November 2008 - 46

&Learn

PLAY BRIDGE

Play

Pat Harrington
2NT - forcing or not?
Bridge uses a limited vocabulary
to describe a multitude of hands. The
same bid takes on different meanings
in different circumstances. Who made
the bid matters. When the bid was
made matters.
Even an intervening bid by an opponent can change a bid's meaning.
The 2NT bid is especially confusing.
Sometimes it's forcing, sometimes
invitational. Sometimes your partnership has to agree on a meaning.
My students have the most trouble
with 2NT bids by responder, e.g.,
1 minor - Pass - 2NT.
In old-fashioned standard bidding,
East's 2NT shows a balanced 13-15
high-card points, no four-card or
longer major and a hand that is comfortable declaring notrump. This bid
is game-forcing.
Many social players bid this way, so
it is what I teach.
Many modern players prefer lowering the point count to a good 10-12
HCP - invitational. What is your
partnership agreement?
Notice that I did not include a
major-suit opening bid in the auction.
That is because many players use
Jacoby 2NT to show a game-forcing
raise of opener's major.
If you don't use Jacoby 2NT, you
should also discuss your partnership
agreement on the meaning of a 2NT
response to a major-suit opening bid.
Here is another auction:
46

West

North

1 any

Pass

East
Pass
2NT

South
Pass

East is a passed hand, so we know
that East cannot have 13 points. This
2NT response is definitely invitational, showing about 11-12 points.
Again, East is not expected to have a
four-card or longer major to show on
the one level. Here's another:
West
1

North
1

East
2NT

South

After an opponent's overcall,
responder's 2NT bid is invitational.
Responder would jump to 3NT with
a game-going hand. Once the auction becomes competitive, we tend
to place the contract more quickly.
Of course, East must have at least
one spade stopper. If North had
overcalled 2 instead of 1, would
East's point requirement be any different? No - 2NT still invites game.
West
1
1

North
Pass
Pass

East
1
2NT

South
Pass

Even if you play that a first
response of 2NT is game-forcing,
a 2NT rebid is only invitational.
Opener rebid 1 but might have
rebid 1NT, 2 or 2. None of
these rebids promises more than a
minimum. Opener might have up
to 18 HCP for a rebid in a new suit,
but responder assumes that opener
is minimum until opener indicates
otherwise. A basic bidding guideline
is that two minimum hands should
not get as high as 2NT. Opposite a
minimum opener, responder's 2NT
rebid - whether it's a jump or not
- invites game. Do not use 2NT as
a denial bid the way you might use a

1NT bid.
The meanings of opener's 2NT
bids are related to your choice of a
notrump bidding structure. The recommended ranges for those who use
weak two-bids with a 2 opening
strong and artificial are that a 1NT
opener shows 15-17, 2NT 20-21
points (both balanced, of course).
We will assume these ranges in this
article. What is opener showing in
this auction: 1 - Pass - 1 - Pass;
2NT.
When opener rebids 2NT opposite
what could be a minimum responding
hand, the bid shows a balanced hand
that falls in the cracks between 1NT
and 2NT openers - 18-19 HCP.
Could opener have four spades?
This is one of the rare times where
opener might bypass a four-card
major. With four spades and a desire
to be in game, responder can look for
a spade fit. Replace opener's 2NT
rebid with a 1NT rebid, and I believe
opener is denying four spades, but
you will find some players who
disagree.
If responder's first bid had been
1NT instead of 1 in the above auction, opener's 2NT rebid still shows
18-19 points even though it's not a
jump bid.
r

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2008
