Bridge Transfers After 1NT Opening
Bridge Transfers Convention.
This is one of several conventional bids in bridge. It’s a bid that has a specific meaning and one of the best know examples is the Jacoby Transfer.
After an opening bid of 1NT, responder will bid 2 Diamonds if they hold 5 or more hearts or 2 hearts of they hold 5 or more spades. In other words, responder bids the suit below the actual suit held. This is a forcing bid and opener has to bid the next suit up – ie the suit that responder actually holds.
Why make a transfer bid?
Making this conventional bid and forcing opener to bid again, gives the responder the chance to make a further bid as opener cannot pass. This gives the responder an opportunity to further describe their hand.
Sometimes it is beneficial for the opener to play the game, rather than responder. Especially if the responder’s hand is relatively weak.
When to use transfer in bridge
Responder makes a transfer bid when they hold 5 cards in a major suit or 6 cards in a minor suit.
How do you know if partner’s bid uses the bridge transfer?
Before you start playing you and partner will agree whether or not to use the bridge transfer bidding convention. If you decide that you are using transfers then any bid of 2D, 2H or 2S is a transfer bid.
At No Fear Bridge you will find an hand out with an extensive explanation of transfer and when to use them, along with a quiz so you practice transfer bidding. Click Here to get your trial membership today if you are an Acol bridge player. Click Here if you are an American Standard player.
March 15, 2015 @ 11:50 am
1nt opener
1 spade transfer
1 club
does 2nd bidder ( 1 spade) bid 1 dia to give partner a second chance to bid??
thanks
March 15, 2015 @ 11:59 am
forgot to add… I had the 3 clubs but after 3 dia bid my partner passed…I think she should have rebid clubs…she had 5 with 3 honors
March 15, 2015 @ 12:05 pm
my question is sooooo mistyped…I bid 2 spades..she bid 3 clubs..I bid 3 dia to give her another bid…she passed
I think with her 5 clubs she should have rebid clubs and not passed..I had the 5 clubs for the transfer bid
March 15, 2015 @ 5:37 pm
Hello Maree. I put your question to Leigh Harding, who runs No Fear Bridge. She thinks we would need to know the details of your partner’s actual cards in order to answer the question properly.
January 25, 2022 @ 9:41 am
north bids 1NT West bids 1club as south can i still bid 1 diamond as a transfer to hearts.
Thank you
January 25, 2022 @ 8:56 pm
I will ask the folk at No Fear Bridge so I can give you the correct answer.
January 30, 2022 @ 7:39 pm
Can I clarify. Did you mean that West bids 2 clubs and south would like to bid 2 diamonds?