Smolen
 

 

 

 

 

 


Major Transfer Option after a Negative Response to Stayman

Presented by Mike Savage

 

     Smolen was created to enable transfers to still be made into the no-trump opener’s hand by responder even after using Stayman, whenever responder has five-four in the majors and values for game. Smolen is only played at the three-level as you must have game forcing values to use it. Here is how it works: after a 1NT opening and a negative (2D) response to Stayman, responder makes a game-forcing jump to three of his shorter (four-card) major, promising five-cards in the other major. Opener can declarer in 3NT, when he doesn’t have a fit or four of responder’s five-card major (by accepting the transfer option) when he does have a three-card fit.

     If responder has a six-card major and a four-card major with values for game, he should bid Stayman over 1NT, and over a negative (2D) response, if playing Texas Transfers, he can jump to 4D with a six-card heart suit and 4H with a six-card spade suit and still effect the transfer.

     Smolen can also be used over 2NT or 2C, followed by a 2NT rebid. Again, after standard Stayman and a negative response (now 3D), responder simply bids three of his shorter major, promising at least five-cards in the other major. The responses are just the same as over 1NT, shown above. With six-four in the majors, responder bids Stayman and over the negative response (3D), he bids three of his four-card major. If partner bids 3NT, showing only two cards in responder’s six-card major, responder can still force opener to declare in his major by bidding 4D, using it as an artificial bid, forcing opener to bid four of responder’s known longer major.

 

Basic Standard Structure:

1NT-2C-2D:   3H = Shows five spades and four hearts with at least values for game.

                       3S = Shows five hearts and four spades with at least values for game.

                                 Responses over either bid:

                                 3NT = Denies three-card support for responders longer major.

                                             4C = Gerber

                                             4D = Forces opener to bid four of responder’s longer major.                         

                                 Bid of responders longer major (3S or 4H) = Shows 3-card support.

 

2NT-3C-3D:   3H = Shows five or more spades and four hearts with at least values for game.

                      3S  = Shows five or more hearts and four spades with at least values for game.

                                 Responses over either bid:

                                 3NT = Denies 3-card support for responders longer major.

                                             4C = Gerber

                                            4D = Forces opener to bid four of responder’s longer major.

                                Bid of responder’s longer major (3S or 4H) = Shows 3-card support. 

 

Optional Suggestions:

  1. When playing Smolen, after 1NT-2D-3H/3S: when opener has a fit in responder’s longer major, you could play 4C by opener as an artificial bid - showing a maximum and a good fit.
  2. After 1NT-2C-2D-3H/3S-3NT: you can play 4C and 4D as shown above or you could just play 4C and 4D as natural bids. If you like transfers, you could still play 4C as Gerber but use 4D to show clubs, 4H to show diamonds. Either way, bidding the next higher suit would be Six-key Roman Key-card (for responder’s 5-card major and 4-card minor) while 4NT would be to play.