Blum on Bridge New Minor Forcing Bidding Practice on NMF
	Several evenings ago my favorite area partner, Mary Mason, called to ask about a bidding mix-up that had occurred that afternoon. She opened one diamond and her partner responded one heart. Mary rebid her diamond suit and her partner bid three clubs. Mary, afraid to bid three NT without a spade stopper, jumped to five clubs. Her partner claimed her three club bid was artificial and did not necessarily show clubs, but was New Minor Forcing (NMF). Let's examine NMF in an attempt to reach an answer to the problem. There is a very old axiom that states "There are only three games to bid spades, hearts or NT." In other words, bidding game in a minor is verboten. The reason being that over 90 percent of the time a contract of five clubs or five diamonds can be made, three NT will also make... and it's a lot easier to win nine tricks than eleven. As a matter of fact acquiring a tenth trick would not be unusual. Thus, showing the second or other minor for the purpose of reaching game in that suit is not necessary. If the responder truly has four cards in the second minor, he would simply raise opener's one NT rebid to two or three NT or pass with a minimum. NMF is a fixture on my personal convention card. It's easy to understand and is a fantastic solution to many bidding situations. The following bidding sequence and only that sequence sets into motion NMF. You open one of either minor. I respond either major. You bid either one or two NT. I bid the other minor at the next level above the NT bid. There can be no interference from the opponents. Examples are: you one diamond, me one heart or one spade, you one NT, me two clubs NMF. Also, you one club, me one heart or one spade, you one NT, me two diamonds NMF. The other examples are: you one diamond, me one heart or one spade, you two NT, me three clubs NMF and you one club, me one heart or one spade, you two NT, me three diamonds NMF. No other examples constitute NMF. To employ NMF, responder must hold more than 8 points. With 6-8 points, pass opener's rebid of one NT. Now that you know the sequence, what does it all mean? All bids including opener's second NT call are natural. One diamond-one spade-one NT simply states opener's hand is evenly distributed with 12-14 hcps. (Assuming your opening one NT range is like mine, from 15-17 hcps.). Responder holds at least 5-6 points and four or more spades. I want you now to put yourself in the place of the responder and assume you have more than four spades. Without the use of NMF rebidding two spades over opener's one NT would be ambiguous. Partner does not know whether you hold five or six spades. Let's make it a rule then that the rebid of the major (spades in this case) announces at least six. Thus, even if opener has only two you have eight of the thirteen between you, a "golden fit." We know, of course, opener does not hold four spades or else he would have raised our first spade call. What we don't know is whether opener holds two or three. If we hold specifically five spades we'd be most interested in finding that eight card "golden fit." NMF is the answer. Our second bid of two clubs, the other minor, is artificial demanding opener to make a call in the following order. (1) Holding three spades he bids two spades or three spades with maximum point count. With two spades he bids (2) two hearts holding four because it is quite possible we hold four hearts along with our five spades, (3) rebids his minor holding five, (4) the other minor holding four, (5) two no-trump with minimum point count and none of the above, (6) three no-trump with maximum point count. Had hearts been our major, all of the above applies with one difference. First, in our example, change the word spades to hearts. The difference, (2) should read "two spades holding three." Here's a short quiz. Auction has proceeded without interference pard one club-you-one heart-pard one NT-you ? Holding (1) KJ8-AJ6532-Q4-72, (2) 86-AQ8643-76-943 (3) K743-QJ632-J7-42, (4) 6-AKQ632-A5-KJ73. Answers are (1) three hearts. This is an invitational sequence showing six hearts. (2) Two hearts. This is non-forcing and denies invitational values. Partner has no choice but to pass because you did not use NMF. (3) Pass. If pard didn't raise hearts, no-trump should play fine. (4) NMF. Bid three hearts (forcing) over anything partner bids. The answer to Mary's question is that it is not NMF because opener must rebid NT so that responder can bid the other minor. Regardless, the three club bid though it shows a suit is forcing not because it's not NMF, but because a new suit by responder is always forcing.