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What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for July 2003

The best submission in July came from Susie Warren.

And Peter's Reply:

Hi Susie,
You've touched on a subject that is fundamental to the understanding of standard bidding structures. Despite the fact that 1C may promise very few cards in the club suit, once opener bids a second suit, the length of the club suit automatically increases.
So after 1C:1D when opener re-bids 1H or 1S, this simultaneously shows 4 of the major bid and confirms 4+ clubs. With a four card major and three cards in all other suits and 12-15 HCP, the correct rebid is 1NT
Missing a 4-4 fit in the major is not a great concern if responder has a balanced hand pattern.
Additionally, if responder really is interested in opener's possible major suit, responder may bid it at their second bid leaving opener to raise.
Similarly with 4-4 in the majors, after opening 1C and getting a 1D response, 1NT is the appropriate re-bid.
So, bidding four card suits up the line, after 1C:1D, rebidding 2C
should show six plus clubs. Yes, six or more clubs. This is because -
(a) With a completely balanced hand, the rebid is in NT,
(b) With a four card major and four or more clubs, rebid one of the major.
(c) With primary support for partner's diamonds, raise diamonds (or bid NT if that occasionally seems best).
With thirteen cards to account for, rebid in clubs denies a balanced
hand (five clubs and three, three, two in the others is balanced), denies
four or more in a major, denies primary support for diamonds and therefore has six or more clubs.
This logic does not apply so neatly when partner's response has taken up bidding space.
After 1C:1H/1S response, the rebid of 2C may only have 5 clubs if unbalanced and of minimum strength. This is so because it is dangerous to bid a new suit at the two level higher in rank than opener's first bid suit. This is the concept of the reverse. The principal is that a reverse promises significant extra values to compensate for the danger.
The appropriate rebid on your given shape is 1H, simultaneously showing
4+ clubs and 4+ hearts with at least as many, or more, clubs than hearts.
Regards
Peter Fordham

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