One Diamond—One of a Major in a Simple-Transfer-Responses Context

by Denis Lesage

This is a follow-up to my January 2009 Bridge World article, Simple Transfer Responses (STR). Some partnerships who use STR or something similar will open one club on many hands with at least a doubleton club, even 3=3=5=2 or 2=4=5=2, so that a one-diamond opening will either promise a five-plus-card suit or exactly 4=4=4=1. This goes too far, as it overloads the one-club opening. With 5-3-3-2 and long diamonds, I recommend opening one club only with a minimum. Similarly, with a three-suiter, open one club only with fewer than 16 high-card points and 1=4=4=4 or 4=4=1=4.

In that context, a one-notrump rebid by the one-diamond opener is of little use as natural and can be used to differentiate between hands with either four- or three-card support for responder's major; since opener will always have 14-plus support points, a raise to two should show 14-17, to three 18-19, and to four 20-plus. Additional gains are available through transfer rebids by opener: one notrump = clubs, two clubs = diamonds, two diamonds = a three-card raise of one heart or hearts after one spade; two hearts = a four-card raise of one heart or a three-card raise of one spade. After one diamond -- one heart -- ?, opener's one spade and two spades are unchanged from standard, as is a three-club jump-shift after either major-suit response. Responder may raise diamonds freely, so one- and two-notrump responses to one diamond show at least four clubs.

After one diamond -- one spade, opener rebids:

(1) one notrump (rarely passed), with any hand with which opener would have bid a standard two clubs, except hands with three spades; responder can continue with two clubs with as much as 9 points and a club fit--opener will bid again with 16-plus points--so a raise to three clubs shows 10-12 points, narrower than in standard.
(2) two clubs (forcing) with either six-plus diamonds and fewer than three spades or 18-19 HCP and 5-3-3-2 with five diamonds.
(3) two diamonds (nonforcing), with four hearts and fewer than three spades, five-plus diamonds, 12-16 points. With a maximum, opener can raise to three hearts.
(4) two hearts (forcing), with three spades. Note that any other rebid denies three spades and a raise to two spades show four spades.
(5) two notrump (forcing), with 17-plus HCP, four hearts, five-plus diamonds, fewer than three spades. Responder's three clubs is a puppet to three diamonds, perhaps preparatory to signoff in three diamonds or three hearts; any other bid is natural and game-forcing.
(6) three diamonds, with the same values as in standard methods but denying three spades and promising a strong suit.
After one diamond -- one heart, opener rebids one notrump and three diamonds similarly to over one spade, two clubs shows six-plus diamonds, two diamonds (forcing) shows a three-card heart raise, and two notrump shows 18-19 HCP with 4=2=5=2 or 3=2=5=3.

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