The Auction
After North’s initial Pass, E/W conducted a routine auction through West’s 2♦ rebid, alerted as New Minor Forcing. Note that opener was unable to show the 4–card heart suit on the first rebid, as that would have been a reverse. Responder wants to know if opener has 3–card support in spades, but here, West also holds a 4–card heart suit. Opinions vary, but when there is a double major suit fit, some partnerships prefer to play in the 4–4 fit, expecting to discard side suit losers on long suit winners in the 5–3 fit. So after West’s 2♦, what should East show first, the 3–card spade support, or the 4–card heart suit?
This is very much a matter of Partnership Agreement. Some teaching authorities make showing 3–card support for responder’s 5–card major the top priority, or failing that, to show four cards in the unbid major. Others reverse this and advise that opener first show the unbid 4–card major, even if also holding 3–card support in responder’s major. Our E/W pair had the latter agreement, and East duly responded 2♥ to West’s NMF rebid. That was all that West needed to hear to jump to the heart game.
The Play
The outcome of the Deal depends on which major is trumps, and on South’s opening lead. With the ♥K onside, there are 11 top tricks in either major suit game. In spades, declarer has no way to get rid of diamond losers, and N/S must always score two defensive tricks. But in hearts, if N/S do not take their two diamond tricks right away, they never will. After winning the opening lead and drawing three rounds of trumps, declarer can discard both diamond losers in the closed hand on dummy’s long spades and will score a twelfth trick with a club ruff in dummy.
Dear Reader, let us put ourselves in South’s seat. Would any of us have led the ♦A or a low diamond at trick one? Teachers frequently advise their students not to lead aces or to underlead them when defending against suit contracts. Your author would never have been able to do it, and any other lead gives up the second overtrick.
Closing Thoughts
New Minor Forcing is one of those useful conventions that makes a relatively frequent appearance at the table. Just as for any convention we might consider adopting, partnerships should thoroughly discuss the meaning of subsequent opener and responder rebids after invoking NMF. In particular, it’s a good idea to come to agreement on what is opener’s first responsibility, to show 3–card support for responder’s 5–card major, or to show four cards in the unbid major.
All the best,
Rex
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