Forcing Bids

 Nothing can be as frustrating in bridge as having your forcing bid passed by your partner. You don't want to frustrate your partner, so let's make sure we understand forcing bids.

First of all, there are two kinds of forcing bids. There are bids that are forcing for one round. That simply means that you need to keep the bidding open so your partner can bid again--once. The second type of forcing bid is a bid that is forcing to game. If your partner makes one of these, you must both keep the bidding open until a game contract is reached or the opponents are doubled for penalties. Let's look at each type.

Forcing for One Round

The most common bid that is forcing for one round is a new suit by responder. It makes no difference whether you opened with 1 of a suit, a weak two, or a preempt at the three level. If your partner bids a new suit, you must keep the bidding open for one round. New suits by responder continue to be forcing for one round with each new suit that responder mentions. Just because the bid is forcing, it doesn't imply that responder is strong. He just wants to have another chance to speak. Here are some examples:

Opener: 1 club

Responder: 1 heart

Opener: must bid again

Opener: 1 club

Responder: 1 heart

Opener: 2 clubs (opener had to bid something here)

Responder: 2 spades (That's another new suit)

Opener: must bid again 

Opener:  2 hearts

Responder: 2 spades

Opener: must bid again

What about a NT opener? Without interference, all suit bids by responder are conventional. 2C is Stayman. 2D, 2H, 2S are all Jacoby transfers. Conventional bids are, of course, forcing. They are artificial and ask the opener to do something specific. There are also the 3C and 3D responses to a 1NT opener. Those bids are natural and invitational to 3NT. They are not forcing.

If there is interference over the 1NT opener, Jacoby transfers are off. In that case, suit responses are natural and not forcing. So how do you distinguish these from the new-suit-by-responder-is-forcing-for-one round rule? Think of the new-suit rule as being a new suit after a suit opener. Over no trump, it isn't a new suit. It is the first suit. Maybe that is more confusing. Sorry about that, but natural suit responses to no trump openers are not forcing. 

Game Forcing Bids

Game forcing bids usually occur when the responder has an opening hand opposite his partner's opening bid. There aren't many immediate responses that are forcing to game. Double raises are limit bids, and new suits are forcing for just one round. A 2NT response is forcing to game after an opening one-of-a-suit bid. Opposite a major suit opener, 2NT is conventional--known as Jacoby 2NT. We'll get to that eventually. Opposite a minor suit opener, 2NT shows 13 points and no 4-card major suit. Both are forcing to game. Both players must keep the bidding open until a game contract is reached or the opponents are doubled for penalties.

The other immediate response that is forcing to game is a jump shift. That means bidding a new suit at one level higher than necessary. An example is 1C-2H. The jump shift shows 19+ points. It is forcing to game and a strong invitation to slam.

There are some other game forces that come up later in the bidding. If responder jumps in a suit already bid at his second turn to bid or in NT, it shows a 13+ point hand, and is forcing to game. For example:

Opener: 1 club

Responder: 1 heart

Opener: 1 spade

Responder: 3 spades

Responder is showing 4 card support for spades and at least 13 points. Opener isn't promising any additional strength with her rebid, so she could have just 13. Responder's 13 points gives the team enough for game.

Here is another example:

Opener: 1 club

Responder: 1 heart

Opener: 1 spade

Responder: 3 hearts

Responder is promising a 5 card heart suit and the bid is forcing to game.

One more example:

Opener: 1 club

Responder: 1 heart

Opener: 1 spade

Responder: 2 no trump

Responder is saying he has 13+ points, but doesn't have 4 spades to support the opener, and doesn't have the 5 hearts required to rebid his suit.

Conventional Bids

All conventional bids have an artificial meaning. The bidder certainly doesn't want to be left there. For example:

Opener: 1 no trump

Responder: 2 hearts (Jacoby transfer. Responder has spades, not hearts)

Opener: pass

Responder: YOU CAN'T PASS. THAT'S A JACOBY TRANSFER!!!!

OK, that was a joke. The opener will bid 2 spades automatically.

Another conventional bid that is forcing for one round is the takeout double. I'll cover this in more detail in another post, but let's touch on it, now. I'll use seat directions to clarify who is speaking.

South: 1 club

West: double (That's a takeout double. West does not want to defend against 1 club for penalties)

North: pass

East: must bid something, even with zero points. The only time he can pass is in the unusual circumstance that he has a hand so strong that he thinks your side can defeat a 1 club contract. I can hardly ever remember this happening. You can forget it if you like. Just bid something!

Now, there is the opening 2 club bid that is reserved for all super strong opening hands. This bid alone is almost forcing to game. If the responder makes a positive response (anything other than 2D), the team is forced to game. Even when the responder makes the negative response of 2D (showing less than 8 points) the bidding is forcing to one trick short of game. That's a little tricky to remember, so watch out for it. Consider some examples.

Opener: 2C (22+ points)

Responder: 2D (<8 points)

Opener: 2H (forcing to at least 3H, shows a 5 card suit)

Responder: 3H (3 card support for hearts, not sure if the team has 26 points, even after opener promised 22)

Opener: Might still bid 4H if she has all 10 tricks in her hand and knowing that partner has trump support. Or, she might pass if just a couple of points from partner are not enough.

Opener: 2C (22+ points)

Responder: 2D (<8 points)

Opener: 2NT (This is part of the no trump structure. It shows 22-24 HCP and no trump distribution.)

Responder: (Adds his points to opener's. Jacoby and Stayman are available, if useful. If the total comes to less than 26, responder can pass.)

Opener: 2C (22+ points)

Responder: 2H (8+ points, 5 card heart suit)

No matter what. These two players will continue bidding until a game contract is reached. Slam is a possibility. There is no rush. Neither player needs to worry about getting passed in a part score.

When are relieved of your obligation to bid

If your partner makes a forcing bid and your right-hand opponent sticks in his oar with a bid, or even a double, you may pass if you want. The interfering bid will keep the bidding open for your partner. You may still bid, if you want, but you are showing additional strength. Here are two examples. I am using seat directions to clarify who is speaking

South: 1 club

West: pass

North: 1 heart (new suit by responder, forcing for one round)

East: 1 spade

South: 2 clubs (No longer obligated to bid, but choosing to bid anyway shows extra strength over the 13 points required to open.)

South: 1 club

West: double (for takeout, East is forced to bid, unless...)

North: 1 diamond

East: Now, east can pass. If he chooses to bid it shows a little bit of strength.