 ♦ 1
♥
1 ♠ 2 ♣
Hand 11
questions
If
opener’s third bid is: Responder
should bid:
2♦ (denying both 3 hearts and solid
club stopper) ?
2♥ (minimum opener with 3 hearts) ?
2♠ (probably 5 spades and 6 diamonds) ?
2NT
(minimum opener with 2 or fewer hearts) ?
3♣ (club length, possibly 4-1-4-4 and good strength) ?
3♦ (extra values with good 6-card
diamond suit) ?
3♥ (extra values with good 3-card
support) ?
3NT (extra
values with 2 or fewer hearts) ?
Bidding and discussion of hands
Hand 1
bidding and discussion
Opener Responder
1 ♣ 1 ♥
1 NT 2 ♦
2 ♥ 3
♥
Pass or 4♥
Opener’s 2nd
bid denies 4 spades.
Responder
has invited with 3♥ on his 3rd bid, but opener has nothing in
reserve to accept the invitation.
Long-shot
game; need to find Q♥ and need A♣
favorably located. Also need to find K ♦ favorably located or trump a diamond.
Hand 2
bidding and discussion
Opener Responder
1 ♣ 1 ♥
1 NT 2 ♦
3 ♥ 4
♥
Again,
opener’s 2nd bid denies 4 spades.
Opener jumps in 3rd bid since she has 14 points (would have opened1 NT with any more).
Hand 3
bidding and discussion
Opener Responder
1 ♣ 1 ♥
1 NT 2 ♦
2 NT 3
♦
pass
Responder’s 3♦ rebid shows 5-5 distribution, but still only invitational values.
Opener passes with a tolerance for diamonds and no extra values.
Hand 4
bidding and discussion
Opener Responder
1 ♦ 1
♥
1 NT pass
Opener typically opens 1♦ instead of 1♣ when 4-4 in the minors. Opener’s 1 NT rebid denies 4 spades.
Responders is too weak to use NMF (only 8 points).
Hand 5
bidding and discussion
Opener Responder
1 ♦ 1
♥
1 NT 2 ♣
2 NT 3
NT
Opener’s 1 NT rebid denies 4 spades. Responder’s 2♣ is NMF.
Opener’s 2 NT rebid suggests stoppers in the unbid suits (clubs and spades). Responder has plenty of values to go to game.
Hand 6 bidding and discussion
Opener Responder
1 ♣ 1 ♥
1 NT 3 ♥
pass
Responder’s 3♥ rebid shows 6 hearts and invitational values. With an opening hand, responder might have bid 4♥ instead.
Opener passes with tolerance for hearts and no extra values.
Hand 7
bidding and discussion
Opener Responder
1 ♦ 1
♠
1 NT 2 ♣
2 ♥ 3
♥
4 ♥
Opener is not strong enough to reverse by rebidding 2♥. Bidding 1NT also allows responder to show a 5-card spade suit and/or a 4-card heart suit.
Responder’s 3rd bid shows preference for 4-4 fit instead of possible 5-3 fit. If responder bids 2NT on his third bid, denying 4 hearts, opener will bid 4♠.
Opener has a max for this bidding (since she would have opened 1 NT with 1 more point), so wants to be in game in either major.
Hand 8
bidding and discussion
Opener Responder
1 ♣ 1 ♥
2 NT 3 ♦
3 ♥ 4
♥
Opener’s rebid shows 18-19 points. With opener that strong, responder does not need 10+ points to use NMF.
When opener shows 3 hearts, responder
does the math and realizes slam is not in the cards.
Hand 9
bidding and discussion
Opener Responder Opponent
1 ♣ 1 ♥ 1
♠
DBL 2 ♥
Opener’s
support DBL shows 3-card support for hearts. Responder realizes the K♠ is poorly positioned, so does not jump to 3♥ to show invitational hand.
Opener
passes with a minimum.
Hand 10 bidding and discussion
Opener Responder Opponent
1 ♣ 1 ♥ DBL
REDBL 2
♥
Yes, these
are the same cards as hand 9.
Opener’s support
REDBL shows 3-card support for hearts. Responder realizes the K♠ is poorly positioned, so does not jump to 3♥ to show invitational hand.
Opener
passes with a minimum.
Hand 11
bidding and discussion
If
opener’s third bid is: Responder
should bid:
2♦ (denying both 3 hearts and solid
club stopper) 2 NT to invite game
2♥ (minimum opener with 3 hearts) 3♥ to invite game
2♠ (probably 5 spades and 6 diamonds) 4♠
2NT
(minimum opener with 2 or fewer hearts) pass
3♣ (club length, possibly 4-1-4-4 and good strength) 3NT
3♦ (extra values with good 6-card
diamond suit) 3NT
3♥ (extra values with good 3-card
support) 4♥
3NT (extra
values with 2 or fewer hearts) pass