Kokish game tries

Eric Kokish came up with what he called two-way game tries.

1	Pass	2	Pass
?

• 2NT asks partner where they would accept a help-suit game try.
• 3// are a short-suit game tries.

When opener relays with 2NT (asking for a help suit), responder will bid the cheapest suit in which they would accept a help-suit game try. So if responder has QT6 J84 KQ632 86, they'll bid 3 over 2NT. This not only tells partner about help in diamonds, but since 3 was skipped over, opener knows that responder has a poor club holding.

So let's say the auction went 1 - 2 - 2NT [asking] - 3 [showing goodies in clubs], but opener wasn't interested in the club suit. They can now bid 3 or 3, asking for help there. So, theoretically, an auction might go like this:

1	Pass	2	Pass
2NT*	Pass	3**	Pass
3***	Pass	3****	Pass
4

* Game Try
** Would accept a game try in Clubs
*** Can you help me with diamonds?
**** No but I have heart help

It gets just a bit trickier for a lot of folks when hearts are trumps. If we were to use 2NT as the "help-suit ask" over 2, there would be no way to show spade help-- so we use 2 as the asking bid.

1	Pass	2	Pass
?

• 2 asks partner where they would accept a help-suit game try.
• 2NT is a short-suit game try in spades.
• 3/ are short-suit game tries.

One more little space-saving maneuver: When partner asks with 2, to show spade help we bid 2NT.

So if the auction goes:

1	Pass	2	Pass
2*	Pass	3**

*Game Try
**[stuff in clubs], denying help in spades (the "cheapest" suit)