The Foundation System

Transcription

1 The Fundatin System Slam Bidding Intrductin The methds already described in previus chapters prvide mst f the structure we will need in ur arsenal in rder t reach gd slams and avid bad nes. Gd slam bidding is the ultimate test f yur grasp f the essentials f hand evaluatin, and requires cmplete knwledge f the infrmatin abut strength and distributin cnveyed by each bid made by bth members f a partnership, and by the ppnents bids as well, if the auctin is cmpetitive. (The next chapter will begin ur discussin f cmpetitive bidding). This chapter augments the structure frm previus chapters in three majr areas: (a) the strng, artificial, and frcing 2C Opening; (b) cue-bidding as a means f inviting a slam; and (c) ace-asking methds, including Blackwd, Gerber, Rman Keycard Blackwd, Kickback, Feedback RKC, and Exclusin RKC. T make a slam, tw things are essential. Yu must be able t win at least twelve tricks, and yu must avid lsing mre than ne trick. It is in aviding tw lsers that slam bidding differs mst frm rdinary game and part-scre bidding. The well-knwn rule f thumb that a ntrump slam with tw balanced hands requires 33 HCP was established t insure that the ppnents cmbined HCP hlding f 7 HCP will nt include tw aces (althugh if they hld an ace and king in the same suit, yu may still lse the first tw tricks). S mst f the effrt in evaluating slam ptential will be devted t ensuring that as a minimum yur partnership has first-rund cntrl f at least three suits and secnd rund cntrl f the suit which lacks first-rund cntrl. In this chapter, we will nt be verly cncerned with reaching 33 HCP slams with tw balanced hands (either 6NT r 6 f a majr with a 44 trump fit); these hands usually are easy s lng as yu keep in mind the HCP requirements f all bids and respnses. A mre typical ntrump slam will ften be based n a running 6+card suit plus cntrls and a few scattered winners in the ther suits. A mre typical suit slam will usually be based n a trump fit (54, 44, 64, 55 r 63 are the mst cmmn) with a runnable side suit (r ne which can be established by ruffing) and cntrls in the ther tw suits. Such slams ften need a cmbined HCP hlding f 24-30, r even less with freakish distributin. The LTC can be a big help in identifying thse deals with ptential fr distributinal slams f this type, but it s main influence is in aviding tw lsers rather than in identifying twelve winners. Fr cunting winners, the French have the right idea: cherchez la femme. The key t these reduced HCP slams is usually pssessin f the queens f tw lng suits, because ur bidding structure is designed mainly t lcate aces and kings. Typically these tw suits are Opener s first-bid suit and the suit first bid by Respnder, but it might equally be bth f Opener s suits when he has a tw-suiter. The hlder f tw such key queens will usually take an aggressive view in the auctin; the lack f bth key queens usually dictates a cnservative view, while hlding ne key queen usually suggests a neutral view. Let s see hw this all wrks ut as we cmplete the descriptin f ur bidding structure.

2 Requirements fr 2C Opening Artificial Frcing 2C Opening The 2C Opening can be made with any f three different hand types: 22+HCP with a balanced hand (4333, 4432, 5332, r perhaps 5422 r 6322 with bth dubletns Kx r better) A ne-suited hand (any suit) with 9+winners (LTC = 4 r less) and an abslute minimum f 15+HCP, preferably 17+. A tw- r three-suited hand with LTC = 3 r less, r with 23+HCP Respnses t 2C Opening 2D: This shws a hand willing t play in game ppsite a balanced 22+HCP, but with n slam aspiratins unless Opener is substantially strnger than 22+HCP. My usual minimum requirements fr this respnse are: any ace; a king and a queen; r three queens. This respnse is frcing t game. Opener can safely rebid 2NT with any balanced hand (including 5332s), and shuld d s, even with 30 HCP r s. This allws Respnder t use the standard 2NT respnse structure (3C = Puppet Stayman, 3D & 3H = Transfers, 3S = Minr Suit Stayman) t search fr a fit. A 3NT rebid by Opener denies a 4-card majr and denies any interest in a slam. 2H: This is the negative respnse (usually called a super-negative), and denies the strength t make the game-frcing 2D respnse. Nw any minimum rebid by Opener is nn-frcing and can be passed, althugh Respnder is free t raise r bid a new suit with distributinal values. If Opener rebids 2NT, Respnder can pass, but if he chses t bid, he will use the standard 2NT respnse structure. The nly way Opener can frce after the 2H respnse is t jump in a suit. There is ne schl f thught which suggests that since the 2H respnse is artificial, and since Opener shuld be the declarer in any ntrump cntract, that the 2NT respnse t a 2C Opening shuld be used t shw a slam try with a heart suit. I d nt recmmend this apprach, since it leaves n cnvenient way fr Respnder t shw a slam try with a balanced hand, except by jumping t 4NT. All Higher Respnses (2S and up) are natural, frcing t game, and imply a strng interest in a ptential slam. Any suit respnse shws a 5+card suit Q10xxx r better. After a 2NT respnse, Opener can use the standard 2NT respnse structure t check fr a 44 fit. The usual HCP requirement fr these higher respnses is rughly twice as much as required fr a 2D respnse; i.e., abut 9 HCP if balanced r 8 HCP if unbalanced. An abslute minimum wuld be AKxxx with nthing utside.

3 Other Respnse Structures While the 2H super-negative structure is prbably currently the mst ppular, many ther respnse structures are frequently encuntered. This sidebar describes my preferred methd, alng with a brief descriptin f several structures that yu are likely t encunter. 2H Super-Negative with 5-Suit Transfers: An imprved methd f handling higher slamtry respnses is pssible using transfer bids: 2S is a transfer t 2NT, while 2NT is a transfer t 3C, 3C is a transfer t 3D, 3D is a transfer t 3H, and 3H is a transfer t 3S. These suit transfers guarantee a Q10xxx r better suit. Opener accepts a transfer t 2NT if he has the 22+HCP balanced hand (and the standard 2NT structure applies), r bids a suit if unbalanced. He accepts a transfer t a suit with 3+card supprt fr that suit, and therwise bids 3NT if balanced r a new suit if unbalanced. This methd is nt widely played yet, s is nt part f the Fundatin System, but it is highly recmmended. 2D Waiting: The 2D respnse is used with any hand that is nt wrth a slam try. Many play that 2D is mandatry unless hlding a 5+card suit headed by 2 f the tp 3 hnrs. If Opener shws an unbalanced hand by a rebid in a suit, the cheapest suit rebid by the 2D bidder (usually 3C) is a secnd negative, cnfirming a hand equivalent t ur 2H supernegative. If Opener rebids 2NT, the secnd negative is Pass; the standard 2NT structure applies. Pint Cunt Step Respnses: This structure is fairly ppular with nvices, and is reasnably effective when Opener has a balanced hand, but is virtually never used by experts. A 2D respnse shws 0-3 HCP, 2H shws 4-6 HCP, 2S shws 7-9 HCP. Higher bids are usually natural, with 10+HCP, but sme pairs like t cntinue the steps indefinitely t shw 10-12, 13-15, etc. These rarely ccur. Cntrl-Shwing Respnses: This structure shws aces and kings, cunting a king as ne cntrl and an ace as tw cntrls. A 2D respnse, shws 0-1 cntrl, 2H shws 2 cntrls, 2S shws 3 cntrls, etc. Sme practitiners vary this structure smewhat in rder t distinguish between ne ace and tw kings. Althugh fairly ppular in expert circles, I have never encuntered it here in Hawaii. 2D Artificial Psitive: This structure was devised by the legendary Al Rth, inventr f the Rth-Stne system, and is sund theretically, but has never achieved wide-spread ppularity. The idea is that 2D is an artificial slam try, while all ther respnses are natural but deny slam aspiratins, making it easier t find the best game r part-scre cntract. Further Develpment f the Bidding As nted in previus paragraphs, after the 2C Opener cnfirms a strng balanced hand, and in certain situatins where Respnder has shwn a balanced slam try, the bidding will develp using the standard 2NT respnse structure as described in the chapter n Ntrump Bidding. When Opener cnfirms an unbalanced hand, all further bidding is natural. Raises f 5+card suits shw 3+card supprt, while raises f 4-card suits usually shw 4-card supprt, r at least gd 3-card supprt with a ruffing value.

4 Slam Cue-Bidding In the Intrductin t this chapter, we nted that tw things are essential fr successful slam bidding. Yu must be able t win at least twelve tricks, and yu must avid lsing mre than ne trick. The Lsing Trick Cunt, when applied t the bidding structure described thus far in this and the previus chapters, prvides guidance in achieving thse tw essential requirements. Previus bidding will usually give Respnder a gd estimate f Opener s LTC, and can ften tell hw many f thse lsers are likely t be eliminated by Respnder s cver cards. This is an imprecise tl, hwever, fr tw reasns. Smetimes Respnder will nt have learned enugh abut Opener s distributin t be sure whether his sft values (kings and queens in side suits) are useful cver cards. In additin, the LTC assumes a maximum f nly three lsers in any suit, s a sufficient number f trumps must be available in dummy t take care f any 4th r 5th rund lsers in any r all f Opener s side suits. Hence there may n ccasin be nly ne immediate lser, but nly 10 r 11 winners available. It is fr this reasn that the Fundatin System places great emphasis n distinguishing between 4-, 3-, and 2-card trump supprt. Slam cue-bidding is ne f the tls aimed at refining the estimate f the number f immediate lsers; it is a useful alternative and/r supplement t the ace-asking cnventins t be described later in this chapter. What is a Slam Cue-Bid? Cnsider this auctin, with the ppnents presumed t be silent and their passes nt shwn: 1S/3S/4C. The 4C bid cannt be a game try, since Respnder cannt pass belw 4S even if he has an abslute minimum fr his 3S bid, and Opener is nt likely t be suggesting that 5C might be a better game than 4S. S the 4C bid lgically can nly be a slam try, shwing a useful hlding in clubs and inviting Respnder t re-evaluate his hand in terms f its ptential fr a slam cntract. If Respnder has a minimum, r barren distributin, he will usually sign ff at 4S, which Opener will usually pass, but with an exceptinally strng hand Opener may make anther bid as a further slam try; and again, a weak Respnder can sign ff in 5S. If Respnder thinks his hand might prve useful in a slam cntract, he des nt sign ff at 4S r 5S, but makes sme ther bid t shw encuragement. Similarly, 1H/3H/3S is a slam cue-bid, and nt an attempt t play in 4S rather than 4H. The same lgic suggests that 1S/3S/3NT is nt an attempt t play in 3NT rather than 4S. The 3NT bid, while nt frmally a slam cue-bid, is a slam try shwing a strng balanced hand (usually 5332, 6322, r perhaps 5422). Nw cnsider anther auctin: 1D/3D/3S/3NT/4C: Here the 3S bid was initially assumed t shw a spade stpper and deny a heart stpper, asking Respnder t bid 3NT if he has a heart stpper. When Respnder dutifully bids 3NT, Opener s 4C bid reveals that the 3S bid was nt a 3NT try, but a slam cue-bid, shwing useful hldings in spades and clubs, but prbably n useful hlding in hearts (else his first cue-bid wuld have been 3H rather than 3S). Had Opener s bid ver 3NT been 4D, he wuld be denying a useful hlding in bth clubs and hearts, s that his strength must be cncentrated in diamnds and spades. S ur definitin f a slam cue-bid becmes: any new suit bid after trump agreement, which is nt a game try in the agreed suit r a 3NT game try.

5 Rules fr Slam Cue-Bidding The primary message f the initial slam cue-bid is that it appears likely that the partnership has enugh winners fr a slam, s that attentin shuld nw be fcused n making sure that there are nt tw quick lsers. Each partner will cntinue shwing useful features until a slam is reached r it becmes clear that there are tw prbable lsers. This usually invlves each partner shwing first and secnd rund cntrls (aces, kings, singletns, r vids) in sme srt f structured fashin. We present here a set f rules which define such a structure. Rule 1. Lindsay s Law: Thu shalt nt initiate a slam cue-bidding sequence unless yu have at least tw aces. This is vital t avid reaching a slam with tw aces missing, since if neither partner has tw aces, the partnership can have at mst nly tw aces. I had never seen this rule published anywhere, s when I wrte my first bk, 3D and the MAFIA Club, I included it, and with a typical bridge writer s mdesty named it Lindsay s Law. Rule 2: Each partner shuld bid side suit aces up the line; skipping a suit denies the ace f that suit. Cnsider this sequence carefully: 1S/3S/4C/4D/4S. Opener has shwn the club ace, respnder has shwn the diamnd ace, and Opener has denied the heart ace, s Opener must have the spade ace (because f Lindsay s Law), but nly mild slam interest, since he culd have bid 4NT t encurage further cue-bidding by partner, r he culd have cntinued shwing kings at the 5-level via Rule 3 belw. Rule 3: Bidding a suit in which either partner has shwn the ace, r in which yu have previusly denied the ace, shws the king f that suit. Thus in the Rule 2 sequence abve, if Opener had cntinued with 5C he wuld be shwing the club king; if instead he had cntinued 5D, he wuld be denying the club king but shwing the diamnd king. In principle, a singletn as secnd rund cntrl can be shwn at this stage, but this is dangerus if dne in a side suit which partner has previusly bid. Rule 4: The first cue bid by either partner shuld be an ace, never a vid. This rule des nt apply t the bid which initiates a cue-bidding sequence, since that bid is frequently a natural bid shwing a useful secnd suit and inviting partner s cperatin if he hlds a useful hnr in that suit. Lindsay s Law still applies in this situatin. The initiatr shuld have tw aces smewhere, even if the initiating bid is in a suit such as KJ10xx. A vid des nt cunt as an ace in satisfying Lindsay s Law. Actually, it is best nt t cue-bid vids at all, except perhaps in a suit bid by the ppnents, r in a suit in which yu have previusly shwn shrtness via a splinter bid. Other methds f shwing vids are available, such as Exclusin RKC (t be described later in this chapter). Rule 5: If a minr suit has been agreed, any ntrump bid is a sign-ff, suggesting n further slam interest (althugh partner can cntinue if he has further assets nt yet disclsed). Rule 6: If a majr suit has been agreed, any ntrump bid is frward-ging, but denies the ability t cue-bid the cheapest side suit and encurages partner t bid that suit if pssible.

6 An alternative t Rule 6 is t use NT cue-bids t shw cntrls in the agreed suit. With this agreement, in the sequence discussed under Rule 2, the 4S bid wuld shw the ace, while the 4NT bid wuld shw the AK, since if his secnd ace had been in hearts he wuld have bid 4H instead f either 4S r 4NT. This is a useful treatment, but is nt part f the Fundatin System because it is nt in widespread use and thus requires explicit partnership agreement. A Sample Auctin T see hw all this wrks in practice, suppse this is the last rund f a Sectinal Swiss Teams. Yu are tied fr the lead, and will win the event if yu win this match. With bth sides vulnerable, yu are the dealer and pick up AQJ98 A96 KJ1096 ß -. Yu pen 1S and, with the ppnents remaining silent thrughut, partner respnds 2C. This des nt thrill yu, but yu rebid 2D and hear partner bid 3S. Since 2S wuld have been frcing, this bviusly shws gd trump supprt, s with the adrenaline flwing yu start a cue-bidding sequence with a 4H bid, and partner respnds 5D. Yu re bviusly ging t 6S nw, but decide t bid 5NT t see if partner has anything else wrth shwing such as the heart king, and partner surprises yu with a 6D bid. Nw yu have t start thinking. He s nt shwing the king, since yu have it. A singletn ace is a pssibility, but a singletn in yur side suit is hardly wrth bragging abut, s he wuld surely have just signed ff in 6S with that hlding. Finally, it dawns n yu. Lindsay s Law tells him that yu have the spade ace, since yu d have bid 6C rather than 5NT if yu had the club ace, yet 5NT is a grand slam try, s he knws yu may very well have a club vid, r be hping that he has the club ace. He knws that yu wuld nt be bidding this strngly with a jack-high suit, s he knws yu have the diamnd king and he is shwing the diamnd queen. Triumphantly, yu bid 7S, partner passes, and yu await LHO s pening lead f the heart king. Partner slwly puts dwn K AQ ß KJ974 and yu have a few anxius mments. Yu see that 7S is cld if trumps are 22, but if they re 31, yu need t pitch a heart n the third rund f diamnds and ruff tw hearts befre drawing the last trump. Yu win the heart ace, cash the spade AQ, and LHO shws ut. Yu play the diamnd ace, vertake the diamnd queen with the king, and lead the diamnd jack. N, diamnds d nt split 33, but yu re in luck anyway, since it is LHO wh has nly tw, and he des nt have the utstanding trump. S yu can pitch a heart frm dummy, ruff a heart, ruff a club, ruff the last heart, ruff a club, draw the last trump, claim yur grand slam, which had abut a 75 percent chance f making, and win the event. It desn t get any better than this. Hands like this are what has kept me playing this game fr fifty years. Gerber Ace-Asking Cnventins This uses a 4C bid as an ace-asking cnventin, and ccurs nly in certain ntrump sequences: after a 1NT r 2NT pening, r after a 2C pening is fllwed by a 2NT r 3NT bid. See the chapter n Ntrump Bidding fr details.

7 Blackwd The wrld s mst ppular ace-asking cnventin since its inventin by Easley Blackwd in 1933, Blackwd has remained ppular because f its simplicity. A bid f 4NT, except when an invitatinal raise f a preceding NT bid, asks fr a cunt f the number f aces held by partner. A respnse f 5C shws 0 r 4 aces, 5D shws 1 ace, 5H shws 2 aces, and 5S shws 3 aces. A 5NT respnse shws 2 aces and a useful vid. A jump t the 6- level belw the agreed suit shws 1 ace and a useful vid in the suit bid, unless the jump is t 6 f the trump suit, which shws 1 ace and a vid in a higherranking suit. Because f its simplicity, Blackwd was habitually ver-used by mst players when cntemplating a slam, especially in situatins where cue-bidding wuld have been a mre suitable apprach. Early in my bridge career, t avid this prblem, I nce went fr a full year withut using Blackwd in rder t sharpen my skills at using the cue-bidding methds described in the previus sectin. These days, Blackwd is slwly being superseded by Rman Keycard Blackwd (see belw) and is therefre nt a part f the Fundatin System. Kickback Using 4NT as an ace-asking cnventin wrks well fr bidding (r staying ut f) majr suit slams and ntrump slams, but is f limited utility fr minr suit slams, because the respnse can smetimes frce the bidding t the 6-level when 2 aces are missing. T avid this prblem, sme therists devised a scheme in which a bid f the suit just abve the agreed trump suit is used as the ace-asking bid. This handles the minr-suit prblem but intrduces tw new prblems: (a) the Kickback bid is n lnger available as a cuebid; and (b) sme firm rules need t be established cncerning when such a bid is Kickback and when it is natural. Kickback is therefre nt a part f the Fundatin System. In my wn partnerships, I have ccasinally used a 4S Kickback when hearts are agreed, but prefer a different apprach (t be described later) when a minr suit is agreed. Rman Keycard Blackwd (RKC) This ace-asking cnventin was ppularized by the famus Italian Blue Team which dminated Wrld Bridge Federatin cmpetitin in the 60s. It defines five keycards, which include the fur aces and the king f the agreed suit. After the 4NT keycard-asking bid, 5C shws 0 r 3 keycards, 5D shws 1 r 4 keycards, 5H shws 2 keycards but denies the queen f the agreed suit, and 5S shws 2 keycards with the queen f the agreed suit. After a 5C r 5D respnse, if asker wants t knw abut the queen f the agreed suit, he can bid the cheapest suit which is nt the agreed suit. Partner is expected t sign ff in the agreed suit if he des nt have the queen, r t make sme ther bid (usually an undisclsed king, r slam in the agreed suit) if he des have the queen. When asker is nt cncerned abut the trump queen, a 5NT bid can be used t ask abut side-suit kings. Over 5NT, partner is expected t bid his cheapest side-suit king, and the auctin will cntinue in the usual cue-bidding style.

8 An alternative in respnding t this 5NT bid is t use Blackwd-style respnses: 6C = 0, 6D = 1, 6H = 2. Feel free t use either methd, but be sure t discuss this area with each f yur partners befre playing RKC. What des a 4NT RKC bid mean when there is nt yet an agreed suit? The mst ppular apprach when n suit has been explicitly agreed is t use the last suit which has been bid naturally as the agreed suit, in rder t gain the advantages f learning abut the king and queen f sme specific suit, even if that suit des nt ultimately becme the trump suit. This is the fficial Fundatin System methd. Again, there are tw schls f thught. The cnservative apprach is t use RKC nly when there has been specific trump suit agreement, and t use 4NT as ld-fashined Blackwd if n suit has been agreed. This is a playable alternative, but again be sure t discuss this area with each partner befre playing RKC. The increasing ppularity f RKC has led t its ver-use, in the same way that Blackwd used t be ver-used in preference t the cue-bidding apprach. I hpe that the earlier cue-bidding sectin has cnvinced yu t cnsider that apprach when apprpriate rather than relying exclusively n RKC. Eddie Kantar, a frmer Wrld Champin and a ppular Califrnia teacher and writer, strngly recmmends a slight mdificatin t the RKC respnse structure. He suggests that the first tw respnses shuld be reversed, s that 5C shws 1 r 4 keycards, while 5D shws 0 r 3. He calls the riginal scheme 0314, and his scheme 1430 (rather than 1403, because 1430 is such a familiar number t bridge players as the scre fr a vulnerable majr suit small slam). His bk prmting 1430 is nw in its 3rd editin, and claims a slight theretical advantage fr 1430 ver I remain skeptical f that advantage, and discuss this issue later in this chapter, s 0314 is the fficial Fundatin System methd, but either scheme is quite playable. This is anther area which must be discussed with yur partner befre playing RKC.

9 RKC When the Agreed Suit is a Minr 4NT as the RKC ask is virtually useless when the agreed suit is a minr. With clubs agreed, a 1 respnse will frce the bidding t the 6-level (and even a 0 respnse will d s if playing Kantar s belved 1430). With diamnds agreed, a 2 respnse, with r withut the queen, will d s. Kantar recgnized this prblem, f curse, and prpsed a Kickback-like scheme t handle it. Yu will recall frm the prir discussin f Kickback that rules must be established t determine when a ptential Kickback bid is really Kickback, and when it is natural. This is nt a trivial issue. Kantar has dzens f rules fr varius bidding sequences. One f the simplest reads smething like this: When clubs are agreed, 4D is RKC unless diamnds is a first-bid suit, in which case 4H is RKC unless hearts is als a first bid suit, in which case 4S is RKC. Similarly: When diamnds are agreed, 4H is RKC unless hearts is a first-bid suit, in which case 4S is RKC unless spades is als a first-bid suit, in which case 4NT is RKC. He discusses dzens f ptential slam auctins, and has different rules fr each. This is murky water, indeed, unless yu always play with the same partner, and bth f yu have phenmenal memries. This is definitely nt part f the Fundatin System. The Fundatin System uses a much simpler slutin t this prblem. In game-frcing auctins, if a minr suit has been explicitly agreed, a bid f that minr at the 4-level is RKC. Similarly, if a minr has nt yet been agreed, a raise f partner s minr t the 4- level is RKC, and that minr becmes the agreed suit. If the auctin is nt game-frcing, such minr-suit bids at the 4-level are ften invitatinal rather than RKC, but if partner chses nt t pass, but t accept the invitatin, he des s by making the nrmal RKC respnses. Naturally, these respnses are step respnses. The cheapest respnse shws 0 r 3, the next cheapest shws 1 r 4, etc. This slutin leaves all new suit bids at the 4- level available fr use in slam cue-bidding. If a 4-f-the-minr bid wuld be merely invitatinal, and yu d nt want t risk being passed, yu can always use the cue-bidding apprach instead. Of curse, a 4NT bid immediately fllwing a minr suit bid is als RKC with that minr as the agreed suit, but that apprach will nrmally be taken nly when the slam will ultimately be bid in NT, r perhaps n rare ccasins in a majr suit. When the RKC respnse is disappinting, Asker will usually sign-ff by bidding the agreed suit at the 5-level. When a minr is the agreed suit, the cheapest ntrump bid is als a sign-ff since (especially at matchpints) the higher scring f a ntrump game means that it is usually undesirable t play a minr suit game if a ntrump game is als available. When a majr suit is agreed, f curse, the nly sign-ff is the cheapest bid in the agreed majr.

10 Feedback RKC (FBRKC) This versin f RKC is nt part f the Fundatin System because it is nt widely knwn, but is included here as a highly recmmended ptin fr regular partnerships wh play tgether frequently. It riginated in 3-D and the MAFIA Club with the idea that after the ace-asking cnventin there shuld be a mechanism fr Asker t feed back t Respnder the infrmatin abut the ttal number f keycards the partnership hlds, s that Respnder can participate in the slam decisin. With ne small, but significant, change, in the Asker s secnd ptin belw, FBRKC is identical t the RKC versin recmmended abve. If a majr suit has been agreed, 4NT is FBRKC, while 4 f a minr suit is FBRKC if the minr has been previusly agreed, r if that minr has been previusly bid by partner. With hearts agreed a 2 with respnse t 4NT FBRKC might ccasinally (perhaps nce a year if yu play a lt) frce a slam with 2 keycards missing. If this wrries yu, try 4S as Kickback FBRKC fr hearts, with 4NT as a spade cue-bid, unless spades has been bid naturally by either partner. I ve never felt a need t bther with this refinement. The respnses t the FBRKC bid are identical t the standard 0314 RKC respnses previusly described. After the FBRKC respnse, Asker has these ptins: Sign-ff in the agreed suit (r in NT if the agreed suit is a minr), if the respnse was disappinting, presumably because tw keycards are missing. Make the cheapest bid which is nt a sign-ff. In standard RKC, this bid is the queen ask (unless the respnse was 2 with). In FBRKC, this bid is mre flexible. It tells partner that nly ne keycard is missing, but that Asker is still nt sure whether t bid a slam, and wants Respnder t make that decisin. Frequently a missing queen in the agreed suit is the reasn fr Asker s uncertainty, but FBRKC allws fr ther pssible reasns such as a missing queen in a lng side suit, r the lack f a secnd stpper in a side suit which is likely t be led befre a missing trump keycard can be driven ut. Bid a slam in the agreed suit r in NT (r jump t slam in anther suit) when he has n interest in a grand slam. Cnfirm that all keycards and the trump queen are accunted fr by making any bid, nt included in the ther three ptins abve, as a grand slam try, giving preference t cuebidding the cheapest side suit king, and asking Respnder t cue-bid side suit kings up the line. Any NT bid by Asker which is nt a sign-ff cnfirms all keycards but denies any kings that are lwer-ranking than the agreed suit vs 1430 There are tw pssible areas where the chice f 0314 vs 1430 culd matter: Which methd is best at aviding an embarrassing respnse; i.e., ne which frces the bidding t a slam when tw keycards are missing? With the methds recmmended here, the nly pssible embarrassment arises when 4NT is used as RKC fr hearts and receives the 2 with respnse, and 0314 vs 1430 is immaterial in that case. Mre serius embarrassments can arise using Kantar s

11 Kickback methds after minr suit agreement, particularly 4S RKC fr clubs and 4NT RKC fr diamnds, but thse are avided using the 4 f the agreed minr methds recmmended here. Which methd makes it easier t reach a grand slam when the RKC respnse indicates that the partnership hlds all five keycards? Here the chice becmes which methd uses the cheapest respnse t shw that all keycards are held, thus leaving ne additinal bid available fr shwing side suit kings. This depends n the number f keycards held by Asker. If Asker has 1 r 4 keycards, 1430 has the advantage; if he has 2 r 5 keycards, 0314 is best; and if he has 3 keycards, there is n difference. Shakespeare gets the last wrd n this subject: Much Ad Abut Nthing. Asker will prbably have 1 r 4 keycards mre ften than 2 r 5, s there is a miniscule advantage fr 1430, but it is hardly wrth the lengthy debates 1430 has engendered. If yur partner prefers 1430, humr him and use it. Otherwise, keep it simple and use the mre natural sunding Once every three r fur years yu might regret it. Exclusin Keycard (EKC) When yu hld a vid in a side suit, it wuld be nice t be able t ask partner nt t cunt the ace f that suit in making his keycard respnse. There is a way t d this. An unusual jump in a side suit is EKC, and asks partner t exclude the ace f that suit when making the usual 0314 r 1430 RKC respnse, s that there are nly 4 keycards instead f the usual 5. An unusual jump befre trump agreement agrees the last bid suit and is EKC. What is an unusual jump? In a game-frcing auctin r after trump agreement, any jump in a new suit t the 4-level r higher is EKC. In all ther situatins (i.e., in a nn-frcing auctin, r befre trump agreement) a single jump culd be natural r a splinter, s it takes a duble jump in a new suit t qualify as unusual. Thus, with ppnents silent, 1S/2S/4C is EKC, but lc/1s/3d is a splinter, while 1C/1S/4D is EKC. Cue-Bidding vs RKC The auctin is reaching the crucial stage. Yu have determined that yu prbably have enugh winners fr a slam, and want t make sure yu d nt have tw lsers. The Fundatin System ffers tw different appraches, cue-bidding and RKC. Hw d yu decide which apprach t use? Actually, there is a third apprach which I have nt described in this chapter: the bash, a sudden leap t slam. The bash is smetimes apprpriate, when yu think a slam is likely but further bidding is mre likely t help the ppnents find the right lead r a gd sacrifice than t imprve yur chances f aviding a bad slam. We ll ignre the bash here, and fcus n chsing between cuebidding and RKC. We will examine the prs and cns f bth appraches in terms f the number f keycards held by the partner wh is cnsidering initiating ur slam-bidding mechanisms. 0 Keycards: Lindsay s Law makes RKC the nly ptin here, assuming yu can find sme legitimate reasn fr even cnsidering a slam. This might happen nce in a lifetime. RKC has n way t shw 5 keycards, but if partner has them, he ll find his way t a grand slam.

12 1 Keycard: Again, Lindsay s Law makes RKC the nly chice. Any 2 KC respnse rules ut a slam unless yu have a vid in a suit in which partner des nt hld the ace. 2 Keycards: This is cue-bidding cuntry, but if neither KC is in a side suit, there s n cnvenient initiating cue-bid, althugh smetimes an initiating cue-bid in a lng side suit headed by the king will wrk well, since if partner has the ace f that suit, he ll be able t read the situatin. Otherwise it will usually be better t use RKC, r make a further descriptive bid and hpe that partner will decide t use RKC. Yu ll need at least a 2 withut respnse fr slam. 3 Keycards: Unless all 3 KCs are in the partnership s lng suits, there will be an easy initiating cue-bid available, but if partner has a keycard in trumps, he may nt be able t shw it. Again, smetimes an initiating cue-bid in a lng side suit headed by the king will wrk well. RKC is prbably best unless yu have a small dubletn and need a side-suit ace frm partner fr slam. Yu ll need at least a 1KC respnse fr slam. 4 Keycards: Cue-bidding is preferred if yu have a small dubletn and need a side suit ace frm partner fr slam. Otherwise RKC will usually wrk ut better, since it will be easier t infrm partner that we have enugh KCs fr slam. 5 Keycards: Unless yu can bid the grand slam yurself immediately, use RKC in rder t let partner knw the gd news in case he can cunt enugh winners t bid the grand slam.