Bridge: Forcing & Non-Forcing Bids

Forcing & non-forcing bids -- guidelines for showing strength

To find the best contract in any bridge auction, one partner must confirm a trump suit (or the lack of one) and limit his hand (show his point-count range). In most auctions, the sooner you can do this, the more accurate your bidding will be. Whether you're opener or responder, you limit your hand any time you:

1 - Bid notrump.

2 - Bid an "old" suit (one that you or partner have bid previously in the auction).

The level you choose for these bids shows your point-count range.

To decide which level to bid to, think of your hand as falling into one of three categories -- minimum, invitational or forcing. The table below shows the point ranges you can use to categorize your hand in auctions that start with an opening bid of 1 of a suit. To decide how your hand fits into the table and the descriptions that follow, keep these guidelines in mind:

If your response or rebid is in notrump" Use the table category that fits your actual high-card (honor) count.
If your response or rebid is in an "old suit" (you're raising partner's suit or rebidding your own long, strong suit): Use the table category that fits your total point-count (your high-card points plus your distribution points).
If you're opener, note that the guidelines apply only if your partner can respond to your opening bid.
Some of the point values in the table overlap, so the category you use depends on your evaluation of your hand. If you're opener, for example, you can decide whether you have a "good" (forcing) 18-count -- a hand with quick tricks, good suit quality and/or a fit for partner's suit -- or a "bad" (invitational) 18-count.
Below the table are descriptions of five categories of bids -- Forcing-to-Game, Temporarily Forcing, Invitational, Minimum and Signoff. You can use these to determine the meaning of partner's bids, or to select a bid for your hand.
The descriptions include bids you'll make in the most common types of auctions, but other situations can arise. You'll also have some hands that can't be accurately described with any of the listed bids. Be ready for these situations and try to come up with a bid that follows the logic of the guidelines.

Opener	TYPE OF HAND	Responder

12-15 points	Minimum -- when you decide to bid notrump or an "old suit", you'll make your bid at the lowest level possible (usually 1NT or 2 of an old suit). Choose a bid from the a MINIMUM or SIGNOFF category below.	6-10 points
16-18 points	Invitational -- you plan to invite game and show more-than-minimum strength by freely taking the auction one level higher than necessary (usually to 2NT or 3 of a suit). Choose a bid from the TEMPORARILY FORCING or INVITATIONAL category.	10-12 points
18+ points	Forcing -- you plan to insist on game by making a bid that shows game-level point count, or by raising partner's suit or notrump response to game level. Choose a bid from the TEMPORARILY FORCING or FORCING-TO-GAME category.	12+ points

FORCING -TO-GAME BIDS -- Partner must keep bidding until you reach game.

By opener:

Strong-2 opening (21+ pts., unbalanced).
Exception: If partner has shown a truly worthless hand, you may stop at 3 of a major or higher.
Jump rebid of 2NT (18-19 pts. -- or 19-20 if you play a 1NT opening is 16-18) -- 1C-1H-2NT
Exception: If responder stretched with a sub-minimum (4-5 pts.), he can pass 2NT.
Jump rebid in a new suit (jump-shift, 18+ pts.) -- 1C-1H-2S
Any bid of the opponent's suit (cuebid, 18+ pts.) -- [1H by RHO]-2H or 1C-1H- [1S by RHO] -2S

By responder:

Jump in a new suit (jump-shift, 18+ pts.) -- 1H-3C
Jump-raise of partner's opened suit -- 1S-3S
Note: This is the "Standard" meaning, but a more popular use is invitational (11-12 pts.).
Direct jump to 2NT (12-15 pts., balanced, no major suit) --1D-2NT
Note: This is old-style "standard", but many pairs play this jump as invitational (11-12 pts.).
Any bid of the opponent's suit (cuebid ) -- 1D- [1H by RHO] -2H by you
Over partner's 1NT opening: Jump to 3 of a suit (10+ pts., 5-card suit) -- 1NT-3H

TEMPORARILY FORCING BIDS -- No clearly defined upper point limit.

Partner must bid again, but these auctions are not necessarily forcing to game.

By opener:

2-level (or higher) bid of a suit higher in rank than your first suit (reverse, 17+ pts.) -- 1C-1S-2H
A new suit after partner raises your suit (game try, 16+ pts.) -- 1H-2H-3C or 1C-1H-1S-2S-3D

By responder:

A new suit at the one-level (6+ pts.) -- 1D-1H or 1C-1D-1H-1S
A new suit at the two-level (10-11+ pts.) -- 1D-2C or 1C-1H-1S-2D
Exception: If you respond 1S and opener rebids 1NT, 2H is non-forcing -- 1C-1S-1NT-2H
A new suit after partner raises your suit (game try, 11+ pts.) -- 1C-1S-2S-3D
Over partner's 1NT opening: 2C bid (Stayman, 8+ pts.) -- 1NT-2C

INVITATIONAL BIDS -- Encouraging, but not forcing. Partner can pass.

By opener (16-18 pts.):

1NT opening bid (15-17 pts.). Old-style Goren is 16-18 pts.
Jump-raise of partner's suit -- 1C-1H-3H or 1C-1D-1H-1S-3S
Free raise to 3 of an agreed suit (game try) -- 1H-2H-3H or 1C-1H-1S-2S-3S
Jump rebid of your own suit (strong 6+-card suit) -- 1C-1H-3C
Raise of responder's notrump bid -- 1S-1NT-2NT

By responder (10-12 pts.):

Jump-raise of partner's suit (limit raise) -- 1C-1D-1H-3H or 1S-3S
Note: In "Standard", the direct raise (1S-3S) is used as a forcing-to-game bid (12+ pts.)
Jump rebid of your own suit (6+-card suit) -- 1C-1D-1H-3D
Free raise to 3 of an agreed suit (game try) -- 1C-1H-2H-3H
Almost any bid of 2NT, at any time in the auction:
- Direct jump response of 2NT -- 1C-2NT
  Note: The old-style "Standard" meaning is 12-15 pts., but the invitational use is more popular.
- Raise of partner's 1NT opening bid or rebid -- 1NT-2NT (shows 8-9 pts.) or 1C-1H-1NT-2NT (shows 11-12 pts.)
- Delayed 2NT rebid (at your second or third turn) -- 1C-1H-1S-2NT or 1D-1H-2C-2NT
- 2NT over an opponent's overcall -- 1C- [1S by RHO] -2NT or 1D- [2C by RHO] -2NT

MINIMUM BIDS -- Minimum point-count. NOT forcing, NOT encouraging.

By opener (12-15 pts.):

Single raise of partner's suit -- 1C-1H-2H or 1C-1D-1H-1S-2S
Minimum rebid of your own suit (6+-card suit) -- 1D-1H-2D
Minimum rebid of notrump -- 1C-1H-1NT or 1S-2D-2NT
2 of a new suit that is lower in rank than your first suit -- 1S-1NT-2H or 1D-1S-2C
This asks partner to choose one of your suits. However, since you have no clear way to show an invitational two-suiter, this bid is often made with more than a minimum opening (up to 16-17 pts.).

By responder (6-10 pts.):

Single raise of partner's suit -- 1H-2H or 1C-1H-1S-2S or 1C-1H-1S-2C
Minimum rebid of your own suit (6+-card suit) -- 1C-1H-1S-2H
Any response or rebid of 1NT -- 1H-1NT or 1C-1D-1S-1NT

SIGNOFF ("Drop-Dead") BIDS -- Absolutely not forcing. Partner must pass.

These bids are made after partner limits his hand (with a notrump or "old suit" bid).

By opener:

Rebid of your own long suit after partner bids 1NT -- 1H-1NT-2H or 1C-1H-1S-1NT - 2C
Game bid after partner has made a limited bid -- 1H-2H-4H or 1D-1NT-3NT
Exception: If you've already agreed on a major, 3NT offers a choice of games -- 1H-2H-3NT
Competitive raise to 3 of an agreed suit (over an opponent's bid) -- 1H-2H- [3C by RHO] -3H

By responder:

Rebid of your own long suit after partner has rebid 1NT -- 1H-1S -1NT-2S
Competitive raise to 3 of an agreed suit (over an opponent's bid) -- 1H-2H-P- [3C by RHO] -3H
Over partner's 1NT opening: 2 of a suit (except Stayman 2C) -- 1NT-2D (or 2H or 2S)
Over partner's 1NT opening: Any game bid -- 1NT-4H or 1NT-3NT