Four-Way Transfers

Some basics & the expert range ask bid

By Neil H. Timm
When you open 1NT (15-17) most play major suit transfers. They bid 2♦ to transfer to
hearts (5+) and 2♥ to transfer to spades (5+) where both bids are announced as transfers.

The next question you hear: Do you play super accepts with a maximum (17) and 4-card
support (a 3-level major suit bid) and the Bell convention with 3-card support (the bid of
2NT)? And then you hear what do you do about the minors (6+ or 5-5) and the bids of
2♠* and 2NT*, and higher bids (whatever you do, the bids are ALERTED and NEVER
announced as transfers; hence the asterisk (*)?

Some Approaches

1. Use the bid of 2♠* as a transfer to clubs (6+/5-5 in the minors) and responder
may pass 3♣ or correct by bidding 3♦.
2. Use 2♠* as a transfer to the minors (6+/5-5) where responder bids 3♣ (I prefer
clubs) or 2NT*, which says I prefer diamonds.
3. Use 2♠* as a transfer to clubs (6+) and 2NT* as a transfer to diamonds (6+): 4-
way transfers.

What is next? Well it depends! What kind of hand do you as responder have? Opener’s
hand is well defined!

Responder has three types of hands: a weak drop dead hand, an invitational 3NT or minor
suit game force (GF) hand, or a strong hand: minor suit or NT slam hand.

So what is the 1NT bidder to do?

Cases 1/2

Case 1 suffers in several ways, not the least of which is that the transfer to diamonds
requires a second bid by responder, and now not the strong hand but the weak hand is
playing the contract. While Case 2 try’s to correct the situation, both approaches make it
very difficult for the responder to describe his hand (weak, invitational/GF, or strong).
Another lesson.

Case 3 (Basic Approach 4-way transfers)

1NT-P-2♣ (Stayman – 8+ points or Rule of 88) - 2♦ (no 4-card major) – P – 2NT* (may
or may not have a 4-card major).
1NT-P-2♠*/2NT*usually 6+ minor = transfer to clubs/diamonds (6+minor or 5-5)

Follow-up bids

After 1NT-P-2♠*-P: opener bids 2NT with a minimum. If responder had a balanced
invitational hand, he passes 2NT. If responder has clubs, he bids 3♣ if weak – to play. If
he has clubs GF, he bids something else at the 3-level (usually shortness) 1NT-
2♠* - P - 3♦/3♥3♠ (GF bids).

After 1NT-P-2♠*-P, the opener must bid 3♣ with a maximum. If responder is looking
only for min/max, he next bids 3NT. If he wanted to play in 3♣, he passes. If he has
clubs, GF, he can now bid a new 3-level suit to show shortness.

After 1NT-P-2NT*-P, the opener can bid 3♦ with a maximum/acceptance and 3♣ with a
minimum/rejection.

The bids 2♠*s and 2NT* transfer bid free up the 3-level bids. You can use these to show
5-5 hands in the majors/minors (Mini-Maxi –invitational or GT) or as splinter bids to
show shortness. Or, you could choose to use 3♣* as the transfer to diamonds (or even
use it as Puppet/Muppet Stayman).

Most also use Texas (4-level) transfer bids. Texas transfers are usually sign-off bids,
while Jacoby 2NT* followed by a jump to four is a mild slam try. Jumps to 4♣ are
Gerber/Expert Gerber (ace-asking).

What if they compete/interfere?

If they make a penalty double, agree on an escape sequence/run outs.

If they make an artificial double, you should ignore it (systems are on over 2♣/X).
If they overcall with 2♣, unless it shows majors, a Double is Stayman, and all other bids
mean what they would have meant (transfers, etc.).
If they interfere with 2♦ or higher, use a X as negative on the Convent Card to show
cards – do not let them play at the 2-level and I recommend lebensohl; however some use
stolen bids

Case 3 (Super Fit 4-way transfer approach)

1NT-P-2♠*/2NT*usually 6+ minor = transfer to clubs/diamonds (6+minor or 5-5)

What does opener do with a normal hand 15-16 HCP?

Unless the NT opener has a fit for responder's suit (at least three cards in the suit, headed
by the Hxx (where H=A/K/Q), opener simply completes the transfer:

1NT - P - 2♠∗ - P - 3♣
1NT - P- 2NT* - P - 3♦
And this concludes the auction.

If responder bids on, this would indicate a GF auction with a second suit or interest in a
NT game, or even slam interest.

What does opener do with a "super fit"?

Ifthe 1NT has a minor suit fit A/K/Q xx he makes a bid between responder's transfer call
and the actual indicated suit (this is called "bidding the gap") and indicates a "pre-
acceptance" of the indicated trump suit:

1NT - P - 2♠∗ - P - 2NT*=Gap

1NT - P - 2NT* - P - 3♣*=Gap

Responder now knows that the NT opener has a missing high honor and sufficient cards
to suggest that the suit will run, may elect to bid 3NT with 24-26 HCP. Be careful, some
partnerships prefer to reverse the meaning of "bidding the gap" and simply prefer to
complete the transfer when the fit is identified, and bidding the "gap" when no fit is
identified. Arguments can be made for either approach.

To investigate slam, the partnership has to agree on an approach e.g. Gerber/Expert

Gerber/Minorwood or Crosswood and the use of splinters! And again one may play Mini-
Maxi and Texas transfer bids.

The NT Investigation Declined

On the other hand, if responder does not hold three cards and one of the top three honors,
even if the opener has "pre-accepted", the partnership will most be in a minor suit game
and not 3NT.

What happens to the standard 2NT raise?

The generic raise to 2NT (8-9 HCPs, balanced) has been eliminated in favor of using the
2NT* call as a transfer to diamonds. Now there needs to be a way to make a standard
quantitative NT raise.

These sequences now start with a 2♣ Stayman call by responder. Note that while
responder may have a four-card major, this is no longer guaranteed.
If opener rebids by showing a four-card major and a fit is found, it is raised (as normal).
If opener rebids by showing a four-card major and no fit is immediately found, responder
can easily define their holding by their logical rebid.
Examples (opponents are passing):

1NT - 2♣ - 2♥ - 3♥ = 8-9 HCP and 4-4♥ fit

1NT - 2♣ - 2♠ - 3♠ = 8-9 HCP and 4-4♠ fit
1NT - 2♣ - 2♥ - 2♠ = 8-9 HCP and 4 spades (or both hears and spades).
1NT - 2♣ - 2♥ - 2NT* = 8-9 HCP and no 4-card major.
1NT - 2♣ - 2♠ - 2NT* = 8-9 HCP and may not have a 4-card major.
1NT - 2♣ - 2♦ - 2NT* = 8-9 HCP and may not have a 4-card major.

Note that now 2NT* is alerted (*), because a Stayman sequence (in other treatments)
always promises a four-card major; however, with 4-way transfers it does not do not.

Partnerships must also discuss whether they play Smolen, Quest Transfers or Mini-
Smolen!

Case 3 (4-way transfers with the Range Ask Bid/ “Expert” 4-way transfers)

The major flaw of 4-way transfers (2♠* for ♣, 2NT* for ♦) is the trade-off of using 1NT-
2NT* to show diamonds means that in order to invite with 8-9 HCP you now need to go
through Stayman. This causes declarer to reveal unnecessarily information about the
majors.

To avoid this problem experts have invented the range ask bid. The method accomplishes
this by adding a hand range to the 2♠* club transfer bid:

2♠* = 6+♣ OR 8-9 balanced w/o a 4-card major

The responses become:

2NT* = I have a minimum for my range (I would not accept your 8-9 balanced invite)
3♣* = I have a maximum for my range (I would accept your 8-9 balanced invite)

Note that 2NT* does not say I prefer diamonds to clubs and 3♣* does not say I
prefer clubs to diamonds.

When responder has 8-9 HCP, he can pass 2NT or bid 3NT.

When responder has clubs, nothing has changed. All bids continue to mean exactly what
they would have meant in the “standard” 4-way transfer structure:

3♣ = 6+♣, signoff
3♦ = 6+♣, short ♦, GF OR 6+♣, no shortness, with slam interest
3♥ = 6+♣, short ♥, GF
3♠ = 6+♣, short ♠, GF

All of these responses (except 3♣) apply over a 3♣ rebid by the opener as well.

Most experts do not play Mini-Maxi 5-5 bids, but instead use these bids: 3♦/3♥/3♠ bids
show shortness and they use Stayman (Smolen) whenever they are 4/5 in the major.
Alternatively, some use 3♥ some hand type asking bid. Responder may show the
unbalanced type with 3♠ and the balanced type with 3NT.

For more information and examples of 4-way transfers and the expert range ask, see the
book by Eric Rodwell (2019) “Bidding Topics Book Two” , Baron Barclay, pp 25-42.