Negative free bid

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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.

Negative free bid is a bridge convention (or, more accurately, a treatment) whereby a free bid by responder over an opponent's overcall is not forcing, and just shows a long suit in a weak hand. This is in contrast with standard treatment, where a free bid can show unlimited values and is unconditionally forcing. The treatment is a relatively recent invention, and has become quite popular, especially in expert circles.

Negative free bids are supposed to solve relatively frequent situations where the responder holds a long suit with which he would like to compete for a partscore, but is deprived from bidding it by opponent's overcall. For example, if South holds:♠86 ♥KJ10852 ♦K6 ♣532, partner opens 1♦ and East overcalls 1♠, he couldn't bid 2♥ in standard methods, as it would show 10+ high-card points, and a negative double would be too off-shape. With NFB treatment in effect though, he can bid 2♥ which the partner may pass (unless he has extra values and support, or an excellent suit of its own without tolerance for hearts).

However, as a corollary, negative free bids affect the scope of negative double; if the hand is suitable for "standard" forcing free bid (10-11+ points), a negative double has to be made first and the suit bid only in the next round. Thus, the negative double can be made with the following types of hand:

  • A weakish hand with unbid suits (unbid major)
  • A stronger hand with unbid suits
  • A strong (opening bid or more) one-suited hand.

This can sometimes allow the opponents to preempt effectively. For example, North, holding: ♠KJ103 ♥J8 ♦AKQ104 ♣J2, after the auction:

North East South West
1♦ 1♥ Double 4♥
?

is in an awkward situation—he doesn't know whether partner has spades or not; whether West was bidding to make or to sacrifice—is it correct to double, bid 4♠ or pass?

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