twomajor
Table of Contents
Development after 2
or 2
opening
Remember that these two openings show 5 or 6 losers with 5 or 6 of the opened major and 4 or 5 
s. Responders first bid is as follows:
- 3 is a sign off
- 3
is natural, not forcing, opener can raise gently - raise is invitational
- raise to game is to play
- 4 other major is to play
- 4 is natural force
- 4 is forcing unbalanced raise
- 3N is forcing unbalanced raise of major opened (denies a control if 2 3N)
After 2
- 2N shows a 6+ card suit (forcing)
- 2 is a relay
After 2
- 2N is a relay
- 3 shows a 6+ card suit (forcing)
To make a forcing raise, either make an immediate 4 or 3N bid (or 3 if 2 opened) or make 2 relays. Sequences that bid one of opener's suits after one relay are not forcing.
After making two relays, then responder shows the suit he wants to play in by bidding the suit naturally at the game level (a signoff), or by bidding it below game (if possible).
- If there are two bids to agree opener's suits below game, then the cheaper one is used to agree that suit and other bids agree the second suit.
- If there is one suit that can be bid below game naturally, then that bid agrees that suit and other calls agree the second suit.
- If there is no suit that can be bid below game naturally, then the lower outside suit agrees the major and the higher outside suit agreess.
- If there is no suit that can be agreed naturally below game and there is only one call between the last bid and game in one of the suits (e.g. 4 was just bid and opener opened 2), then that one bid is used to agree the major and the higher bid is used for s.
The relay auctions develop as described in the following text.
2 Spades - 2N (relay)
- 3 short s with 3+ s
- 3 short s with 3+ s
- 3 6 4 2-1 in the side suits
- 3 5422
- 3N 55 2-1 in the side suits
- 4 65 2-0 or 1-1 in the side suits
2Spades - 2N - 3Clubs
| 3 relay | ||
| 3 | 5 3 1 4 |
|
| 3 forcing, are trump |
||
| 3N to play | ||
| 4 forcing, are trump |
||
| 4 to play |
||
| 4 to play |
||
| 3 | 6 3 0 4 |
|
| 3N to play | ||
| 4 forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 control (presumably A), s are trump |
||
| 4 control, s are trump |
||
| 4 to play |
||
| 3N | 5 3 0 5 |
|
| 4 forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 control (presumably A), s are trump |
||
| 4 control, s are trump |
||
| 4 to play |
||
| 4 | 5 4 0 4 |
|
| forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 forcing, s are trump |
||
| forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 to play |
||
| 3 force setting s as trumps | ||
| 3 invitational (probably wasted values) | ||
| 3N final | ||
| 4 invitational | ||
| 4 or 4 to play |
2Spades - 2N - 3Diamonds
| 3 relay | ||
| 3 | 5 1 3 4 |
|
| 3N to play | ||
| 4 forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 control, s are trump |
||
| 4 control, s are trump |
||
| 4 to play |
||
| 3N | 6 -0 3 4 |
|
| 4 forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 control, s are trump |
||
| 4 control (presumably A), s are trump |
||
| 4 to play |
||
| 4 | 5 0 3 5 |
|
| 4 forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 forcing (presumably A), s are trump |
||
| 4 to play |
||
| 4 | 5 0 4 4 |
|
| 4 forcing, s are trump |
||
| !! There is no forcing raise |
||
| 3 invitational (probably wasted Heart values) | ||
| 3N to play | ||
| 4 invitational | ||
| 4 force setting as trumps | ||
| 4 to play |
2Spades - 2N - 3Hearts
| 3 invitational |
| 3N to play |
2Spades - 2N - 3Hearts or 3N
| 4 | invitational |
| 4 | forcing s are trump |
| 4 | forcing s are trump |
| 4 | to play |
2Spades - 2N - 3Spades
| 3N | to play |
| 4 | invitational |
| 4 | are trump |
| 4 | are trump |
| 4 | to play |
2Hearts - 2Spades (relay)
| 2N | short with 3+ s |
| 3 | short with 3+ s |
| 3 | 6 4 2-1 in side suits |
| 3 | 5 4 22 |
| 3 | undefined |
| 3N | 5 5 2-1 in side suits |
| 4 | 6 5 1-1 or 2-0 in side suits |
2Hearts - 2Spades - 2N
| 3 | relay | ||
| 3 | 1 5 3 4 | ||
| 3 | forcing, s are trump |
||
| 3 control, s are trump | |||
| 3N to play | |||
| 4 forcing, s are trump no control | |||
| 4 forcing, s are trump (has control) | |||
| 3 | 0 6 3 4 | ||
3 control, s are trump  is showing a control smart? | |||
| 3N to play | |||
| 4 forcing, s are trump | |||
| 4 control, no control s are trump same question as above | |||
| 4 to play | |||
| 3 | 0 5 3 5 | ||
| 3N to play | |||
| 4 forcing, s are trump | |||
| 4 control, s are trump | |||
| 4 control, s are trump | |||
| 3N | 0 5 4 4 | ||
| 4 forcing, s are trump | |||
| 4 control, s are trump | |||
| 4 to play | |||
| 4 control, are trump | |||
| 3 force setting s as trumps | |||
| 3 invitational (probably wasted values) | |||
| 3 undefined | |||
| 3N to play | |||
| 4 invitational |
2Hearts - 2Spades - 3Clubs
| 3 | relay | ||
| 3 | 3 \5 1 4 | ||
| 3 | control, s are trump |
||
| 3N | final | ||
| 4 | forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 | control, no control are trump |
||
| 4 to play | |||
| 3 | 3 6 0 4 | ||
| 3N | final | ||
| 4 | forcing, s are trump |
||
| 4 | control, s are trump (limited usefulness since opener is void, should be used to show control, but will never remember) |
||
| 4 | to play | ||
| 4 | control, /hs are trump |
||
| 3N | 3 5 0 5\ | ||
| 4 forcing, s are trump | |||
| 4 control, s are trump (limited usefulness since opener is void) | |||
| 4 | to play | ||
| 4 control, s are trump | |||
| 4 | 4 5 0 4 | ||
| 4 s are trump | |||
| 4 | to play | ||
| 4 | s are trump |
||
| 3 | invitational (probably wasted values) | ||
| 3 | force, setting as the trump suit | ||
| 3N | final | ||
| 4 | invitational |
2Hearts - 2Spades - 3Diamonds or 3N
| 3 | invitational |
| 3 | s are trump (forcing) |
| 3 | s are trump (forcing) |
| 3N | final |
| 4 | invitational |
| 4 | are trump |
| 4 | s are trump |
| 4 | final |
2Hearts - 2Spades - 3Hearts
| 3 | s are trump |
| 3 | s are trump |
| 3N | final |
| \4 | invitational |
| 4 | s are trump |
| 4 | s are trump |
2Hearts - 2N (Spade suit 6+ cards)
| 3 | s |
| 3 | 3 s |
| 3 | 6 s |
| 3 | 2 or 3 s not forcing |
| 3N | no Spade fit |
| 4 | 6 s 5s |
| 4 | fit, artificial slam try |
| 4 | 2 or 3 Spades not forcing |
2Spade - 3Heart
| 3 | 6 s |
| 3N | no fit |
| 4 | 5 |
| 4 | fit, artificial slam try |
| 4 | fit, not forcing |
2Heart - 2Spade - 4Club
| 4 | s are trump |
| 4 | s are trump |
2Spade - 2N - 4Club
| 4 | s are trump |
| 4 | s are trump |
2 Major - 4Club or 2 Major - 3N
Cue bidding commences in the partnership's methods. Neither partner can call blackwood.
Competitive auctions after 2Heart or 2Spade opening bid
Directly over 2Heart or 2Spade
- They double
- Redouble - penalties
- Pass - ambiguous
- 3 or 3 running
- Relay is asking (ignore double)
- Other major - running
- They bid a suit ( or other major)
- Double - penalties
- 2N over 2 asking(opener describes his hand as well as he can; he bids his fragment if 5431, rebids his major if 64xx, bids 3 with 5422 and 3N if 55xx
- Raise competitive
- 3 competitive
- Cue bid - High card raise of major
- 4 (our) major - distributional raise
- 4 forcing raise
After relay response
- If they double, rebids by opener are unchanged
- They bid a suit
- Double - 5431 with 3 of the enemy's suit
- Pass - 5431 or 5422 with shortness in enemy's suit
- 3N - 55xx (There is no need to have 3N as a natural bid)
- Other calls - tend to be as descriptive and natural as possible
Example
| 2 | P | 2N | 3 |
| ? | |||
| X | 5-1-3-4 | ||
| 3 | 6-x-x-4 | ||
| P | 5-2-2-4 or 5-3-1-4 | ||
| 3N | 5-x-x-5 | ||
| 3 | 5-3-1-4 |
twomajor.txt · Last modified: 2023/08/02 22:01 by john