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"Barrier-Reversing". If you get ALL the quiz questions right, you definitely know the subject.
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Deal 20028
Free Downloads Cribsheets Conventions Quick Book Glossary Books to read Links Deal a hand Other stuff
Basic
strategy
0000). How to use 0001). Bidding Objectives = "8 and 25" 0002). 28 for minor 0003). 33 for NT slam 0004). Suit slam 0005). Importance of length 0006). Convention card 0007). ACOL and American Standard, differences 0008). A-Z Glossary 0690). A-Z Glossary
Hand
evaluation
0010). Balanced-Unbalanced 0011). How strong is your hand, HCP 0012). Distribution points 0013). Losing trick count 0014). Barrier-Reversing 0015). Selection of opening suit 0016). Showing shape 0017). 4441 distribution 0018). The skip over principle 0019). Rule of 20 Opening 1 of a suit 0019a). Rule of 25 Opening 2 of a suit 0019b). Rule of 500 Max penalty risk on preempt if doubled 0019c). Law of total tricks 0019d). Rule of Protective bidding
Opening
bids
0020). Plan of attack 0021). Bal, 12 to 19 HCPs, weak NT 0022). Bal, 20+ points 0023). Bal, 15 to 17 HCPs, strong NT 0025). Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit 0026). Unbal, Strong 2s 0027). Unbal, Pre-emptive 0028). Unbal, Gambling 3NT
Responder
1st bids
0030). After 1NT, General principles 0031). After 1NT, Weak 0032). After 1NT, Getting out of trouble 0033). After 1NT, 11+ balanced 0034). After 1NT, 11+ 4-card major 0035). After 1NT, 11+ unbalanced 0036). After 1NT, 19+ 0037). After 2NT 0038). After 1NT, and Enemy has interfered 0039). 1 NT responses 0040). After 1 Suit, With fit 0041). After 1 Suit, No fit, but alternative suit 0042). After 1 Suit, No fit, no new suit, probably balanced 0043). After 1 Suit, 6 points, nothing to bid 0044). After 1 Suit, Very strong 0045). After 1 Suit, Weak freak 0047). After 2 Suit, Strong 2s 0048). After 2 Suit, Weak 2s 0049). After 3 Suit, Responding to preempt
Openers
rebid
0050). Unbalanced, The general idea 0051). Unbalanced, You are weak 0052). Unbalanced, You are strong 0053). Unbalanced, Partner replied with 1NT 0054). Unbalanced, Delayed support 0055). Balanced
Responder
rebids
0060). Responder rebids, The general idea 0061). Choice of two suits 0062). Responders reverse
Basic
Convention
0080). Stayman 0081). Transfer 0082). Transfer after 2NT 0161). Minor suit transfer
Slam
bidding
0090). Slam, Spotting the chance 0091). Blackwood 0092). No-trump slam 0093). Gerber 0094). Extra slam techniques
Interfering
bids
0100). Overcalls, the basic idea 0101). Overcalls, in a suit, over a suit 0102). Overcalls, in a suit, over 1NT 0103). Overcalls, in NT, over a suit 0104). Overcalls, Jump overcall 0105). Overcalls, Double then bid a suit 0106). Overcalls, Bidding opponents suit 0107). Overcalls, Balancing (protective) 0108). Overcalls, Overcall a preempt 0109). Overcalls, Preemptive double jump 0110). Overcalls, To overcall, or to double 0111). Overcalls, Response to 1NT after suit overcall (Lebensohl) 0115). Defence after 1NT 0116). Competitive bidding 0117). Be cautious sometimes 0118). Sacrificing Be bold when non-vulnerable 0119). Sacrificing 0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0126). Doubles, Protective double
Doubles

0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0123). Doubles, Negative double 0124). Doubles, Double a 1NT overcall 0125). Doubles, Double a suit over 1NT 0126). Doubles, Protective double 0127). Doubles, Responsive double 0128). Doubles, Double then bid a suit 0129). Doubles, Penalty 0130). Doubles, Support double 0131). Doubles, Lead directing double 0132). Doubles, Maximal double 0133). Doubles, Redoubling - coded meanings 0134). Doubles, Forcing Pass 0135). Doubles, Re-opening double 0139). Doubles, Index of doubles
Advanced
Convention
0150). Majors Jacoby 2NT 0151). Majors Splinters 0152). Majors Weak 2s 0153). Majors Weak 2 defence 0154). Trial bid 0160). NT and minors 4th suit forcing 0161). Minor suit transfer 0162). DONT Bidding When Opponents open 1NT 0163). Game tries 0166). Grand Slam Force 0167). Roman Keycard Blackwood 0168). Cue bidding for controls 0170). 2-suited Overcall Unusual 2NT 0171). 2-suited Overcall Michaels cue bid 0172). 2-suited Overcall Landy over 1NT 0173). Overcall Unassuming cue bid 0179). Very advanced

Quiz How much do you know ?

Find more deals illustrating this bidding subject

Quick summary

After 1 NT opening, you need a 5-card Major to transfer, either for weakness or for strength

Bid one suit lower than you mean:

with , bid 2
with , bid 2

opener will then accept, by blindly bidding what you meant.

Responder's rebids:

1. Weak: pass

2. Invitational:

with 5 cards, bid 2NT
with 6 cards, bid 3

3. Game forcing:

with 5 cards, bid 3NT
with 6 cards, bid 4
with 2 long Majors, transfer to the longer, then bid the shorter.

For a minor, or , you must have 6 to transfer. Different systems:

use Stayman then, if needed, correct opener's response to 3 or 3
bid 2. Opener blindly bids 3, and you adjust to 3if needed

"Super accept" at a higher level with all 3 of:

3 card
maximum 14
a doubleton

"Super accept extra" in a different Major, to show also have 4-card 2nd Major

Print cribsheet

Bridge Venue

« 0081 »

Basic Convention. Transfer to a Major after 1NT

A technique for solving 4 serious problems at once (and creating a tiny one). After a NT opening, bid a suit one lower than the one you really mean. Your partner will recognise what you've done, and "transfer" into the suit you actually meant.

81. 5-card Major Transfer after 1NT opening bid
Game on ? HCPs		Maybe (11-12)	Yes (13+)
What to bid with	1st bid	2nd bid, 11-12HCP	2nd bid, 13+
5-card Major eg.	2	2 NT	3 NT
6-card Major eg.	2	3	4
Add to your customised cribsheet

First though, a quick headline, or revision, to get firmly into your head. The easy bit: You need at least a 5-card Major, after a 1NT opening.

The bit you need to remember: on your re-bid. . .. . ..

Rebid NT unless you have a 6-card suit.

That's to give your partner a card count, so partner can decide if there's an 8-card Major fit. With a 6-card suit you rebid the suit.

Anyway, why do it ?

Transfer bids are a good thing because you and your partner will get to game more often.

The main advantage: the more complex hand is hidden from the opponents. In particular, if the opener holds tenaces such as A-Q or K-J, there is a big disadvantage in having them on the table, which may cost several tricks. Transfers are wonderful when your partner is super strong, and has opened in 2NT, rather than 1NT.

They can also be used to get you out of a tight corner, when you are weak (admittedly not quite so well if you wish to transfer to a minor suit).

Transfer bids are not really for beginners, who have enough on their plate.

When not to use

(1) Don't ever use for a 4-card Major. Use Stayman for this.
(2) Transferring to a minor needs 6 cards. And use Stayman or 2.
(2) With a minor plus game going points, raise straight to 3NT.

Very Weak (0-8), or Weak (9-10)

Transfer when the responder is weak, without enough points for game. Rather than leaving your partner in 1NT, you transfer into your long Major suit, then pass on your re-bid. Easy. You can do a weakness transfer into a minor too, by bidding 2 Spades, but you must have 6 of them because you'll end up at 3. Stayman is also useful for weakness takeout, in the right situation (i.e. when you are happy to transfer to any suit other than clubs). With 9-10 HCP it's a little safer to pass, unless you have a singleton or void somewhere.

Strong (11+)

This is where it gets interesting. Transfers can be used when the responder has either invitational hands (just short of enough points for a certain game), or a hand which has enough for game, such as 13 HCP. The transfer convention will not only help you find game if it's there in these potentially uncertain conditions, but also help you choose between NT and a Major.

1NT is a precise opening: transfers allow the responder that has at least a 5-card suit to use a two stage bid to be precise about his hand too, so that if necessary a final judgemental on

game or not
major or NT

can be made by the opener if necessary, depending on whether

he is at maximum 14 points if it's invitational (bid game), and in all cases whether
he has either 2-card or 3-card Major support (go to Major if 3, NT if 2)

Very Strong (19+)

You should still transfer, but your rebid must be different, because with 31+ HCP you are looking for Slam

How it works

Stage 1

Here the responder bids one suit less than the one s/he means. See the table below. This simply tells the opener that you have at least a 5+ card Major (or a 6+card minor). But that's all. We still have no idea how many points responder has.

Stage 1a - Acceptance,

Here, idiotically easy, the opener blindly accepts, by bidding the suit that responder really meant:

responder bids , so opener then blindly bids
responder bids , so opener then blindly bids

Stage 2

In part 2, the responder now reveals if he has a 5-card Major, or a 6-card Major, or even two Majors:

with a 6-card Major suit, he must now himself bid the Major, since an 8-card match is guaranteed;
with a 5-card Major suit, he must bid NT, since only 7 are assured. Opener will convert back to the suit if he has 3, and therefore an 8-card match;
with 2 Majors (5-4, 5-5), he will switch to the other suit on the rebid, the shorter one if it's 5-4.
with 2 5-card Majors, it's best to transfer to Spades then to rebid in Hearts, twice if necessary.

The responder also reveals if he is either inviting or forcing to game:

with an invitational hand, just short of game values, bid at the next available level (3/ or 2NT).
with game going points, bid the same thing but one level higher (4/ or 3NT)

The responder can also show a two-suited 5-5 hand by switching on the re-bid to the other Major and at the same time differentiate between invitational strength and game forcing strength:

1NT-2-2-2 is invitational (11-12 points), while 1NT-2-2-3 is game-forcing.
3 and 3 are natural and game-forcing (10-15 points), showing two-suited hands

Stage 2a - Final Conversion

If Stage 2 was invitational, Opener can now convert to game with a maximum 14HCP hand, either in the Major if there is an 8-card match, or in NT if not. If Stage 2 was game forcing, Opener has nothing to do, apart from convert any NT bid to the Major if he has 3-card support.

Super-Acceptance

Here are two techniques that can be used to find a game that would otherwise be missed, with very little risk.

If the opener is strong in all of three key respects, he can "super-accept" by biding at a level one higher than normal. He must have

3-card suit support
the maximum HCP (i.e. 14), and
an outside doubleton

So for example, opener would re-bid 3 instead of 2, after a 2 from responder. There is however the risk that the responder's bid was a very weak weakness takeout, but it might be worth it for the extra games that emerge.

Some people change this slightly, by insisting on 4-card support instead of the outside doubleton (and by calling it "Bouncing" or "Bypassing").

Super-Accept-Extra

If, in addition to satisfying these same 3 "super-accept" conditions, if the opener also has a second 4-card Major, then he can super-accept with this second suit, bidding it at the 3 level.

E.g. 1NT-2-3 would mean that Opener does of course realise that partner has 5 Hearts, and confimrs that he has 3 Hearts of his own, and also has a 4-card Spade suit, plus 14 HCP.

Some people go on to change the meaning of this bid significantly, calling it "Breaking". In this variant, Opener rebids 3 of an unexpected suit (3) to show maximum points (14 with Acol) and a poor doubleton (xx) in the bid suit (in this example in Spades).

Direct

Note that with a 6-card major and game-going points, the responder can simply go straight to game after the 1NT opening, and not bother with the transfer, provided he doesn't have another suit. With a 6-card major, the HCP requirements are 2 lower than for 5-card. With 7-card, they're 4 lower.

You can also transfers into a minor

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