1♠️-2❤️ shows five+ cards

Responses such as 1 ♦-1 ♠ and 1 ♥-2 ♣ show four+ cards in the suit. So why does 1 ♠-2 ♥ show five+ cards? Why did bridge evolve this way?

As we know, bridge is a supremely logical game. It is very unlikely that you’d ever want to bid 1 ♠-2 ♥ with just four hearts, because you’d respond the cheaper of fours.

Note that the clumsy response of 2 NT is (always) to be avoided, robbing opener of their natural rebid. Clearly if you’d only very rarely want to respond 2 ♥ with four cards, it makes sense to decree that 1 ♠-2 ♥ guarantees five+ cards — very useful for opener, as he can then support with three.

Note that the clumsy response of 2 NT is (always) to be avoided, robbing opener of their natural rebid.

You may by now have worked out the only problem responding hand — the one where you’d want to bid 2 ♥ with just four cards. It is a precisely 3 ♠ 4 ♦ 3 ♦ 3 ♣ shape (with enough points to respond in a new suit at the two level which means — with this shape — 10+ points). The standard expert solution is to fabricate a 2 ♣ response (yes, with just three cards). Nothing bad will happen —if partner supports clubs, he should have five spades and you can show your delayed support.

I should also mention that 1 ♥-(2 ♣)-2 ♠ shows five+ spades. One can say that a new major response at the two level shows five+ cards.

Click to play this deal

You win ♦ Q lead with ♦ K, preserving ♦ A entry to dummy’s long spades. At trick two, you cross to ♠ A then ruff ♠ 2 with ♥ J. You lead ♥ 3 to ♥ 9 and ruff ♠ 3 with ♥ Q (West discarding to expose the 4-2 spade split). You lead ♥ 7 to ♥ 10 and ruff ♠ 4 with ♥ A, setting up the two long cards.
You cross to ♦ A, cash ♥ K drawing West’s last trump and enjoy ♠ 105. Eleven tricks made.