Transfer bids in Bridge

Why use transfers?

The purpose of transfers is to make it easier to describe your hand accurately and end up in the correct final contract.

Transfer bids solve one, very specific, problem. Responding to 1NT in standard ACOL, a new suit at the two level (except clubs) is a weakness takeout, whilst three in a new suit is forcing to game. What if you hold an unbalanced hand which just might be worth game? Something like this:

ªK Q 7 4 3

¨K 9 3

§Q J 10 2

3NT could be possible if partner is maximum for his 1NT. 4ª may be possible if he has a reasonable hand with a spade fit. On the other hand, if he has only 12 points and a doubleton spade, you may regret bidding beyond the two level.

This type of hand is ideally suited to transfers.

The basic method.

In their simplest form (known as “red suit” transfers), you show a five card, or longer, major by bidding the (red) suit immediately below it. Thus, 2¨ shows at least 5 hearts (partner announces “Hearts”) and 2© shows 5+ spades (partner announces “Spades”). The transfer says nothing (yet) about your strength. The bid does two things:

It tells your partner you have at least five cards in the next suit up.
It demands (in the absence of an intervening bid) that he bid 2 of that suit for you.

So, for example, after 1NT-(pass)-2©-(pass), opener must rebid 2ª. In the basic system, it does not matter if the 1NT was a maximum or minimum, whether he holds five spades or just a doubleton, the correct bid is 2ª.

The power of transfer bids is that by forcing opener to bid again, responder further bids in which to describe his hand.

So, what happens next?

It is responder’s second bid which actually defines his hand. The rebid falls into one of three categories:

· pass shows a weak hand,

· any 2-level bid or a single raise is a game try

· and anything higher is forcing to game.

A detailed list of responses following 1NT-2red-2major is as follows:

Pass	Shows a weak hand with a five card major. The type of hand where you would have made a weakness takeout. Eg. the transfer sequence 1NT-2©-2ª-pass means exactly the same as the sequence 1NT-2ª and opener should not bid again.
2NT	Shows precisely 11 points required for a direct raise to 2NT, but now showing a five card major too. Opener now has a number of choices. With a weak hand he can either pass the 2NT or return to 3 of partner's major – whichever seems the most likely to succeed. With maximum points but no fit, he bids 3NT. With good points and a fit he bids 4 of partner's major.
3Major	Raising the target major to three, as in 1NT-2¨-2©-3©, is a game try with a hand unsuited to a NT contract. Certainly, his major should be at least six cards long. Opener should pass or raise to four. 3NT is unlikely to be the correct contract.
3NT	This shows a 13+ point hand which is reasonably balanced apart from its 5 card major. Opener can pass or return to 4 of partner’s major if he has a 3-4 card fit.
New suit	Any new suit from the transfer bidder is always natural, showing 4+ cards in the second suit in addition to the 5+ card suit already shown. The only sequence in which a new suit can be bid at the 2 level is 1NT-2¨-2©-2ª. This shows at least 5 hearts and 4 spades together with the strength for a raise to 2NT. With a minimum hand opener may pass, or correct to 2NT or 3major. With a good points or a good fit, he should bid game in NT or either major. Any new suit at the three level is always forcing to game. For example, 1NT-2¨-2©-3¨ is a game force showing at least 5 hearts and 4+ diamonds. Opener must bid again, his choices being 3NT, or supporting one of partner's suits. Note that if the second suit is a major then it is usually exactly 4 cards long, no more, because with 5-5 in the majors and a game strength hand, responder will normally bid 1NT-2©-2ª-4©. This leaves opener the choice of passing or converting to 4ª. Incidentally, opener should bear in mind that with a 5-4 distribution responder has, at most, four cards in the other two suits, so he should have those well covered before choosing a NT contract.

What if the opposition intervene?

If the 1NT opening is doubled or overcalled, many players abandon transfers and bid naturally. This may not be the best strategy but is probably the easiest whilst learning.

It doesn't matter too much what you do provided you have discussed it with your partner and reached an agreement. What you must avoid, is putting yourself in the position where one member of the partnership thinks 2© is a transfer but the other does not.

What do you lose by playing transfers?

The only thing transfer bids cost you is the loss of a weak takeout into 2¨ (this is rarely a great problem provided your system allows an escape into diamonds if the 1NT is doubled).

What do you gain?

Most importantly, you gain the ability to show unbalanced game going hands. Two suited distributional hands can also be shown very precisely by transferring into one and then rebidding the other.

In the weakness takeout situation, the strong hand plays the contract. The benefits of having your strength concealed may help, but the fact that the opening lead now plays into the hand usually containing tenaces.

When can you use transfers?

At first, start play transfers in immediate response to partner’s 1NT opening.

In time, and with partner's agreement, you may choose to extend your system to include transfers over 2NT openings, also over 2§-2¨-2NT.

The essential thing is that you and your partner have agreed precisely when transfers apply. If you make a mistake, there is no way out. If your natural 2¨ is announced as a heart transfer, you will just have to keep a poker face and take your medicine. You cannot rectify the situation by correcting 2© to 3¨ because partner will then assume you are 5-4 in the red suits and you will have dug yourself into an even bigger hole.

Minor suit transfers

With red suit transfers, you can only transfer into a major suit. There are systems which allow you to transfer into any of the four suits but these are not discussed here.