Education

Bridge Corner – February 19, 2026

This week’s Bridge Corner breaks down responses to one-level opening bids, giving players a clear roadmap for point count, major suit fits, and proper raises. Plus, see the latest winners from Tidewater Bridge Club and upcoming Norfolk game dates.
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Hello and welcome to The Bridge Corner.

In today’s lesson, we’ll cover responses to the opener’s one-level bid. But first, let’s review the four things every one-level opening bid tells us:

1) Point Count

A. If opening 1 Club (C), 1 Diamond (D), 1 Heart (H), or 1 Spade (S), opener shows at least 12 points.

B. If opening 1 No Trump (NT), opener shows exactly 15–17 points. We’ll cover No Trump openings and responses in detail in a later session.

2) Major Suit Information

The opening bid must show whether there is at least a five-card major.

• 1 Spade or 1 Heart shows at least five cards in that major.
• 1 Club or 1 Diamond shows no five-card major.
• 1 No Trump also shows no five-card major.

3) Opener Is Asking for Information

A. If opener bids 1 Club, 1 Diamond, or 1 No Trump, opener is asking whether responder has at least a four-card Spade or Heart suit.

B. If opener bids 1 Spade, opener is asking if partner has at least three Spades.
If opener bids 1 Heart, opener is asking for three Hearts.

4) Minimum Points Required to Respond

• After 1 Club, 1 Diamond, 1 Heart, or 1 Spade, responder needs at least 5 points.

• After 1 No Trump, responder needs at least 8 points.

Responding to a 1-Level Opening

1) Responding to 1 Club or 1 Diamond

(Promises at least three cards in that minor)

A. Bid your five-card major. With two five-card majors, bid Spades first.

B. Bid four-card majors up the line (Hearts before Spades if you have both).

C. With five cards in partner’s suit:
• Raise to the 2-level with 5–10 HCP
• Raise to the 3-level with 11–12 HCP

D. With five of the other minor:
• At the 1-level (after 1 Club), respond 1 Diamond with 5–12 HCP
• If forced to the 2-level (after 1 Diamond), bid 2 Clubs with 12+ HCP

E. With other balanced hands:
• 1 NT = 5–10 HCP
• 2 NT = 11–12 HCP
• 3 NT = 13–15 HCP

2) Responding to 1 Heart or 1 Spade

(Promises at least five in the major)

A. With three or more of partner’s suit:
• 5–10 HCP → Raise to the 2-level
• 11–12 HCP → Raise to the 3-level
• 13+ HCP → Bid another suit first, then bid 4 of partner’s suit

B. With two or fewer of partner’s suit:
• After 1 Heart, with 4 Spades → Bid 1 Spade
• 5–10 HCP → Bid 1 NT
• 11+ HCP and a five-card suit → Bid that suit at the 2-level
• 11–12 HCP with two of partner’s suit → Bid 2 NT
• 13–15 HCP with two of partner’s suit → Bid 3 NT