Bridge in Oz

As discussed on the Bridge Winners site, partner and I recently had this deal come up:


North would like to ask for key cards, however 4NT may get the auction too high. What to do?

Kickback is popular among advanced players but requires careful study and discussion to avoid misunderstandings; disasters will otherwise happen, for example in the deal above 4♦ may be taken as natural.

A simpler alternative is Minorwood. This is also discussed in the first article linked above.

The general idea with Minorwood is that most bids of 4 of a minor ask for key cards with the bid minor as trumps. Exceptions would include:

• When we have already found a fit in another suit
• When it's another convention (e.g. splinter, Gerber, Texas)
• When it's a non-jump bid over an opposing bid, logically competing for the partscore and not in a game force
• When it's the opening bid
• When it's illogical to propose the suit as trumps
• When the auction has limited the combined hands to less than slam values

Standard responses to Minorwood are your normal RKC steps. However one person in the first discussion linked above noted that some players use the first step to indicate a minimum hand, and this was called Optional Minorwood or Attitude Minorwood. What I describe below is my interpretation of how that may work.

Responses to Optional Minorwood are the same steps as RKC, except the first step indicates a minimum holding for the bidding. For example:

1♥    2♦
3♣    4♣
4♦          Minimum hand
4♥          1 or 4 key cards
4♠          0 or 3 key cards
4NT         2 key cards without the trump queen
5♣          2 key cards with the trump queen

When responder has chosen the first step, asker might choose 4NT or 5 of the minor to end the auction. Or to demand an answer regardless, their bid of the next step asks responder to use the remaining steps in the same way. For example:

1♥    2♦
3♣    4♣
4♦    4♥    I don't care, tell me anyway
4♠          1 or 4 key cards
4NT         0 or 3 key cards
5♣          2 key cards without the trump queen
5♦          2 key cards with the trump queen

Either way, after the response asker has options available to ask for the trump queen and/or outside kings.

If responder showed 1/4 or 0/3 key cards (step 2 or 3) then asker can bid the next step that is not the trump suit and not 4NT to ask for the trump queen. Responder returns to the trump suit without it, or with it can bid steps to show how many additional kings (first step = 0, next = 1 etc) are held. For example:

1♦    2♦
4♦    4♥    RKC; Minimum hand
4♠    5♣    Please answer; 0 or 3 key cards
5♥          Queen ask
      5♠    Got Q, no kings
      5NT   Got Q, 1 king
      6♣    Got Q, 2 kings
      6♦    No Q
      7♦    Got Q, 3 kings

When the queen ask is not used or has already been answered, asker's bid of the cheapest step that is not the trump suit, 4NT nor the queen ask is a king ask. For example:

1♦    2♦
4♦    4♥    RKC; Minimum hand
4♠    5♣    Please answer; 0 or 3 key cards
5♦          To play
5♥          Queen ask
5♠          How many non-trump kings do you have?

In any case bidding above 5 of the trump suit is always invitational to a grand slam, and responder with sufficient undisclosed tricks should just bid it.

Optional Minorwood can fit well in some situations after a 2NT opening or equivalent.

Responder might have a slam interest with a minor one-suiter or major/minor two-suiter. This can be shown by bidding Stayman and then 4 of the minor. Here's an example with Puppet Stayman:

2NT     3♣
3♦      3♠      Opener shows either major; responder shows 4 hearts
3NT     4♣      Opener denies hearts; responder shows slam interest with 4+ clubs
4♦              No fit for clubs
4♥              4 clubs and 1 or 4 key cards
etc.

In this situation the first step is used to deny a 4-card fit, not to show minimum values. Either way responder may choose to sign off in 4NT.

An example with a minor 1-suiter:

2NT     3♣
3♥      4♦      Opener shows 5 hearts; responder has 5+ diamonds
4♥              No fit for diamonds
4♠              3 diamonds and 1 or 4 key cards
etc.

Note 4♦ promises 5+ diamonds because opener, with 5 hearts, will not also have 4 diamonds.

You can use Minor Suit Stayman when you want a 4-card fit for a minor:

2NT     3♠      Slam interest with one or both minors
4♣      4♦      Opener has 4 clubs; responder discourages with only diamonds
        4♥      Clubs it is, 1 or 4 key cards
        etc.

2NT     3♠      Slam interest with one or both minors
4♣      4♦      Opener has 4 clubs; responder discourages with only diamonds
4♥              I have diamonds too, please answer for that
4NT             To play, no fit

Similar methods can work even after a Jacoby transfer, for example 2NT - 3♦ - 3♥ - 4♣. The auction can proceed as if looking for a 4-4 club fit, and opener may choose to later correct the final contract with support for hearts. This works best if Texas transfers are also used to avoid confusion when responder has 6+ of a major, and in that case an auction like 2NT - 3♦ - 3♥ - 4♥ will show some interest in slam (otherwise Texas would be used).

Here's an example:



5♣ showed 4-card support with two key cards and the queen of clubs. Note 6♣ is excellent while 6♥ is not. A 4-4 fit will often play better than 5-3, and this is why opener did not "correct" the contract to hearts.