Handbook - International Bridge Press Association

Three spades ("Help!") and the normal transfers
work in the same way whatever the enemy suit. However,
transfer cue-bids need some adjustment when
the enemy suit is a minor. For example:
Partner You
1NT (2 ) 3♣
You promise at least one four-card major. Partner
rebids:
3 – no diamond stopper; now the partnership
bids up the line to search for a major-suit fit.
3 /♠ – four-card suit plus diamond stopper.
3NT – diamond stopper, no major.
After Weak Jump Overcalls
So far, Rubensohl may not seem much of an improvement.
But now let's get on to the feature that
really distinguishes it from Lebensohl-you can use it
after a suit opening bid. To see how, take the sequence:
Partner You
1 (2♠*) ?
*weak jump overcall.
Suppose you hold:
♠ x x x K x Q x ♣ K Q x x x x
Bid two notrump, a transfer. Then pass partner's three
clubs.
♠ x x K x x A x x ♣ A Q x x x
Bid two notrump, a transfer, then three spades asking
for a stopper.
♠ K x x A Q x x K x ♣ Q x x x
Bid three hearts, a transfer cue-bid, promising a fourcard
heart suit. If partner bids three spades, denying a
spade stopper, bid three notrump to show that you
can stop spades.
♠ x x x x A x x K x x ♣ A Q x
Bid three spades, denying four hearts, and asking for
a spade stopper.
♠ x x x A x x A Q x x ♣ K x x
Bid three clubs to show diamond support. Then bid
three spades, asking for a stopper.
♠ K x x A x x Q x x x ♣ A x x
Bid three clubs to show diamond support. Then bid
three notrump, showing a stopper.
Clearly, these transfers gain great accuracy in describing
strong hands over the overcall (with weak
hands, we tend to use negative doubles). The cost is
the loss of a natural two-notrump bid. The chances
are that you will make fewer than eight tricks in
notrump if the opponents can establish their long suit,
more than eight tricks if they cannot.
Opener's Rebids
An opening suit bid covers a much wider range, in
both high-card strength and distribution, than a onenotrump
opening. Therefore it is important to consider
what opener should do next if responder makes a
transfer bid. Opener bids on the assumption that
responder has a minimum, and is intending to pass as
soon as opener bids the transfer suit.
If opener is happy to have responder Pass, opener
would have passed if responder had bid his actual
suit, nonforcing-opener simply accepts the transfer.
Otherwise, opener makes the bid he would have
made if responder had made a nonforcing bid of his
actual suit.
You Partner
1 (2♠*) 2NT+ (Pass)
?
* weak jump overcall
+ transfer to clubs
You, opener, hold:
♠ x x A K x x x K Q x ♣ x x x
Bid three clubs. You would have passed if partner had
bid three clubs nonforcing.
♠ x x A K J x x K x ♣ A Q x x
Bid four clubs, forcing. Slam must be reasonable if
partner has a spade control and an ace.
♠ x x A Q J x x K Q J x x ♣ x
Bid three diamonds, nonforcing. Your hand must be
worth more in a red suit.
♠ K J x J x x x K J x x ♣ x
Bid three clubs (reluctantly), since you would have
had to pass if partner had bid three clubs nonforcing.
Partner is not likely to have a four-card diamond suit if
he passes three clubs, since he could have made a
negative double with a weak hand and both minors.
Incidentally, these examples illustrate why we
changed two notrump from a puppet bid to a transfer.
Opener just cannot rebid sensibly if he has to guess
what responder's suit is.
Other Rubensohl Situations
The greatest thing about this gadget is the number of
auctions in which it is useful. For an extreme illustration,
look at this auction:
Partner You
1 * (2 +) ?
* better minor
+ natural overcall.
IBPA Handbook 2010 135