(1Y)-1Z
Whenever there is a debate between forcing and non-forcing responses, choose transfer responses!
—I, Chen-Pang He (jdh8) @BTU, 2024
I sometimes relabel suit variables from the main title.
- (1X)-1Y
- (1X)-1Z
- (1Y)-1Z
I use these formulae interchangeably to accommodate a new-coming strain, e.g.
- (1X)-1Y-1Z
- (1X)-1Z-2Y
- (1Y)-1Z-2X
In competitive bidding, we want more space for raises. On the other hand, notrump already shows length or strength in the adverse suit. The “standard” and naïve approach is to reuse the cuebids for forcing raises. However, there are two reasons to use Rubens advances AKA transfer advances.
There is a debate if new suit advances are forcing or not. For a suit lower than Y (say X), forcing is decent. Aggressor has a cheap cuebid [(1Y)-1Z-2X; 2Y!] to show opening strength, similar to Drury. Nevertheless, when the auction goes (1X)-1Z-2Y, opener has a problem to rebid a minimum opening hand without a stopper:
- 2Z: utterly an underbid
- 2NT: lies about the stopper
- 3Y: an overbid
On the other hand, it is not the most effective to allocate forcing bids at cuebids. When we have a fit, we have little interest in exploring side suits. Space between the forcing raise and Z is unnecessary. Therefore, it is the most useful to let Z − 1 transfer to Z. Consequently, the strains [Y .. Z − 1] map to the suits [Y + 1 .. Z].
Upper strains [Z .. NT]
Upper new suits are always major suits. Only (1m)-1Y-1M is forcing. The other advances are non-forcing because they need little further information.
| (1X)-1Y- | NAT |
|---|---|
| 1Z | F, 4+#, usually 8+ |
| 1NT | NAT, 9–12 |
| 2Y | CONST, 3+# |
| 2Z | PRE, 6+# |
| 2NT | NAT INV, 13–15 |
| 3Y | PRE, 4+# |
| (1m)-1Y-1M- | 4+# |
|---|---|
| 1NT | NAT, –12 HCP |
| 2m | LIM+, 3+ SUPP |
| 2X | NAT, 9–14, usually 4+# |
| 2Y | NAT, 12–14, usually 6+# |
| 2Z | NAT, 12–17, usually 4+# |
| 2M | CONST, 3+# |
| 2NT | NAT INV, 13–15 HCP |
| 3m | CONST, 4+ SUPP |
| 3X | NAT, 15–17, usually 4+# |
| 3Y | NAT, 15–17, usually 6+# |
| 3M | PRE, 4+# |
Transfer advances [Y .. Z − 1]
The middle strains are transfer advances for the useful space principle. Z − 1 is home to the forcing raises.
| (1X)-1Z- | NAT |
|---|---|
| 2XY! | TRF, usually 9+ HCP and 5+ cards |
| 2Z − 1! | TRF LIM+, 3+ SUPP |
| 3XY! | TRF INV+, 6+ cards |
| 3Z − 1! | TRF CONST, 4+ SUPP |
Lower new suits (X)
Lower new suits are always minor suits. Since minor suit games are hard to make, bidding a new minor suit somehow marks failure to bid a major suit or notrump. Aggressor should be aware that the new minor suit might be a convenient suit to make a forcing advance.
| (1Y)-1Z- | NAT |
|---|---|
| 2X | F unless by PH, 9+ HCP, usually 5+# |
| 3X | INV, 6+# |
| (1Y)-1M-2m- | F, usually 5+# |
|---|---|
| 2Y! | F, 12–17 |
| 2M | MIN, 9–11, 5+# |
| 2N | NAT INV, 12–14 HCP |
| 3m | MIN, 9–11, usually 4+# |
| 3Y! | FG, ask for stopper |
| 3M | NAT, 15–17, usually 6+# |