Weak Minor Transfers

Situation: Partner opens 1 NT and you hold:

ª xxx
© xx
¨ QJxxxxx
§ x

How to get him to stop at some number of Diamonds?

No More Drop Dead in Diamonds. Playing Jacoby Transfers, we can't bid the "drop dead" 2 Diamonds our Standard American friends could, and of course we can't bid 2 Clubs weak using Stayman, so we need some way to bid 3 Diamonds and have partner stop. (We use 1NT - P - 3¨* as an Invitational bid). To pass should certainly not work out well, as your hand may not produce a single trick.

A Weak Minor Transfer solves the problem as follows:

Bid two Clubs (Stayman) first, then

bid three of the minor at your second response.

Partner then knows you have a very weak hand with a long, weak minor.

N         E             S         W

1NT      P         2§     . . .            Sounds like Stayman, but it could be . . .

2?         P        3§                     The Weak Minor Transfer

Only woefully weak hands should use this convention, but it does have preemptive value. If responder is just weakish, not really weak, perhaps he can come in later. When really weak, it's best to get it started right away.

An Alternative. There is another form of Minor Suit Transfers in common usage -- over 1NT, a bid of 2 No Trump requires a bid of 3 Clubs by opener, and a response of 3 Clubs requires a bid of three Diamonds by opener.

(As this gives up the normal meaning of 2NT over 1NT, we use the approach described above).

N         E        S         W

1NT    P         2N*        . . .      Requiring a 3§ bid by North, and passed by South.

---

1NT    P     3§     P             Same, with North then bidding 3¨.

3¨     . . .

    Strength:  A maximum of 6 or so HCP.  Bidding this way precludes a game contract.

    Usage: Common, not alertable