Other Conventions

Checkback

We met this convention briefly when we were looking at responder’s second bid. It’s worth looking at in more detail though, as it’s really helpful any time opener has shown a balanced hand with their rebid, and that’s a pretty common occurrence.

Try some hands

Hand 1

After your partner has rebid 1NT, you want to find out if they have three-card support for hearts. Can you think how? In the play, you need to be careful with the heart suit to ensure that you don’t lose any tricks if possible.

Hand 2

Once again, you have the opportunity to search for a major suit fit after your partner rebids 1NT. After they respond, you need to pick whether you want to play in a suit and whether you need any more information about their points. You should make sure you play your long club suit carefully to pick up as many tricks as possible.

Hand 3

This time, your partner has bid checkback stayman and you need to pick the right response. When dummy comes down, you should think carefully about how the opponents might be tricky to take the contract down.

Hand 4

Your partner bids checkback stayman and again you need to decide your response. As the auction continues, you need to use your deduction to find the best contract! In the play, you need to maximise your chances of winning all your clubs to make sure you don’t go down.

Back

Checkback

A modified version of Stayman, this convention is great for making sure you don’t miss that important major suit fit.

Question 1/6

Walter has a pretty nice hand here, with his partner having opened the bidding. He knows they belong in game, but what is his best bid at this point?

Walter has a game forcing hand and would probably be fine in 3NT. However, if Penelope has three spades, then 4♠ will be a much better contract. She would not have been able to show three card spade support with her rebid, because from her perspective, Walter might only have four spades. Walter can bid 2♣ as Checkback fo find out whether Penelope has either four hearts (which he is not interested in on this occasion) or three spades, which he is keen to hear. He can't go straight to four spades because Penelope might only have two spades in her balanced hand.

In this auction, we are looking at things from opener’s perspective. What should Penelope bid now?

Walter's 2♣ bid is checkback, asking about Penelope's major suit holdings. She should show the lower-ranking of three cards in partner's suit or four cards in the other major. So if she had four hearts she would bid 2♥. She doesn't, but she does have three cards in Walter's suit, so she shows that by bidding 2♠.

Back to Walter, as responder now. In this auction, he has bid checkback after Penelope’s 1NT rebid. What should he bid now that he has seen her response to that enquiry?

Penelope's 2♦ bid says that she has neither three cards in Walter's major nor four cards in hearts (the other major). Walter now knows that they do not have a major suit fit but they definitely have enough points for game, so he should bid 3NT. 2NT would show only an invitational hand.

How should Penelope respond to Walter’s checkback enquiry here?

Penelope has three very nice cards in Walter's first bid suit but she also has four hearts. She should show the lower-ranking of the two things first, so she must bid 2♥.

Carrying on the same auction, Walter has now bid 2NT. What should Penelope bid next?

When Walter bid checkback, he might have had five spades and four hearts in his hand, and been looking for a fit in either major. When he does not raise hearts after Penelope shows four of them, this is no longer possible. He did bid checkback though, so he must have been looking for three spades. She should therefore show her three spades by bidding 4♠ with a maximum hand opposite Walter's invitational bid.

Walter has responded to Penelope’s opening bid by showing his longer major - spades. He does also have four hearts in his hand. What should he bid now?

Walter's hand is weak. In order to bid 2♣ checkback, he should have at least an invitational hand. Here, he can just bid 2♥ and Penelope will know that a) he has five spades and 4+ hearts (with 4-4 in the majors he would have responded 1♥ 'four on the floor') and b) that he has fewer than 10 points because with a better hand and this shape he would have bid checkback.

These links will take you to the Bridge Training website, where you can have a go at bidding and responding to Checkback Stayman. You will then be able to play the hands and see if you can make your contract. Have as many goes as you like if you don’t succeed the first time.