M J Bridge

 Responder root page

Bidding

Home

Conventions

Hands

Theory

Red suit transfers


This is where the whole concept of transfers started.


It is the method which first replaced weak take-outs in the American game.


With a five-card (or longer) major responder bids in the suit below his major, instructing partner to bid the major.


Thus, a response of:-


2 promises a five-card or longer heart suit and requests partner to bid 2;

2 promises a five-card or longer spade suit and requests partner to bid 2.


When responder is weak this results in the stronger hand playing the contract, which both removes it from the view of the opposition and might also gain as the opening lead is made towards the stronger hand.

K Q 8 4 2

9 6 3

4 3 2

T 7

Partner opened 1NT.

You have five points and a five-card major.

Bid 2.  Partner will convert to 2, and you will then pass.

The hand will play best in spades with opener as declarer.


Note that the transfer always promises at least a five-card suit.


As a corollary to this, do not be tempted to use Stayman when holding a five-card major (except in specific agreed sequences).

Stayman is primarily about locating a four-four fit.


Versatility


The original purpose of transfer bids was to put the declarer play into the stronger hand as indicated above.

In the American game with its strong no trump this is an important aspect of the bids.

However, playing Acol with a weak no trump, this consideration is still relevant, but responder does not need to hold very many points before the two hands are much more equally matched, and so the value of this aspect of the bids is greatly diminished.


Of much greater importance is the fact that a transfer system enables you to show a great variety of hand-types, including stronger hands, through your choice of subsequent action.


Weak hands


In the present context a weak hand is any hand which is unlikely to make a game facing opener’s maximum of fourteen points in a balanced hand.

You might hold any balanced hand of up to ten points, or a shapelier hand with a slightly lower upper limit.

Quite simply you will transfer into your five-card major and then pass.


Invitational balanced hands


With eleven or twelve points and a five-card major in a balanced hand, what better way than to start with a transfer into your major showing your five-card suit followed by a bid of 2NT to show your shape and strength?

With a minimum partner can sign off either with a pass or a conversion into three of your major, and with a maximum he can choose between 3NT and four of your major.

K Q 8 4 2

9 6 3

4 3 2

T 7

This is a repeat of the example above.

A game is out of the question facing partner’s limited opening bid.

Bid 2 (transfer to spades).  Partner will complete the transfer to 2 and you will pass.

The worst that can happen will be that you end up in a 5-2 fit, and even this will usually play better than 1NT.


Note that this sequence might also on occasion be the best option when holding eleven or twelve points in a 5-4-2-2 shape.

K Q 8 4 2

9 6 3

A Q 2

T 7

Partner opened 1NT.

You have eleven points in a balanced hand with a five-card spade suit.

Bid 2.  Partner will bid 2 and you will rebid 2NT.

Partner is then well-placed to choose the final contract.


Invitational hand with a six-card major


It is important to realise that a good six-card suit more than compensates for a point or two.

For this reason, a responding hand with a good six-card suit and nine or ten points should be treated as invitational.

A hand with a six-card major and eleven or twelve points should be treated as game-going.


With the invitational hand and a six-card major you will start by transferring into the suit, and then raise to the three-level.  Partner will either pass or raise to the four-level.

K Q 8 4 2

K 6 3

A Q 2

T 7

Partner opened 1NT.

You have fourteen points in a balanced hand with a five-card spade suit.

Bid 2.  Partner will bid 2 and you will rebid 3NT.

Partner can then choose between 3NT and 4 as the final contract.


Game-going hand with a six-card major


As indicated above, eleven or twelve points with a good-quality suit is quite sufficient for this treatment.


First transfer into the major, then raise directly to game.

K Q T 7 4 2

K 6 3

Q 2

T 7

Partner opened 1NT.

You have ten points with a good six-card major - treat this as invitational.

Bid 2.  Partner will bid 2 and you will rebid 3.

Partner can then choose between pass and 4.


Game-going hand with a five-card major and a second four-card suit


The basic rule is to transfer into the major suit and then rebid in the second suit.


A transfer followed by a rebid in a new suit should always be treated as forcing, and is usually played as game-forcing.

K Q T 7 4 2

K 6 3

K 2

T 7

Partner opened 1NT.

You have eleven points with a good six-card major - treat this as game-going.

Bid 2.  Partner will bid 2 and you will rebid 4.

K Q 7 4 2

T

K Q 8 2

K 6 3

Partner opened 1NT.

Bid 2.  Partner will bid 2 and you will rebid 3 - forcing.

You have shown your hand - partner will now direct the auction to the best game-contract.


I used the phrase ‘basic rule’ above implying that there would be exceptions.


The first of these relates to 5-4-2-2 hands.

It will sometimes be best, particularly if your honours strength lies in the short suits, to treat such hands as balanced, first transferring or using Stayman to locate a major suit fit and then rebidding in no trumps.

K Q 7 4 2

Q T

K 9 8 2

K 3

Partner opened 1NT.

Bid 2.  Partner will bid 2 and you will rebid 3NT.

Partner can then choose between final contracts of 3NT and 4.


It is, though, worth pointing out that when we move on to intermediate and beyond the specific sequence (1NT, 2, 2, 2) might be used differently as part of any one of a number of conventional systems, frequently in association with ‘Smolen’.

At that point, the Smolen convention will itself take care of the game-forcing hand with five hearts and four spades discussed above.


Summary


The above examples demonstrate the true value of transfers - you get two bids for the price of one.

With a weak hand you transfer and pass - with a stronger hand you transfer and bid again.


There are hand-types not included in my examples above which will present difficulties.  That is why various advanced extensions exist, but for the moment the simple system of transfers above amounts to a powerful weapon which will serve you well to beyond an intermediate level.


There is, though, absolutely no good reason why the strengths of these bids should not be harnessed more widely with only the slightest bit of additional machinery.  That will be achieved by incorporating transfers into the minor suits as well.


Red suit transfers are frequently combined in club play with a convention based around the 2 response.

Some possibilities are discussed briefly on the page


2


My preference is to use 2 along with either 2NT or 3 as transfers into the minor suits.

This can be achieved either with simple four-suit transfers, or by a more advanced two-tier transfer system.


There is nothing wrong with red-suit transfers.

They do what they set out to do most efficiently, and a bit more too, and they are widely understood.


The only problem is that they represent a lost opportunity.


Simple four-suit transfers do everything that can be done with red-suit transfers, and more besides, whilst adding virtually no more intricacy to your system.


As soon as you are ready to move on from weak take-outs then you should adopt a system based around four-suit transfers.


As we move beyond improvers’ methods I shall recommend further modifications to the method.


Opener’s first bid

Opener’s rebid

Post-beginner and above

Context  -  Acol bidding - responder’s first bid - partner opened 1NT - RHO passed - improvers’ methods - transfers.

This page last revised 8th Sep 2020


Game-going balanced hands


With thirteen or more points in a balanced hand with a five-card major, start with a transfer and then rebid 3NT.

Partner will either pass or convert to four of the major.

K Q 8 4 2

9 3

A Q

T 7 6 2

Partner opened 1NT.

You have eleven points in a semi-balanced hand with a five-card spade suit.

Bid 2.  Partner will bid 2 and you will rebid 2NT.

An alternative would be to start with 2 and then rebid 3 - invitational unbalanced with five spades.