NOTRUMP OPENING BIDS -- PART 1 of 3 (footnote 2)

By: Larry Cohen

NOTRUMP OPENING BIDS -- PART 1 of 3 (footnote 2)

NOTRUMP OPENING BIDS -- Part I -- Details on Follow-ups to Transfers

After 2/2 (Jacoby Transfer):
Responder's new suits after transferring (with one exception as noted below) are Game Forcing and natural.
Transferring to hearts and then bidding 2=4 and 5+ INVITATIONAL (the only exception to GF--because with a GF 5-4 in the majors, responder starts with Stayman).
Transferring to spades and then bidding 3=5+ and 5+, GF. (1N-2-2-3)
Transferring to a major and then bidding:

...2NT is invitational (1N-2-2-2N)
...A new 3-level suit is natural and GF (1N-2-2-3)

...Raising to 3 is inviting game (typically a 6+ card suit) (1N-2-2-3)
...Rising to 4 is inviting slam (typically no singletons or voids since no splinter) (1N-2-2-4)
...Bidding 3NT is a choice of games (typically balanced) (1N-2-2-3N)
...A jump shift is a splinter bid (example: 1N-2-2-4 is likely 6=3=3=1 shape)
Transferring to a major (on the 2-level), followed by 4NT is Quantitative (1N-2-2-4N)

After 2 (Transfer to clubs) or 2NT (Transfer to diamonds) Note: The transfer is usually a 6-card suit and can be a sign-off, invite, or force:

Opener accepts the transfer (bids the suit transferred to) with a maximum (example: 1N-2-3).
Opener rejects the transfer (bids the in-between suit) with a minimum (example: 1N-2-2N).

(A minimum or maximum is determined in context. Usually, having a high honor in the minor transferred to will be the deciding factor as to minimum or maximum. A 16-count with two small in the minor transferred to is a minimum).
Responder's subsequent bids (after transferring to a minor) are natural and game forcing (except for a return to his suit on the 3-level which is sign-off).
Example: 1N-2N-3-3=To Play 1N-2N-3-3= 4, 5+, GF
Note: To invite in notrump, you have to use "fake" Stayman, so 1N-2-2any-2NT is inviting 3NT (with or without a 4-card major).