One Level Minor Openings
1D Promises opening points and 4+ diamonds.
1C Promises opening points but could be short (as short as 2 cards) and should be announced as such.
Responses
The idea here is to sniff out 3NT games, falling back on minor games only when that proves impossible. Over 1D, 2D promises 10+ points and 4+ diamonds. It absolutely denies a 4 card major. 2C over 1C is the same but you need 5+ clubs because partner “could be short”. Ideally you have 6+ but we don’t live in an ideal world!
Responses to 1D-2D (1C-2C analogous)
1D-3D shows 5+ diamonds and 0-5 points. Responder is saying to opener “I’m not interested in 3NT even if you have 19 points” so opener is expected to pass. 1C-3C is similar but promises 6+ clubs. Where responder has 6-9 points and support he bids 1NT. So if you hear that bid after you open 1 of a minor, remember that partner is not necessarily denying support, as he would be doing after a major opening.
Interference switches all of this off and bidding reverts to it’s natural meaning.
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1D Promises opening points and 4+ diamonds.
1C Promises opening points but could be short (as short as 2 cards) and should be announced as such.
Responses
- 1NT is 6-9 HCPs with nothing better to say. Denies 4 of a major. Not necessarily balanced. Does not necessarily deny support (see inverted minor raises below)
- 2NT balanced, no 4 card major, no support, 10-12 HCPs (Jacoby 2NT is not used over minor openings).
- 3NT ditto but 13-15.
- Change of suit is forcing, 6+ at 1 level, 10+ at 2 level.
- Single Jump Shift is weak.
- Double Jump Shifts are splinters.These show a singleton or void in the bid suit, game going points to the 5 level so probably 15+ and 4+ support for diamonds or 6+ for spades. Remember, the first port of call for game in a partnership with a minor fit is 3NT, not 5C/D. Bidding should always respect this so bids that consume space required to find 3NT are expensive, none more so than splinters. In reality, a splinter is rarely the correct response to a minor opening.
- Raises are inverted - see below.
- 4D over 1C or 4H over 1D is Redwood.
The idea here is to sniff out 3NT games, falling back on minor games only when that proves impossible. Over 1D, 2D promises 10+ points and 4+ diamonds. It absolutely denies a 4 card major. 2C over 1C is the same but you need 5+ clubs because partner “could be short”. Ideally you have 6+ but we don’t live in an ideal world!
Responses to 1D-2D (1C-2C analogous)
- 3D says “I’m minimum so unless you are very strong, please pass!”. This is the only non-forcing response.
- 2H/2S/3C all show stoppers in the bid suit and deny stoppers in any suit skipped.
- 2NT is 15-17 balanced.
- 3NT is 18-19 balanced.
1D-3D shows 5+ diamonds and 0-5 points. Responder is saying to opener “I’m not interested in 3NT even if you have 19 points” so opener is expected to pass. 1C-3C is similar but promises 6+ clubs. Where responder has 6-9 points and support he bids 1NT. So if you hear that bid after you open 1 of a minor, remember that partner is not necessarily denying support, as he would be doing after a major opening.
Interference switches all of this off and bidding reverts to it’s natural meaning.
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