Minor Suit Transfers

Minor Suit Transfers (MST) are used after a player has opened or overcalled a natural 1NT and his partner holds at least one six card minor suit, usually without a four-card major, unless holding a game-forcing hand. Minor Suit Transfers have several advantages over natural bids:

1. The responder is the one to make most of the decisions regarding the strain and level of the contract, since not much is known about his hand.
2. A reasonable notrump game may be found even with less than 24 or 23 points, based on a running minor suit in both partner’s hands.
3. The stronger hand is usually playing the contract, resulting in hiding its high cards from the defenders.

There are many variations of the MST and this is just one of them.

In response to 1NT:

Responder's Bids	Meaning
2	6+ clubs, asks partner to bid 3 or 2NT in the case of having a good club suit, usually headed by a high card (e.g. Axx, K10x, Qxxx, QJx).
2NT	6+ diamonds and asks partner to bid 3, or 3 in the case of having a good suit.

The purpose of the super-accept bid (or under-accept, as I like to call it) is to invite the responder to 3NT, with hopes of making at least 5-6 tricks in the minor.

Responder's rebids after

1NT – 2
2NT/3 – ?

Responder's Rebids	Meaning
Pass of 3	A weak hand with at least 6 clubs.
3 over 2NT	A weak hand with at least 6 clubs.
3//	At most singleton diamond/heart/spade, 11+ points.
3NT	Signoff.
4	Minorwood/invitation to game in clubs/slam try in clubs (depending on agreement).
4//	Quality side suit, at least 4 cards, slam try.
4NT	Quantitative invitation for a small slam in clubs or notrump.
5	Signoff.
5//	Exclusion Blackwood (or whatever the partnership agrees upon).
5NT	Quantitative invitation for a grand slam in clubs or notrump (bid 6 or 6NT with minimum and 7 or 7NT with maximum).
6/7	Signoff.

Rebids after a diamond transfer are quite similar.

1NT – 2NT
3/ - ?

Responder's Rebids	Meaning
Pass of 3	A weak hand with at least 6 diamonds.
3 over 3	A weak hand with at least 6 diamonds.
3/	At most a singleton heart/spade, 11+ points.
3NT	Signoff.
4	At most a singleton club, 11+ points.
4	Minorwood/invitation to game in diamonds/slam try in diamonds (depending on agreement).
4/	Quality side suit, at least 4 cards, slam try.
4NT	Quantitative invitation for a small slam in diamonds or notrump.
5	Quality side suit, at least 4 cards, slam try/Exclusion Blackwood.
5	Signoff.
5/	Exclusion Blackwood (or whatever the partnership agrees upon).
5NT	Quantitative invitation for a grand slam in diamonds or notrump.
6/7	Signoff.

It should be noted that if playing MST, 2NT cannot be used as a balanced invitation to 3NT. A game invitation in notrump is made by bidding Stayman (2) and then 2NT regardless of partner’s response.

Examples:

• 1NT – 2NT (transfer to diamonds)
  3 (transfer completed, no good diamond support) – Pass (weak hand)
  
  
• 1NT – 2 (transfer to clubs)
  2NT (good club support) – 3NT (signoff in game, hoping to achieve several club tricks)
  
  
• 1NT – 2NT
  3 (good diamond support) – 3 (weak hand)
  
  
• 1NT – 2 (transfer to clubs)
  2NT (good club support) – 3 (shortness in hearts) – 5 (signoff in game with no slam interest)