Fourth Suit Forcing – Part 2

 

Responder Supports Opener’s Major

 

Consider these three sequences:

      A.                               B.                                C.

1♦        1♥                    1♦        1♥                    1♦        1♥

1♠        4♠                    1♠        2♣                   1♠        2♣

                                    2NT     4♠                    2NT     3♠

 

In terms of Responder’s holding, what is the difference between A and B?  In both cases we got to 4♠ by jumping, but in one case we interpolated a 4SF bid.  Is this significant?  Not really, we would say.  Both auctions show 4-card Spade support, neither auction seems interested in slam.  No doubt the Responder in B had something in mind when he went through 4SF … perhaps he had a rotten Spade suit and could imagine that a 5-3 Heart fit might work better than a 4-4 Spade fit.  We would say that the distinction between A and B is moot, and not worth worrying about … in both cases he wants to play in 4♠, and if we should proceed towards slam we know not to expect too much.

 

However, there is a clear distinction between Sequences B and C … if we adhere to the Principle of Fast Arrival, then C is stronger than B.  Note also that the 3♠ bid in Sequence C is genuine 4-card support.  Responder is setting the trump suit here … if he had wanted to be less definite about the direction of this auction he would have had to find another bid.  A sample hand:

 

            ♠ AT76            ♠ KQJ3                       1♣       1♥

            ♥ A4                ♥ KQJ65                     1♠        2♦

            ♦ AT8              ♦ 8                               2NT     3♠

            ♣ QT64           ♣ K53                         4♦        …

 

Some might say that Opener forgot to start with a 15-17 1NT holding this super-duper 14-count.  Be that as it may, the point of this deal is to clarify the meaning of 4♦.  It is simply a cue-bid on the way to 4♠, showing a good hand for the bidding so far … 4♣ and 4♥ would send the same basic message.

 

Responder Supports Opener’s Minor

 

This is often a slam move, but nervousness about No Trump is another possible motive.  Try these hands:

 

            1♦        1♥

            1♠        2♣

            2NT     ??

 

 

♠ QJ3              We have 4-card support for Opener’s minor, but why bother?

♥ AQJ6           Opener is OK with No Trump, and we are minimum … 3NT is

♦ K654            obvious and correct.

♣ 73               

 

♠ QJ3              Same hand, with an extra King … but opposite Partner’s limited

♥ AQJ6           2NT, it still looks like 3NT.

♦ K654

♣ K3              

 

♠ K3                This hand is just too good for 3NT … worth a slam try with 3♦.

♥ AQ765         But the hand is worth one try and no more than that … our next

♦ KJT6            move will be to bid 3NT (or pass Partner’s 3NT) … it looks

♣ K3               like a hand that belongs in 3NT or  6♦, and bidding 3♦ seeks

                        Partner’s opinion on the matter.

 

1♦        1♥

2♣       2♠

3♣       ??

 

Here, Opener is unlimited, with some extra distribution … supporting a minor is more appealing.  After this start, how would you bid the following?

 

♠ Q73              Here we bid 3♦ for want of better.  We have no great interest in a

♥ AK976         Diamond slam, but we do have a good Diamond suit and a poor

♦ KQ82           holding in the 4^th suit, so 3♦ is clearly preferable to 3♠ or 3NT.

♣ 3                  After 3♦ we would be equally happy if Partner dragged us to 6♦

                        or settled for 3NT.

 

♠ Q73              Same hand with the minors reversed.  Now we must go to the

♥ AK976         4-level to show support, so a non-committal 3♠ is suggested.

♦ 3

♣ KQ82                     

 

♠ A73              With this hand we have serious slam interest, and we should

♥ AK976         clarify the auction right away with 4♣.

♦ 3

♣ KQ82                     

 

Responder Rebids His Suit

 

Not too much to say here.  Opener has been admonished to show 3-card support for Responder at his third turn.  So, absent of that encouragement, if Responder is to rebid his suit, he presumably has 6 cards, or at least a very good 5-card suit (and probably no convenient alternative). 

 

1♦        1♥

2♣       2♠

2NT     ??

 

After this start, do we rebid our suit on the following hands?

 

♠ 5                   No need for too much science on this hand, just jump to 4♥.  That

♥ KQJT94      2NT bid has put a damper on any slam aspirations, so we just bid

♦ K8                what we think we can make.  No need to confuse matters with a

♣ QJ74           bid of 3♣.

 

♠ 5                   Interesting hand!  We are very slammish indeed but it’s hard to see

♥ KQJT94      how Clubs will play better than Hearts, so we bid 3♥.  Now, let’s

♦ K8                suppose that Partner bids 3NT, what next?  Well, we still want to

♣ AQ53           play this one in Hearts, and we still have slam interest … we could bid

                        4♥ next, clearly stronger than that direct 4♥ bid in the previous example. 

                        But, perhaps we are too strong even for that … we would bid 4♣ here

                        … Partner should not take this as belated Club support (even though we

                        happen to have it!), it is a cue-bid in search of a Heart slam.

 

♠ K8                Good slam values, rotten Hearts … a simple 3♣ bid.

♥ A9753

♦ K8

♣ AQ53

 

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