Comments: I was the dealer, at nil vulnerability, holding the East hand with the singleton club, I opted to pass. We play 2C checkback and that is what I intended but my partner passed. Have I used the system incorrectly for a passed hand? Does one bid the other minor? Also, was I too conservative to value my hand down and pass?

And Peter's Response:

Hi Julia,

Let's start with your second question about opening the bidding. Gone are the days when thirteen high card points were needed to open the auction.

Ignoring your CQ completely, you have five-four in the majors (great assets), also two quick tricks and combined honours in diamonds.

Additionally the CQ is something the opponents do not have.

I would open 1H allowing that my opening is minimum. 4H, a good contract, should then be reached easily.

Consider if you swap one of your small hearts for a small club. Now your hand meets all the modern requirements for an opening bid. This new hand, AKxx, xxxx, QJ9, Qx, lacking a five card suit, is weaker than the one you actually held.

Back to your main question about checkback. It can be played in many ways.

The critical issue is that, as with any bidding convention, both partners need to have the same understanding. This requires discussion.

A good list of questions for a range of conventions is -

(a) If opponents overcall a suit does it still apply?
(b) If opponents overcall in no-trumps does it still apply?
(c) If opponents double does it still apply?
(d) Is the action the same from a passed hand?

Such a list could be used for a variety of conventions such as Checkback, Stayman, Bergen Raises, Jacoby 2NT, conventional interventions and similarly these questions should be addressed after a NT opening in respect of continuations such as transfers, Drury, Blackwood, Gerber, Keycard and others.

As it happens, I do believe it is okay to play checkback as a passed hand though it does not have all the benefits that accrue to unpassed hands which might conceal slam going values.