Conventions in depth
Over partner’s 1NT, 2♠ forces opener to bid 3♣, so a weak hand with a long minor can play in 3♣ or 3♦.
With a weak hand and a six-card minor, responder bids 2♠, which is artificial and forces opener to bid 3♣. Responder then passes to play in clubs, or corrects to 3♦ to play in diamonds. A five-card minor is not enough, and stronger or invitational minor hands take other routes. Without it, a weak hand with a long minor has nowhere good to go over 1NT: passing leaves the partnership in notrump with a useless suit.
The distinction matters. A transfer names the very suit partner is asked to bid; a relay forces the cheapest step and lets responder reveal the real suit afterwards. Opener’s forced 3♣ says nothing about opener’s clubs: it is where the relay ends, and responder passes or corrects.
| Opener | Responder |
|---|---|
| 1NT | 2♠ |
| 3♣ (forced) | Pass, or 3♦ |
BidMaestro uses a relay for this reason. The more common “minor-suit transfer” scheme uses two separate bids (2♠ for clubs and 2NT for diamonds), which sacrifices 2NT as the natural, invitational raise. By handling both minors through the single 2♠ relay, BidMaestro leaves 2NT free for its natural meaning. The bid 2♠ is available because spades are shown through the 2♥ transfer, so it is free for this use.
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