XYZ
XYZ is a convention designed to allow partnerships to find suit fits at a low level. It is also handy in 2/1 when bidding starts 1 - 1 - 1 or 1 - 1 - 1N where responder could have any number of HCP.
"XYZ" stands for 3 bids made at the 1 level, such as 1 -1 -1 or 1 -1 -1N.
There are 10 different combinations of such 1-level bids.
There are also several combinations of such bids when opponents intervene, such as
1 -(1 )-D-(P)-1N where the partners only bid 2 actual suits between them.
If opener makes his second bid on the 1 level, XYZ is on.
Responder can then make one of the following bids:
Weak sign-offs:
2 /3 = sign-off. This would logically show a very weak hand with 6+ of the suit bid.
To sign off in 2D, first bid 2 (relay to 2 ) then pass.
Invitational:
2N = balanced, 10-11 HCP.
2 = relay to 2 then bid 2 / /N as invitational.
Game Force
3 / / = game force with 6+ of the suit bid.
2 = any other game force.
To make an invitational bid, responder bids 2 first and then any bid after opener's 2 is invitational.
For example, in the Feb.2017 Bridge Bulletin, p.38, The Bidding Box:
In the March 2017 Bridge Bulletin, p.42, #3, with Q32 AKQ64 T43 42 and bidding of
In the Dec. 2020 Bridge Bulletin, p.40, with KQ2 KJ74 Q75 953 and bidding of
1 - 1
1 - ??
The caption for the quiiz answers was Little Lies with 5 experts bidding a conservative 1N, 4 bidding 3 , 3 bidding 2 and others bidding 2 , 2 or 2 .
One expert (Molson) said:
Lucky XYZ bidders. This is an impossible hand and probably why the convention was developed. There is no good bid [without XYZ] Values for an invitation but no stopper in clubs or four of either of partner's suits.
Mike Lawrence, playing XYZ, bids 2 , relaying partner to 2 , then says:
I will follow with 2 . This odd sequence ought to show invitational values with three spades.
Note that with the bidding shown above, 2 is not a weak suit preference bid in XYZ but is actually a game force. A weak suit preference would be to relay to 2 then pass. An invitational diamond raise would be a 2 relay to 2 and then bid 3 .
If diamonds are your suit (e.g.: 1 -1 , 1any-??), a bid of 3 here is game forcing and shows 6+ diamonds.
Larry Cohen adds the following XYZ tip on his web site:
There are several ways to invite (via 2 first, or sometimes directly). Serious partnerships can invent their own meanings for the difference. For example, define a different meaning for 1 -1 -1NT-2NT and 1 -1 -1NT-2 -2 -2NT. Perhaps going through the relay of 2 -2 is a 5-3-3-2 invitation with 5 , whereas the direct 2NT denies 5 .
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