Robert's Bridge Page - Further Methods After Transfers

All 5-4 or 6-4 hands are handled by transferring into the long suit first and then bidding the short suit, except when you hold both majors and NOT invitational strength; those hands are handled via either Creeping Stayman or Smolen.

Minor Suit Transfers: 2S is a transfer to clubs, and 2NT is a transfer to diamonds. The intervening step is a preaccept showing one of the top three and good stoppers all around, hoping to play 3NT if responder has the right hand. When responder transfers into a minor suit, he guarantees one of three hand types: (1) a weak hand with a 6-card or longer suit, interested only in playing 3 of a minor, (2) an invitational hand with a 6-card or longer suit, interested in playing either 3 of a minor or 3NT depending on partner's degree of fit, or (3) a distributional hand with slam interest. A minor-suit transfer expressly denies the hand of approximately 10-14 points which is committed to game but which has no slam interest. It also denies a balanced hand - 5332 hands should raise notrump directly.

After a preaccept of a minor-suit transfer, responder can (1) return to three of the minor to show the weak hand without game interest, (2) sign off in 3NT to show the invitational hand, or (3) bid anything else to try for slam. Any suit bid between three and four of the agreed minor shows a first or second round control and 3NT by either partner expresses disinterest in reaching slam giving the bidding up to that point. Three and four of the agreed minor are forcing waiting bids asking partner to take further action.

After a normal acceptance of a minor-suit transfer, responder can (1) pass to show the weak or invitational hand types, (2) bid 3NT to sign off (with a hand that would have been interested in slam opposite a preaccept but which has lost interest given that partner did not), (3) bid his second suit (the 2-suit rule applies), (4) rebid his own suit to show extra length, set trumps, and demand a cue-bid.

In either sequence, four of the suit immediately above the agreed minor by either partner is 1430 RKC (or, as it is sometimes called, "Redwood").

Major-Suit Preaccepts: When responder transfers into a major suit, opener always preaccepts when holding four trumps. Thus, failure to superaccept should be alerted as denying four trumps. A jump to three of the major shows a minimum hand with four trumps. A new suit shows a maximum with four trumps and a doubleton in the suit bid. 2NT shows a maximum with four trumps and no doubleton. After a preaccept, the following agreements apply:

• Three or four of the major is always a signoff.
• If three of the suit immediately below the agreed suit is available, it is a retransfer. Partner must bid three of the major. Responder may intend to pass, sign off in 4M, or try for slam. (The usual cue-bidding rules apply after the retransfer, including serious 3NT, if playing that convention. That same structure also applies when opener's superaccept is itself 3M.)
• If three of the suit immediately below the trump suit is available as a retransfer, then a direct bid of 3NT is 1430 RKC. If not, it is a retransfer, demanding that opener bid 4M.
• 4m shows a second five-card suit headed by two of the top three honors. Further suit bids outside the trump suit are cue-bids; 4NT is 1430 RKC.
• If any other bid is available below 3M, such a bid shows an undisclosed splinter. If two such bids are available, the lower shows a singleton and the higher shows a void. In either case, cheapest step by opener asks for the location: responder bids one of the next three steps to pinpoint the suit. (After the relay, the serious 3NT structure, if played, only applies if responder's last bid is still below 3M. Otherwise, opener can simply bid 4M to indicate unhappiness or anything else to show his approval, non-agreed suits being cue-bids.)

Example #1: 1NT-2D (transfer)-2NT (superaccept, maximum, 4x3)-3D (retransfer)-3H.

Example #2: 1NT-2D (transfer)-3H (minimum, 4 trumps)-3S (control)-3NT (good hand given the auction)-4D (last train, no club control)-4H (me neither).

Example #3: 1NT-2D (transfer)-3D (superaccept, maximum, diamond doubleton)-3NT (retransfer)-4H.

Example #4: 1NT-2D (transfer)-2S (superaccept, maximum, spade doubleton)-3C (void)-3D (where)-3H (clubs)-3S (control)-4C (only mild slam interest, leaving room for partner)-4D (last train)-4NT (1430 RKC with clubs excluded)-5C (1 or 4)-6H.

Example #5: 1NT-2D (transfer)-2S (superaccept, maximum, spade doubleton)-3C (void)-3D (where)-3S (diamonds)-3NT (not "serious", as 3S is above 3H; just wants to hear more from partner)-4D (diamond control)-4NT (1430 RKC with diamonds excluded)-5H (2 without the queen)-6H.

Variant: Conservative Superaccepts. Responder superaccepts only with four trumps and a maximum. With any minimum, he simply bids 2M. This reduces the chance of getting overboard when responder has a very poor hand.

Variant: Simplified Superaccepts. Responder preaccepts only with four trumps and a maximum, and always just bids 3H. (If playing the serious 3NT structure, it applies here, with the exception that a responder with no slam interest can simply sign off in 4H.)

Other Major-Suit Transfer Slam Tries: When opener does not superaccept, responder may splinter with 6 trumps or bid 3 of his better minor. (The two-suit rule applies. If opener cue-bids, responder may still insist on the major by rebidding it. If he does not, the minor is agreed, and the suit above the agreed trump suit is Redwood, 1430 RKC; 4NT becomes quantitative.) Responder may also raise 2M to 4M, which is a mild slam invitation, as responder would have used Texas with no slam interest. A direct 4NT bid after opener's 2M is quantitative; any later 4NT bid is Blackwood.

Variant: Delaware Standard/We Love Blackwood. 4C after a Jacoby transfer is 1430 RKC. A jump-shift in any other suit is a slam try with an extremely distribution hand (5-6 in the majors in the case of 3S). 4NT is quantitative.

Two-Suit Rule: When responder transfers into one suit and then bids another, then (1) reverting to the first suit is a preference, (2) no-trump bids are natural, and (3) other minimum-level bids are cue-bids for the second suit. (Caution must be excercised when responder has transferred into a major and bid a minor, as responder has not denied a balanced hand. If responder prefers back to the major, the "serious 3NT" structure then applies, if playing that convention.)