This description of Bridge World Standard, intended as a clarification of the items in the summary, was developed by Jim Loy. The introduction and notes (based on conversations with The Bridge World staff) are his.

   For the Summary itself, see Bridge World Standard Summary

   Bridge World Standard was determined by polls of experts (and amateurs). It is the standard system for the Master Solvers' Club in The Bridge World. And it may be popular among new partnerships. Abbreviations that I have used: m = minor suit, M = major suit, x = any suit (as in 2x). Hoping to make the information more useful, I have reformatted the system summary and added a few comments. I also include some clarifications received from Jeff Rubens, identified here as JR. For comparison purposes, I have appended a summary of the previous (1984) version of the system.

CONTENTS

Bridge World Standard 1994

• Opening Bids and Responses
• Partnership Bidding
• Competitive Bidding
• Defensive Bidding
• Opening Leads

Bridge World Standard 1984

Opening Bids and Responses

5-card majors in first and second position

• Minimum balanced hand: good 12

1NT: good 15 to bad 18

• Jacoby transfers
  • Splinter rebids [jump after transfer]
  • Game raise is slam try [example: 1NT-2H-2S-4S] [Use Texas with only game]
  • 1NT-2D-2H-2S forcing only one round
• 1NT-2S shows both minors [Minor suit Stayman]
• 1NT-3H invitational, major 2-suiter
• Texas transfers
• Stayman
  • 1NT-2C-2x-2S invitational
  • 1NT-2C-2D-2H weak
  • 1NT-2C-2x-3m forcing
• Smolen [1NT-2C-2D-3M shows 4 in bid major and at least 5 in other major]
• 1NT-3m invitational [Use Stayman to force]
• Gerber

2NT: good 20 to bad 22 (small doubleton acceptable)

• Jacoby Transfers
• 2NT-3S shows both minors [Minor suit Stayman]
• Texas Transfers
• Gerber
• High Gerber [5C asks for aces when 4C is otherwise occupied (e.g. as a splinter JR]

2C artificial, strong

• Natural responses
• 2D response neutral [weak or no good suit]
  • Second negative = cheaper minor up to 3D [0-4 HCP?]
• Positive response requires good suit

Preempts

• Weak 2-bids
  • 2NT response asks for feature if maximum
  • New-suit responses forcing
• Weak "gambling" 3-bids [Gambling in the sense of lack of security, not conforming to the traditional rule of 2 and 3 JR]
• Game-level opening
  • New-suit = asking bid with step responses [Perhaps asking for controls in the suit bid?]

3NT: Gambling (little outside strength)

• 4D response artificial [Presumably asks for singletons]

Responses to major suit opening (1M):

• 1NT response forcing
• Two-over-one response promises a rebid
• Limit jump raise
  • Four trumps
  • Cheapest rebid asks shortness
• 2NT response, strong raise (asks shortness) [Some sort of Jacoby 2NT]
• 3NT response natural, 16-17
• Passed-hand responses:
  • 1NT 6-12
  • 2C strong raise
  • 3C natural

Responses to minor-suit opening (1m)

• Single raise strong, 10 pts and up, denies major
• Jump raise weak [Inverted minor raise]
• 1NT response 8-10 after 1C, 6-10 after 1D
• 2NT response natural, game force
• Up-the-line may be ignored with moderate hand
• 2C response to 1D promises a rebid.

Partnership Bidding

Splinter raises

• Double-jump-shift after major opening [example: 1H-4D]
• Single jump in 4th suit if one level above a reverse [example: 1C-1D-1S-3H]
• Single jump in 3rd suit if 4-level [example: 1S-2H-4C] or reverse [example: 1D-1S-3H]
• Double jump in 4th suit [example: 1D-1S-2C-4H]
• Four of opener's minor after new-suit rebid [example: 1D-1H-1S-4D]
• Jump-shift by 2D responder to 2C [example: 2C-2D-2S-4S]
• New-suit jump after single major raise [example: 1H-2H-3S]
• Double new-suit jump after 1NT response [example: 1H-1NT-4D]

Slam methods

• Roman key-card Blackwood with trump queen ask
  • DOPI
  • 5NT (2 keys) or higher response with void [Bid void suit or 5NT if higher suit than trump]
  • 5NT rebids invites seven, asks king cue-bidding [Bid non-trump kings up-the-line]
• Cheapest-weakest responses to grand-slam force [If not showing 2 of top 3, the less you have the less you bid. So 6C is weakest, and so forth JR]
• Gerber after 1NT or 2NT opening or rebid
• Picture jumps in forcing situations [The reverse of fast arrival. For example, if a raise to 3 of a major is forcing, bidding that is unlimited while bidding 4 shows good trumps (picture bid) JR]

Other methods

• Fourth-suit bidding
  • Nonforcing by passed hand unless reverse
  • 1C-1D-1H-1S may be weak
  • Promises another bid at the 2-level
  • Game force if reverse or at the 3-level
• Third-suit bidding
  • Game force if reverse or at 3-level
  • Otherwise does not promise a rebid
• Opener's suit-over-suit reverse promises rebid [This refers to auctions such as 1D-1S-2H where the 2H bidder promises to bid again (so 3D by responder is strong, for example JR]
• Responder's reverse game force
• All non-jump-shift secondary jumps by one-over-one responder invitational [example: 1H-1S-2C-3S]
• Opener's jump rebid to four of original minor is strong raise [example: 1D-2H-4D]
• Unbid minor forcing and artificial after 1NT rebid (requests support) [requests 3-card support in first suit]
• After 2NT jump by opener, 3C artificial, may be prelude to signoff [Wolff convention, broadly JR]
• Reraise to 3 of major preemptive [example 1S-2S-3S]
• After opener's reverse, cheaper of 2NT and fourth suit is neutral

Competitive Bidding

Negative doubles

• After suit opening, through 3S (including opener's suit)
• After 1NT opening, at the three level
• Unlimited
• Suggests length in unbid major
• Of 1H shows four spades
• Of 1S after minor opening shows 4 or more hearts
• Repeat same-suit double by negative doubler for takeout

Weak jump responses after overcall of minor opening

• Over overcall
  • Jump raise preemptive
  • cue-bid is forcing raise
  • Jump cue-bid is splinter
• Over two-suited overcalls
  • Cheapest cue-bid = raise
  • Next cue-bid = unbid suit
  • Unbid suit nonforcing
• Over minor Michaels
  • Unbid suit nonforcing
  • Major suit shows stopper
• Over major Michaels
  • cue-bid in enemy major is limit raise or better
  • New suit forcing
• Support doubles and redoubles when raise to two is available Except 1C-(p)-1D-(1S)-dbl shows hearts

Over a double of partner's suit bid

• New suit forcing at the one-level only
• jump-shift nonforcing
• 2NT limit raise or better
• double jump in new suit splinter

Lebensohl after 2-level overcalls of 1NT

• Jump cue-bid by opener is splinter raise
• Pass and pull strong in forcing situation [If you pass, forcing, partner doubles, then you bid something you could have bid earlier, it is stronger (thus more slam invitational if that matters) than if you had bid it directly JR]

Defensive Bidding

Michaels cue-bids

• In minor = majors, in major = other major + unspecified minor
• In direct and reopening position over suit one-bids and over 1NT response
• Weak or quite strong

Miscellaneous

• Direct jump cue-bid natural over minor, asks stopper over major
• Takeout doubles of preemptive openings through 4H, otherwise for penalty
• Maximal overcall double of raised suit
• Reopenings: 1NT 10-14, 2NT 18-19
• In fourth seat over a response: 1NT and cue-bids natural
• After 1NT overcall: 2C Stayman, jumps invitational
• Double of free new-suit bid by responder shows fourth suit plus tolerance [example: 1D-1H-2C-dbl]
• Cappelletti over 1NT (all situations) [2C=1-suited hand, 2D=both majors, 2M=that major and unspecified minor]
• Direct 2NT unusual for lower unbid suits (weak or quite strong)
• After cue-bids, new-suit bids forcing
• Takeout doubles: May be light with shape. New-suit rebid very stong
• Preemptive jump overcalls and preemptive jump raises of overcalls
• Responsive and extended responsive doubles [Opening-overcall-raise-double as informatory is extended responsive. Technically, responsive doubles means only in opening-double-raise-double JR]
  • After takeout doubles
  • At the 2-level after an overcall
  • After a preempt
• Mixed-raise advances of overcalls
• cue-bid by advancer forcing until a suit is bid twice or game
• Lebensohl
  • After double of weak 2-bid, either position by unpassed hand
  • Following 1NT overcall

Opening Leads

Vs. suits

• Third from even
• Low from odd
• All other leads old-fashioned

Opening bids

Strong 1NT (15-bad 18)

• Nonforcing Stayman
• Preemptive jump responses to 3D

Strong 4-card major suit may be opened with convenient rebid

Weak 2-bids

2C is strong and artificial

• Natural positive responses

Responses and rebids

Limit jump raises

3NT and Swiss as forcing raises

Up-the-line responses with 4-card major suits

1C-1NT shows 8-10 pts.

Reverse by opener forcing

Jump rebids by responder not forcing except in opener's minor or in new suit

Responder's nonjump rebids in new suits over opener's 1NT rebid are not forcing

Opener's bid of a new suit after a single raise is a natural game try

Slam conventions

Blackwood over suit bids

Gerber over NT bids

Grand slam force

Competitive conventions and treatments

Negative doubles through 3S

Responsive doubles after takeout doubles

Nonforcing, nonjump responses after an overcall over partner's 1NT opening

Preemptive reraises

2NT response over opponent's double shows a limit raise in opener's suit

• Other changes of suit and jump shifts nonforcing

Preemptive jump overcalls

Unusual 2NT overcall for the two lower unbid suits

Landy

Takeout doubles of preempts through 4H

• Penalty doubles of higher preempts

Jump responses to partner's 1NT overcall are invitational

• cue-bid is the only force

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