New minor forcing

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This article concerns Contract Bridge and uses terminology associated with the game. See Contract bridge glossary for an explanation of unfamiliar words or phrases.

New Minor Forcing (often abbreviated NMF), is a bridge convention in which responder's rebid of a previously-unbid minor (generally over opener's 1NT rebid) is artificial and asks opener for clarification of shape and strength. It typically shows at least invitational values (about 10HCP).

For example, with the oppenents silent, after 1♦ – 1♥; 1NT, the bid of 2♣ would be new minor forcing. Example suitable hands :

♠Ax ♥KQxxx ♦Qxx ♣xxx : interested in either a game or part score, in either hearts or notrump
♠Axxx ♥KQxx ♦Jxx ♣Ax : planning to force to game, in either spades or notrump, (or, remotely possibly, diamonds)
♠Axx ♥AKxx ♦AQxxx ♣J : expecting to play a slam, possibly a grand slam, in either diamonds or notrump
♠Ax ♥KQJ10x ♦xx ♣AQJx : there's no rule that you can't actually have the suit you bid

When playing this convention, jump bids by responder are typically played as invitational, as NMF can be used with hands wishing to force to game. For example, on the auction above, a 3♥ bid would be used with a hand such as ♠Kxx ♥AQ10xxx ♦xx ♣xx, to show an interest in game, but only in hearts.

Opener's rebid shows both shape and strength. Although there is variation among partnerships regarding the priority of suits to show, a common agreement is that first priority is to show secondary support for responder's suit, then four cards in the other major, then additional length in a minor, with a jump to show a maximum. In the auction above, opener's third bids and their meanings would be

2♦ – minimum, usually five diamonds
2♥ – minimum, three hearts (generally with a balanced hand or weak trumps, as most experts will raise immediately with decent trumps and some shape)
2♠ – minimum, four spades (rare, as opener would usually have bid 1♠ a round earlier, except perhaps with a hand such as ♠Txxx ♥AJ ♦KTxx ♣KQx)
2NT – minimum, no extra shape (most often 3=2=4=4, by inference)

Bids at the three level show similar hands, but with a maximum. The meanings of the strength ranges are dependent on a partnership's opening-bid style, as well as its notrump range. Assuming a middle-of-the-road US style with 15-17 point notrumps, a minimum would typically be 12-13HCP and a maximum would be 14HCP or some very good 13HCP hands.

A similar scheme can be applied after 2NT opener's rebid, which typically shows 18-19 HCP: bid of a new minor is forcing by responder (although lesser values are required), and the opener shows the distribution in the same manner. The opener should not jump-rebid at the four level in this case, so as to not skip 3NT (responder's NMF doesn't generally guarantee 5-card major or 4-4 in majors).