Chapter 15

Responding to the Forcing Notrump

1		1NT
2		?

If you accept the premise that is more important to get the heart-spade-notrump decision right than to play 2 , then the following treatment (toy) is useful.  (At one point, it was suggested that this was such a great idea that you should bid 2 with two clubs.  We gave that up.  2 promises three clubs.) 

Responder's continuation after 2 is:

• 2 insists on hearts.  Responder has six hearts; or five hearts and no second choice.  I claim no second choice means a 1=5=4=3 distribution exactly, or a five-card heart suit playable opposite a singleton.
• 2 (alert) is artificial.  Responder's intent can be
  • to choose between 2 and 2 . 
  • To choose between hearts and a minor with a poor hand. 
  • To play 3 with a poor hand. 
  • To invite with five hearts. 
  • To stop at 2 with a limit raise and with or without hearts, or
  • To stop at 2 with an invitational hand in notrump. 

  Opener:

  • Bids 2 with two or three hearts.  With three hearts and a maximum he is allowed to bid 3 .  (He bids diamonds because responder's intent may be to play diamonds.) 
  • Bids 2 when short in hearts, or 3 (optional) with five clubs (and without three diamonds).  Opener's 2 over 2 suggests a 5=1=3=4 pattern, but 5=0=4=4 and 5=0=3=5 are possible.  I claim 2 should guarantee four clubs and three diamonds.  If opener bids 3 over 2 the expected distribution is 5=1=2=5, but 5=x=x=5 or 5=x=x=6 is possible.

  If opener bids 2 , then responder's 2 shows an invitational hand in spades or in notrump.  With a minimum opener passes.  With a maximum and three hearts, opener should probably bid 3 ; otherwise he bids 3NT.  We can stop at 2 , and this is right if the play of the hand is unlucky.  Stopping at 2 seems to be the big gain of the treatment.

  If opener bids something other than 2 , i.e. 2 or 3 , then responder continues with 3 to invite, but he may jump to 4 if his limit raise improved opposite short hearts.

  If responder bids 2NT over 2 , then he has an invitational hand with five hearts.  His third bid could also be 2 .  Opener passes, bids 3 , 3NT, or 4 .

  If responder bids 3 over 2 or 2 I expect an invitational hand with six hearts.

  If responder bids 3 over 2 or 2 , opener quits.  If responder bids 3 over 2 opener quits.  If responder bids 3 over 2 I think he is invitational with 5-5.

• A jump to 3 , or 2 followed by 3 is invitational values in hearts.  I refuse to differentiate.

The pluses are in finding heart contracts, and playing 2 instead of 2NT or 3 on an unlucky hand.  The minus is you have to go to 3 to play diamonds. 

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