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:
There are many variations of the MST and this is just one of them.
In response to 1NT:
Meaning | |
---|---|
2![]() | 6+ clubs, asks partner to bid ![]() |
2NT | 6+ diamonds and asks partner to bid ![]() ![]() |
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
Meaning | |
---|---|
Pass of 3![]() | A weak hand with at least 6 clubs. |
3![]() | 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![]() ![]() | Signoff. |
Rebids after a diamond transfer are quite similar.
Meaning | |
---|---|
Pass of 3![]() | A weak hand with at least 6 diamonds. |
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![]() ![]() | 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 )
Examples:
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