The McKendrick Convention

McKendrick allows you to invite game/slam or transfer to a minor after partner opens a weak 1NT. It asks your partner to describe their hand. It’s useful when responder holds strong, intermediate or weak hands.

The McKendrick bid is a 2♠ response to 1NT that could show any one of the following hands;

a. A balanced hand with 11 points,

b. A strong hand 18+ points (and aiming for a slam game, if the opener shows 14 points)

c. A weak hand with a long minor suit (with the intention to bid and play at 3♣ or 3♦ ).

The opener describes her hand by rebidding as follows;

2NT when having a balanced hand of either 12 points or bad 13 points (with no 5 cards minor and lacking in the tens and nines).

3♣ when having a hand with 14 points or a good 13 points (a hand containing a 5 cards suit and/or a few tens and nines.)

The normal responses to a 1NT opening stay the same, so Stayman and Red Suit transfers are unchanged.

A direct 2NT response shows a 12-point invite to game and a balanced hand. If opener holds 13/14 points, he/she should bid 3NT.

Following a 2♠  response, Opener rebids as follows:

1.      2NT with 12 or a bad 13 points hands, whereupon responder passes with 11pts, bids 3NT with 18 points or less or bids 3 of the minor as a signoff to play.
2.      3♣  with 14 points or a good 13 points hand, whereupon responder can bid:-
   1.      3NT with 11 pts.
   2.      Attempt a slam (with 18+ points), 4♣  can be used as Gerber to check for aces.
   3.      Pass with weak hand and club holding or correct to 3 diamonds to play.

This convention gives a way to accurately:

a. Escape to 3 of a minor in the case of a weak hand with a long minor suit

b. It also gives more definition to the invitational and critical balanced hands of 11 and 12 points.

c. It allows players to judge if a slam is biddable without having to bid too high through Blackwood or Gerber.