The origin of this conventional method is unknown. Once the auction has been opened with a strong, artificial 2 Clubs bid, the partner is then forced to bid for at least one round. Independent of his holding, the responder must take action, because his partner is showing a hand which almost warrants game. The opener is showing either a holding with 8.5 to 9 or more winning tricks and a balanced holding or a holding of specific pattern(s).

Note: Conversely, partnership agreements may contain the parameters, which require the holding to promise a maximum of 4 to 4.5 losing tricks or fewer as opposed to winning tricks in order to justify a strong, artificial 2 Clubs opening. bid.

In order for the responder to show a holding with fewer than 7 high card points, even a holding with zero high card points, the Two Diamond Negative Response has been devised to show these minimum values of fewer than seven high card points.

Opener Rebids No Trump

Opener		Responder
2		2		Example 1: Shows fewer than 7 high card points.
		Q98654 65 9 8742
2 NT				Shows 23-24 high card points and a balanced holding.
		3		Jacoby Transfer to Spades.
3				The opener accepts the transfer.
		4		The distributional values held by the responder justify game. Although the high card points equal only 2, the number of losing tricks equals 8, which is sufficient for a game contract since partner shows a minimum of 8.5 to 9 losing tricks.
Opener		Responder
2		2		Example 2: An example of a holding, with which the responder may pass the rebid of the opener:
		987 653 9632 874
2 NT		Pass		With this holding, having no distributional values and no points, the responder would respond with 2 and pass the rebid of the opener.

Although the responder does not have sufficient values for game in Example 1, after the opener has shown his values, the responder can continue to game even with only 2 high card points due to his distribution.

However, with zero and worthless values, and no distribution as in Example 2, the responder is permitted to pass a 2 No Trump rebid by the opener. The rebid by the opener is not considered as a game-forcing action by employment of the Two Diamond Negative Response method.

Note: Several partnerships have agreed that if the responder has a very good Diamond suit, and a hand worth a positive response, then the partner should show his very good Diamond suit by jumping one level and bid 3 Diamonds. There are certain flaws to this partnership agreement, which are obvious. Whatever the partnership agrees upon, it should be included in the partnership agreement.

Opener Rebids a Suit

Opener		Responder
2		2		Responder shows 7 or fewer values.
		98654 965 97 642
2				Promises a holding with long Hearts and 8.5 to 9 winning tricks.
		Pass		The responder should settle on a partscore contract owing to the lack of values.

Note: The holding of the responder contains 11 losing tricks, no values, and no entries except perhaps for a trump entry. However, with the mathematics (or calculation) of the Losing Trick Count method the responder knows that partner holds a minimum of 8.5 to 9 winning tricks. The responder holds zero winning tricks. In order to reach a game contract in Hearts the responder would need at least 1 winning trick.

However, by this calculation only the responder knows that a game contract based on winning tricks or losing tricks is not possible and passes. The pass by the responder is based upon the mutual agreement of the partnership.

Note: When agreeing to employ the Two Diamonds Negative Response method the partnership must also make a distinction between a Major suit rebid as opposed to a Minor suit rebid by partner. Any re-evaluation of the holding of the responder should be based upon this factor.

If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.