Inverted Minors: Strong Single Raises of a Minor

Inverted minors swap the meanings of the single and jump raise of a minor opening: 1♣ - 2♣ or 1♦ - 2♦ shows 10 or more points and is forcing, while 1♣ - 3♣ or 1♦ - 3♦ is a weak, preemptive raise. In both cases responder has good support for the minor and usually no four-card major.

The strong raise keeps the auction low so the partnership can check stoppers for 3NT, which is where most minor-suit fits end up. The weak raise takes room from the opponents when they probably own the hand. Inverted minors are standard in most 2/1 Game Force partnerships; the base Standard American Yellow Card plays the traditional raises (2m = 6-10, 3m = limit), and many Acol players have adopted the inverted style as well.

The strong single raise is forcing for one round. Most partnerships play it as forcing until 2NT or three of the minor is reached: either player may stop there with a minimum, but not below. There is no upper limit; responder may be planning a slam.

The weak jump raise is not forcing. It shows a poor hand with long support, and it says "the opponents probably have a major-suit fit; let us take their room". Opener usually passes.

A 1♣ opening can be made on three cards, and in many systems 1♦ can be too (in 2/1 Game Force and Standard American only with four spades, four hearts, three diamonds and two clubs). So responder needs more trumps than in a major-suit raise:

• 1♣ - 2♣ or 1♣ - 3♣: five or more clubs.
• 1♦ - 2♦: four or more diamonds; five is better.
• 1♦ - 3♦: five or more diamonds for the weak raise, because it is played at the three level.

Both raises deny a four-card major. With a major, responder bids it first: finding a 4-4 major fit matters much more than showing a minor fit.

After 1♦ - 2♦, opener's main job is to find out whether 3NT is safe. His rebids:

Stopper bids go up the line: the cheaper suit first. So 1♦ - 2♦ - 2♠ denies a heart stopper, and 1♦ - 2♦ - 2♥ promises hearts but says nothing yet about spades.

Responder then continues in the same style:

• Bids a stopper of his own in another unbid suit.
• Bids 2NT with stoppers in the remaining suits and a minimum.
• Bids 3NT with the remaining suits covered and game values.
• Bids three of the minor with a minimum and no notrump interest. Opener may pass.

With slam ideas, responder can bypass 3NT and cue bid.

Partner opens 1♦. You are South with ♠K72, ♥83, ♦AJ854, ♣AQ6: 14 HCP, five diamonds and no four-card major. You bid 2♦, strong and forcing (see how each system reads 1♦ - 2♦). Partner rebids 2NT: a balanced minimum with stoppers in both majors. You have game values and a club stopper, so you raise to 3NT.

3NT makes with an overtrick: five diamonds, two spades, the ♥K and two clubs. 5♦ takes the same ten tricks and goes down. Notice also who declares: North bid notrump first, so his ♥KJ5 sits under the lead, and a heart attack from East runs into the king and jack.

1♣ - 3♣ and 1♦ - 3♦ show a weak hand, about 5-9 points (some pairs go even lower non-vulnerable), with long support and no four-card major. Typical hand after 1♦: ♠84, ♥K62, ♦QJ8652, ♣93 (6 HCP).

It works like a preempt: the opponents probably have a major-suit fit, and making them start at the three level costs them more than it costs you. Opener almost always passes.

After an overcall or a double, most partnerships turn inverted minors off: 1♦ - (1♠) - 2♦ is a normal weak raise, and the strong raise is shown with a cue bid of the opponents' suit (1♦ - (1♠) - 2♠). The jump raise stays weak. Some pairs keep the strong raise on after a takeout double; agree it.

By a passed hand, responder cannot have a game-forcing hand, so many pairs play the single raise as a limit raise (about 10-11, not forcing) and keep the jump raise weak. Others turn the convention off completely.

Criss-cross is a related idea: responder raises one minor by jumping in the other. A common version uses 1♣ - 2♦ and 1♦ - 3♣ as the limit raise, and keeps the single raise for game-forcing hands. Other partnerships swap those meanings, and some play criss-cross only over 1♣. If your partner suggests criss-cross, agree the exact version.

1. Passing the strong raise. 1♦ - 2♦ is forcing. Opener must bid again even with a minimum.
2. Raising with a four-card major. Bid the major first; the minor can wait.
3. Opener bidding stoppers out of order. Up the line: show the cheaper stopper first.
4. Raising clubs with four. Partner's 1♣ may be a three-card suit. You need five.
5. Treating the jump raise as invitational. In inverted minors it is weak. Opener should not move with a normal opening.

Minor-suit auctions are where stopper checks win or lose 3NT. The BridgeDummy Bidding Room lets you bid random deals with EPBot robots in 2/1 Game Force and other systems, then review all four hands. For single decisions, our bidding puzzles compare every call over hundreds of double dummy deals that fit the auction, so you can see when 3NT beats five of a minor.

• Limit raises: the traditional jump raise and dummy points.
• Two over one game force: the system inverted minors usually come with.
• Splinter bids: showing shortness with a fit.