Overview of Opening 1 Club and Transfer Responses
We have restrictions when opening 1NT, 1 of a Major and 1♦ promises an unbalanced hand. That means the remaining opening hands will be opened 1♣.
Those cases would be:
- 12-14 HCP, balanced
- 12-21 HCP, unbalanced, with a biddable club suit
- 15-21 HCP, semi-balanced, with a twice biddable club suit.
The last case would consider if opening with a No-Trump type bid would be superior to opening 1♣. That might be a wise choice if opening 1♣ leaving the opener with a rebid problem of if the shape issue is a weak tenace like a Kx that needs protecting in the opening lead or perhaps a singleton K or Q. The flexibiliy of the 1♣ opening is augmented by that adoption of transfer responses by the responder.
Transfer Responses
The responder bids one suit below the suit they intend to show. They promise 4 cards in that suit. A responder should have 6+ HCP. They may choose to make a transfer with a weaker total (with the intention of passing after the opener completes the transfer or passing whatever bid opener makes when they decline the transfer). Those cases should have the HCP in the transfer suit and either extra length in the transfer suit or a singleton somewhere in the hand.
1♠ is a request to the opener to bid 1NT
1NT is a request to the opener to bid 2♣
2♣ is a transfer request to diamonds, not a raise of the club suit
Opener Responses
The opener has a predictable set of responses to the transfer request.
Exactly 3-card support the opener bids the requested suit at the cheapest-level
Exactly 4-card support the opener bids the requested suit up one level
2 or fewer in support the opener bids their hand. 1♠ would show 4 spades, while denying hearts in a heart transfer request
Over a 1♠ request to bid NT, the opener bids 1NT unless they have an unbalanced hand with 6 or more clubs and don't think No-Trump will play very well
Over a 1NT requst to bid 2♣, the opener should always bid clubs
Hands >14 HCP
These cases have other rebids by the opener. They are covered in more detail in other blog articles and in the book Modern American: The Minors
Rebidding 2NT to the transfer shows a big hand with 4-card support. This hand was unsuitable to open 1NT, 2NT or Colorado 2♣ - unbalanced
Jump bidding 3♣ to the transfer request shows a big hand and denies support for the transfer suit. It has 6 (or more) clubs