Bridge game suit tries

Two-way Game Tries

/ Sunil Khanna

After a single raise of a major suit,

1!h-2!h or 1!s-2!s

WestNorthEastSouth
1!hPass2!h
Pass?
Case-1 : Points tally of North is between 12-21. However, responder South has restricted hand 6-9 points with !H FIT. It is desirable for North to show game intent if his point tally lies between 15-17.
WestNorthEastSouth
1!cPass1!s
Pass2!sPass?
Case-2- Points tally of South is between 6-16 (He can use Soloway Jump Shift at 17+ points). Opener North has restricted hand to 12-15 points with !S FIT (he bids 3!s with 16-18 points). It is desirable for South to show game intent if his point tally lies between 10-11.


So the game possibility may exist in below two cases but a procedure is required via alerts to fructify it.

  • 1 Major opening, in unbalanced hand, with 15-17 points and responder confirms fit at lowest level.
  • 10-11 points with responder when his 1 Major bid gets confirmation of FIT from opener at lowest level.

two way game tries offer solution to the above situations via short suit game try, long suit game try.

Short Suit Game Try

Use Short suit game try when hand that bid Major at level 1, also has a singleton or a void with invitational characteristics.

Next bid will be 2!s or 2NT as ALERTS. For !h or !s, respectively.

1!h-2!h-2!s or 1!s-2!s-2NT indicating shortness in a side suit.

Responder then relays 2NT for !h or 3!c for !s to ask where the shortness is? 

Opener bids the short suit, or bids his major where FIT is agreed, if the short suit is one of the step suits like 2!s or 3!c.

2NT is short suit game try. 3!c is relay awaiting short suit. 3!h is singleton or void in south hand.

Long Suit Game Try


Long suit game try-Opener has, atleast, 3+ cards in a side suit with two honours.

Next natural bid is of the suit with top two honours, if the suit is of lower strain and is bid at level 3.

Exception to this rule will be in !s, here 1!h-2!h-2NT is long suit game try (since 2!s is alert assigned for a short-suit game try). 2NT substitutes 3+ cards !s with 2 honours.

3!c is not a cue bid. It’s a long suit game try. 3+ cards in clubs with 2 honours.
Play this hand
3!c is for long suit game try. Shows 3+ cards with 2 honours and invitational strength hand. South with !cKQ now knows that partnership has all 4 top honours in !c. Contract did make one over trick. 4!H was more appropriate final bid.
2!s concludes FIT. 3!d is new suit with 2 honours and invitational 16+ total points.


General strength suit try-17+ strong hand but no Singleton or void

3 of the major is a general strength game try, showing about 17+ points with no singleton or void . This bid is rare as other tools are available in Bridge to show such hands. e.g. When responder is the first mover, he can use Soloway Jump Shift.