• 5C: 0 or 3 KC
• 5D: 1 or 4 KC
• 5H: 2 or 5 KC w/o the trump Q
• 5S: 2 (or 5) KC w/ the trump Q
• 5N: even number of KC and a useful void
• 6x: odd number of KC and useful void in x

Further asking bids from inquirer:

• After a response that does not tell about the trump Q (0/3 or 1/4 KCs):
  • 1st (non-trump) step: Q ask
  • 2nd (non-trump) step: specific K ask
• After a response telling about the trump Q (2/5 KCs):
  • 1st (non-trump) step: specific K ask

• lowest trump bid: no Q
• any other: have the Q. If possible we try to show the lowest specific K (below 6 trumps) as well.
  • E.g. with trump after 4NT-5-5:
    • 5N: has Q, no minor K, may or may not have K.
    • 6/: Has Q, lowest specific K (shows the K of the suit bid or the two other kings)
    • 6: no Q
  • With trump after 4NT-5-5:
    • 5: no Q
    • 5N: has Q, no outside K
    • 5, 6/: has Q, lowest specific K (shows the specific K or the two other K)
  • With trump after 4NT-5-5:
    • 5, 6: has Q, shows lowest K (shows the K in the suit bid or the two other two Kings)
    • 5N: has Q, no black Ks, may or may not have K.
    • 6: no Q

After a K showing response, if the inquirer bids a new suit, it asks the responder to bid the grand if he has that K, too. Over an ambiguous 5N the next non-trump step asks to bid the grand if the responder has a K.

• 7 trump shows 3 outside Ks
• lowest trump shows no outside Ks
• a suit shows either that K or the other 2.
  • for example given trumps, after 4N-5-5N:
    • 6: K, or both and Ks
    • 6: K, or both and Ks
    • 6: K, or both and Ks (inquirer must be careful!)
• 5N shows the lowest K one step over the trump suit
  • for example given trumps, after 4N-5H-5S:
    • 5N: K
    • 6: K or both and Ks
    • 6: both and Ks
    • 6: K or both and Ks

We play D0P1/R0P1:

• Double/Redouble: 0 or 3 KC
• Pass: 1 or 4 KC
• 1st step: 2 or 5 w/o the Q, etc.

Continuation is as before.

The main purpose of Italian style cuebidding is to avoid bidding a slam if we have two quick losers in a side suit. To avoid this we use Italian Cuebids to show our controls:

• A control is either an A, a K, a singleton, or a void in the suit bid.
• We always bid the cheapest suit we have control in, a bypassed suit denies first or second round controls.
• If we bypassed a suit, and partner continues cuebidding, it shows that partner has a control both in the suit that was bypassed and in the suit he showed control in.
• We avoid cuebidding shortness in partner's known long suit.

After an at least 8 card major card fit is guaranteed by the bidding, the partnership cannot stop in 3NT, it cannot be an offer to play in 3NT instead of 4M. Instead we use the 3NT bid in such situations to indicate serious slam interest, demanding partner to start cuebidding. It also has a negative implication when 3NT could have been used, but a 4-level CB was used instead - it is just a courtesy CB, with no serious slam interest.

It is intended to be used in cases where the combined hands of a partnership are so strong that a slam is a near-certainty and a grand slam is a possibility. It allows one partner to gain information on the quality of trumps in the other partner's hand.

The convention applies after either a trump suit is established, or the bidding of 5NT implicitly accepts the last bid suit. It does not apply in situations when other agreements take precedence (e.g. RKCB continuation, or pick a slam 5NT).

Responder should bid 7 of the agreed upon trump suit with 2 of the high honors (A/K/Q) in the trump suit, 6 with only one of them. (Superseded by new agreement — Gábor Drasny 2026/03/01 19:13)

Responses:

• 7 trump: 2 of the high honors (A/K/Q)
• 6 trump: 0 of the high honors
• Lowest other: 1 of the high honors