Modern bidders have dreamed up a seemingly unlimited number of ways to search for slams. A popular but sometimes problematic strategy is the advance cuebid, which is a control-showing bid that’s made before you’ve explicitly agreed on the trump suit. When partner can read your meaning, this type of cuebid can improve slam auctions by allowing you to exchange information at a lower level. When he can’t, you may get to practice declaring a 3-2 fit.
The advance cuebid works best in auctions where it’s obvious that you have support for partner’s suit. For example, you open 2NT, partner responds 3H (transfer to spades) and you rebid 4C. Partner will know you wouldn’t risk going to the 4-level unless you had a big fit. Your 4C bid says, “I have enough to jump to 4S, but my values are so perfect that I’m showing my club ace on the way, in case you have slam interest, too.” Your hand might be ♠KQ75 ♥106 ♦AKQ6 ♣AK3.
Advance cuebids can also be valuable when a fit is implied, as in auctions where partner shows a long, strong major. After you and partner bid 1H - 1NT (forcing) - 3H, for example, responder’s new-suit bid shows an ace and a fitting maximum for a possible heart slam. You would bid 4D with a hand such as ♠75 ♥K3 ♦AK74 ♣108743. This is such a common usage that an experienced partner would probably take this as a cuebid even without prior discussion.
Most partners will also assume that support is implied in this auction:
You
Partner
1NT 2D (transfer)
2H 3C
3D
3D shows a diamond control and a fit for partner’s second suit. It also denies support for his major (with 3+ hearts, you would rebid 3H). Your early cuebid for the minor can help partner evaluate slam potential before the auction goes past 3NT.
A thoughtful partner shouldn’t have problems with these auctions. In all the situations above, there are few, if any, hands you could hold that would justify a search for another trump suit. Partner can logically conclude that your new-suit bid must be sending a message about support for his suit.
You’ll want to be more cautious when considering a cuebid that requires a follow-up to uncover its meaning. In these auctions, partner is in the dark for one round, but will be alerted to the true nature of your hand when you make your next bid. Ideally, here’s how it works:
Partner
You
1D 1NT
3C 3H
3NT 4C
Your hand is ♠843 ♥AQ3 ♦65 ♣K10976. You could have shown some slam interest with a straightforward raise to 4C at your second turn, but the advance cuebid of 3H allows you to start the control bidding a level lower.
At this point in the auction, partner won’t assume you’re looking for slam. He’ll interpret 3H as showing a stopper for game rather than an ace for slam, and he’ll rebid 3NT if he has a spade stopper. From his perspective, your hand could be ♠743 ♥KQ3 ♦652 ♣J632 .
Your 4C bid clarifies that 3H was a control bid for a club slam. It also focuses partner’s attention on the need for a spade control. If he holds ♠A8 ♥5 ♦AKQ74 ♣AQ854, your auction will convince him to use keycard Blackwood (there’s no point in further cuebidding) and bid the club slam.
So what’s the risk? In the ideal auction, your slam intentions were clear because you freely bid past 3NT. However, change partner’s hand to ♠5 ♥KJ ♦AKJ943 ♣AQJ8 and he’ll get to the 4-level before you can. With no spade stopper, he’ll have to bid 4D at his third turn, and you’ll have no way to tell him what your 3H bid really meant.
Over 4D, you could try 4H, but partner will read this as a cuebid for diamonds, not clubs. Or you could just bid 5C or 6C and hope you guessed right. As you ponder these poisons, that direct 4C raise will be looking better and better.
© 2010 Karen Walker