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On the main messageboard some time ago Morgann asked me to write something on forcing and non-forcing bids. Barton surmised that the main reason many under 50 players jumped too quickly in some auctions holding powerful hands was that they didn't know the difference between forcing and non-forcing bids - and that because they'd often had bids they considered forcing passed they jumped in auctions too quickly and missed slams or got too high unsafely.

Bridge bidding is a language where both partners speak to each other. Unless both partners are speaking the same language then lots of mishpas will occur.

For example, in one of the pairs tournaments this week there was a bidding sequence that on most tables went

- 2

(weak jump overcall)-2

(a 100% forcing bid).

Almost 10 pairs passed the 2s bid - the opener not having a good fit for spades. The hand took 12 tricks on most tables. The spades bidder had 16 hcps and 6 spades

A week earlier there was an auction in the under 50 room that went the same way..

- 2

(weak jump overcall)-2

(a 100% forcing bid).

The opener - holding 4 good spades and above minimum jumped to game in 4

on many tables. Game had no chance. The 2 spade bidder held 7 hcps and 5 reasonable spades.

These are just 2 examples of getting the language wrong.

In the second instance you cannot make a 100% forcing bid with only 7hcps - your only choices are to make a negative double (which promises at least 4 spades) or to pass and wait for partner to reopen with a double.

Here are some other auctions which highlight common bidding problems.

This is an auction from 2 weeks ago. On 10 tables the auctions goes :-

-P-1

-P

1nt-P-3

In standard bidding, this auction shows game invite values and usually 6 hearts or 5 good hearts. 5 tables passed this bid. 5 bid 3nt. The opener had 2 little hearts and a 12hcp mnimum opener. The 3 heart bidder had 15 hcp and 5 hearts. So here a bid that is invite only gets passed - and what was needed was a 100% game forcing bid.

Here's another auction that caused problems

-P-1

-P

1nt-P-2

Here responder is trying to sign off - they are trying to make a strongly discouraging drop dead bid - a bid that in this auction should always be passed - both partners have limited their hands. This auction happened on 15 tables in the under 50 room and on 5 tables the opener with a minimum and 3 little spades bid 3 spades. 3 spades had no chances.

These are all examples where both partners are not speaking the same language.

The main components of that language are that opener can make bids that are:

Game forcing

Forcing for 1 round

Inviting game

Not forcing

An attempt to sign off / limit the openers hand

Responder can make bids that are:

Game forcing

Forcing for 1 eound

Inviting game

Not forcing

An attempt to sign off / strongly discouraging - limit responders hand

Drop dead

Now if both parners are speaking the same langauge and know when bids are forcing they don't have to jump to high too quickly for fear of being passed or they don't get too high raising partners strongly discouraging bids without the values to do so because they've missed games in the past.

What I thought I would try to do was to write up in a series over a few weeks how the 'language of bidding' gets defined and a set of genral principles we can use to try to tell when bids are forcing, game forcing, invite, drop dead and so on.

I'll do this in a number of parts...maybe one part a week. I'd be interested in any feedback about whether doing this is worthwhile. If not I'll drop the idea (sorry Morgann).

Thanks Ross for doing this. I appreciate very much the interest you have in helping, and the time and effort spent putting together and writing all this material.

Thank you Joanne thats what works I never put it in favorites this way Had it in favorites the other way

I am not sure if this belongs in forcing bids but I think openers rebid tell a lot and I think there is confusion to advancers as to what it is and I would like to know if in 2/1 it is the same as sayc

What does the openers rebid say?

2... 1H p 1Nt 2D 3 C

What do you do with this hand

Hi Ginny, I would open it one spade. Are the hearts and spades transposed?

What does the openers rebid say?

1. 1H p 2D p 3C

2... 1H p 1Nt 2D 3 C

3. 1H p 1Nt 2D P

4. 1H p 2D p 2Nt

Gipp this is how I understand openers rebids in sayc

1. 1H p 2D p 3C

This bid is game forcing. Opener is promising 15+ or equivalent

2... 1H p 1Nt 2D 3 C

I play this bid as game forcing also...but here because responder limited their hand it shows an even bigger hand...about the same as a jump shift or equivalent in playing strength...

3. 1H p 1Nt 2D P

Openers pass may show a couple of things

1. Minimum opener

2. A good opener with diamonds (willingness to penalise)

3. No other convenient bid

4. 1H p 2D p 2Nt

In sayc this shows a minimum usually balanced opener with 12-14..

The answers for 1 and 4 are different in 2/1...In 1 you are already in a game forcing auction so depending on style 3c may show pattern and not necessarily promise extra points. In 2 2nt can be 12-14 and 18+.

In the hand shown presuming spades and hearts transposed or it was opened 1s then the rebid is 2nt in both sayc and 2/1 - minimum balanced.

Duh Yes I transposed

Thanks Ross for your help

On # 2 if 1NT is forcing in 2/1 doesn't the 3 Cl show extra and not min and with a 5 2 2 4 hand and 16-17 points would you bid 2nt with Kx or Ax in the Ds?

and I am not sure what you mean here how can it be both and how do you know the difference

? In 2 2nt can be 12-14 and 18+.

I prefer new suits freely bid at the 3 level to be game forcing (partner only bails if they smell a misfit). With extras but not game forcing values then opener can dbl. 2nt would be a good 17-19 playing 2/1.

2. In sayc the auction 1h-p-2d-p-2nt is not forciing - 2nt shows a minimum opener.

In 2/1 it's forcing to game. Thus you can use the folllowing ranges in 2/1 for nt bids of 2nt 12-14 and 18+ and 3nt of 15-17. With the 18+ hand opener bids again.

I was not clear here what I was after

re 53 #1 This what I was trying to get at with my question

I see players bidding 3 of a new suit with minimun hands either with or without interference

and if one does bid 3 of a new suit the way I learnt ....... they have extra values.in sayc and 2/1 (unless in gf auction)

Ginny , if you had extra value why bid 1nt ? Unless you are playing 1nt forcing, then its a different story :-))

hmmmm the point is not with the 1nt ... it is with the 3 cl by opener I am saying 3cl shows extra so with min should probably pass 2ds or rebid own suit

I do like the treamtent Ross shows of doubling with extra and 3C is game force

I'm not sure palying new suits at the 3-level are game forcing in competitive auctions is standard - but it's certainly standard they have extras. (Its just my preference to play them as 99% forcing).

In non-competitive auctions...new suits at the 3-level are always game forcing... in the auction shown 1h-pass-2d-pass-3c promises extras (15+) in sayc - it depends which style of 2/1 you are playing whether a high-level reverse promises extras.

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