Finding Hearts When Partner Opens 1ª

By Kit Woolsey

From Bridge Today May/June 1992

It seems many of our expert affiliates are getting honored everywhere. While Larry Cohen and Marty Bergen won awards for their recent authoring efforts, Marshall Miles taking the Blackwood Award and entry to the Bridge Hall of Fame, Kit Woolsey has also earned induction to the Hall as well, after being elected this past winter. He has won 14 North American titles, the Transnational World Senior Teams in 2000 and 2003 as well as the Rosenblum Teams in 1986.

This time around he looks at a frequent problem of even the most elementary player: partner has opened 1ª and you have a heart suit but hold a minmum of points.

The problem of introducing a five-card heart suit on a minimal responding hand after partner has opened the bidding 1ª is wll known to all Eastern Scientific players. You must start by responding 1NT and now, after partner rebids two of a minor, you are both guessing. If you next bid 2©, you could have a six-card suit and out, just wanting to play 2© opposite anything, or you could have a five-card heart suit that cannot stand to play opposite a singleton.

If opener rebids 2¨, you really are on a guess, but if he rebids 2§, the following structure, which is used in verying forms by several competent pairs, solves the problem.

The exact sequences I show are geared to non-forcing 1NT response (so responder knows that opener's rebid shows four clubs), but it is equally playable with minor modifications with a forcing notrump system.

Responder	Opener
	1ª
1NT	2§
?

2¨	artificial, showing one of four possible hand types:
	a) a five-card heart suit; b) a strong (8-9) two card preference to spades; c)a strong club raise; d) an invitational one-suiter in diamonds.

This structure gives more definition to other rebids.

Responder	Opener
	1ª
1NT	2§
?

2©	at least a six-card suit. Opener can comfortably pass with a singleton.
2ª	a weak preference (or perhaps a very weak hand with three-card support if playing constructive raises). Opener needs a very strong hand to continue.
3§	a distributional but weak club raise.
3¨	a weak hand with long diamonds

The follow-ups after the artificial 2¨ call are fairly simple. Opener at first assumes that his partner has the five-card heart suit. He rebids 2© with a minimum and two or three hearts, but rebids 2ª with a minimumand a singleton heart. Any higher calls are natural, showing game invitational values.

Responder also rebids naturally, depending on his hand type.

Responder	Opener
	1ª
1NT	2§
2¨	2©
?

pass	five-card heart suit, no game interest.
2ª	strong (8-9) preference.
2NT	strong club raise, balanced
3§	strong club raise, distributional.
3¨	one-suiter, invitational
3©	five-card heart suit, invitational

Responder	Opener
	1ª
1NT	2§
2¨	2ª
?

pass	strong preference, but no game interest opposite minimum
2NT	to play (probably five hearts and one spade)
3§	strong club raise
3¨	one-suiter, invitational
3ª	strong preference, invitational (probably no wastage opposite opener's known singleton heart)

It is noted that we lose the ability to play 2¨ with a diamond bust, but this is not very serious. We can always get out at 3¨, and if all we can make is eight tricks in diamonds there is a good chance the hand didn't belong to us in the first place,

Books Kit has written include Matchpoints and Partnership Defense, which can be ordered through your local bridge supply house or book store.