3NT Overcalls and Transfers
(Courtesy of Bob Crosby)
The benefits of a transfer system is at least two-fold. One, of course, is to protect the strong hand from the opening lead. The other and far more important reason in my mind is to get partner’s input on the length or strength of the transfer suit by super accepting or making a discouraging response.
The super acceptance process is a science in itself that a partnership should work out. An overcall of 3NT to a 3 level pre-empt or a jump to 3NT after a two level pre-empt are defined as practical bids. It is the classic bidding “ what you think you can make” bid. It may be a strong flat hand with horrible duplication of value in their suit. The 3NT overcall may have a long suit with a singleton in a major. The 3NT bid is any hand that partner chooses not to make a takeout double due to practical reasons. A balancing 3NT can also be included with these treatments.
Playing this style of 3NT overcalls, responder leaves “sleeping dogs lie” as the desired action so passes with quite a variety of hands. If you do bid, it is not to improve the contract but a slam try. There is a school of thought that the only way responder is allowed to bid after 3NT is by way of a transfer so the notion of “super accepting” can be involved. This is due to the 3NT bidder may range from having a singleton to AKxxx of the transfer suit. With the variability of the 3NT overcall or balance, it is silly to have a bid reserved for Stayman. Therefore, just play transfers after a 3NT overcall or a 3NT balance and include clubs in the transfer scheme. Cue bids of their suit also do not exist as clubs, diamonds and hearts are reserved for the transfer scheme.
To give more room to the super acceptance process, they re-define the transfer element to suits at least two removed from the actual suit thereby using their pre-empt suit as a factor in the scheme of things. Here are the rules of this transfer game. 4
is not a transfer but regular Blackwood so 4NT is always quantitative. OK with 4 used for KCB, 4
, 4
and 4
are available for transfers to the 3 unbid suits. 4 is reserved to describe the transfer to the cheapest unbid major. 4 is a transfer to the next suit other than the cheapest unbid major. 4 is left to transfer into the highest unbid minor. This clever scheme has all the bases covered regardless of the suit of the pre-empter (try it). 4 must be the cheapest major (clubs 2 removed in suit order). To keep the two removed scheme in effect, 4 must be the suit higher than the cheapest major. It follows that 4 must be the cheapest minor to preserve the two suit removed element. This scheme is easier on the memory than it first appears. These are just step responses following the rank order of suits.
The super acceptance is based on the number of steps below the real transfer suit that is available. The cheaper the response, the better the hand in support of the suit. The death response is just accepting the transfer or bypassing the transfer scheme altogether with a 4NT bid. Void or a singleton with a long suit elsewhere type of 3NT bid or no possible interest is a 4NT non acceptance bid. Special rules for a minor suit transfer as 4NT is the death response.
When the 3NT overcaller makes a positive noise to the transfer, 4NT is KCB by the transfer person. As usual with such toys there are other things to work out by the partnership with practice but the above are the general guidelines. If the opponents double or bid, all this is off of course.
| 3 |
3NT | Pass | ?* |
You hold x KJ10xxx Axx Kxx.
You do not want to play 4 opposite a singleton but you do not mind forcing the contract to 4NT to investigate a slam. You bid 4 which is a transfer to the cheapest unbid major, which is easy in this example as it is hearts. Partner bids 4 saying she like hearts!! 4NT is KCB and you get a reply of 5 which gets you into a grand slam try mode.
Partner's hand is AQ10x AQx Kx Axxx.
Give partner another hand for her 3NT overcall KQx x KQ AQJ10xxx, she bids 4NT over your transfer request so you make +660 in that spot.
| 3 |
3NT | Pass | ?* |
You hold Axx x QJxxxx KQx.
You bid 4 to show the next suit other than the cheapest unbid major. Partner bids 4 saying she likes diamonds. You bid 4NT KCB, hear 5 so you bid 6.
Partner's hand is Kxx KQx AKx Axxx.
| 3 |
3NT | Pass | ?* |
You hold Axx x Kx QJ109xxx
* You bid 4 to show the two removed minor which is clubs in suit order.
| 3 |
3NT | Pass | 4* |
* 4 is a transfer to spades (a suit next to the cheapest unbid major) and two removed from diamonds.
You hold QJ10xxx Axx Kx xx
Partner super accepts with 4 so we reach +1430.
| 3 |
3NT | Pass | 4* |
* 4 shows clubs leaving room for partner to super accept in clubs (unbid minor) by bidding 4.
A tormentee recently held this hand. x xxx KQJ10xx Axx. The auction went:
| 3 |
3NT | Pass | ?* |
4 in this auction actually means a slam try in diamonds (suit next to the cheapest major). Partner bids 6 over the slam try and this makes 7. Therefore this scheme is not primarily for transfers but to identify the suit quickly so super accepts can take place. Every permutation and combination of pre-empts is covered with this simple treatment. Actually the 4 bid is just for what’s left over when 4 or 4 does not identify the suit. I remember the rules for applying 4 and 4 so if the suit is still unidentified 4 comes in. It just happens that diamonds bid after their major pre-empt always shows diamonds (4 unbid major)!!
The above tremendously clever transfer scheme uses a “two under“ concept and the logic goes from there. In most instances, there is a suit available for a super accept below the transfer suit. Brilliant!! You lose the cue bid and Stayman playing this scheme but due to the undisciplined nature of the 3NT bid, a cue bid and Stayman do not seem to fit in anywhere. In fact, having the lowest ranking suits as transfers and one as regular Blackwood (4) is easier on the memory. 4NT is natural by responder and a wet blanket by the overcaller.