The designation carries the surname of the originator, namely Mr. Max Hardy. The definition of the word adjunct is something joined or added to another thing but not essentially a part of it. Mr. Max Hardy discovered that more information could be communicated by adding a feature to the traditional conventional method of New Minor Forcing.

Mr. Max Hardy described this adjunct in his publication titled New Minor, Fourth Suit, Forcing Notrump Responses: The Complete Guide To The Use of Modern Bidding Tools, published by Aegean Park Press, 1998.

Employment of the Concept

The auction below illustrates how this adjunct can be employed. The New Minor Forcing conventional method is introduced once the opening bidder over any response by partner, without competition, rebids 1 No Trump, thereby showing no other possible rebid. The responder denies also possession of a 4-card Heart suit if first initiating the New Minor Forcing conventional method; otherwise the responder would bid the Heart suit at the appropriate level.

The concept of the Hardy Adjunct is that all three level responses promise mostly a 3-card trump holding and show a distinct distribution.

North		East		South		West		Meaning
1		Pass						The player shows opening values.
				1		Pass		The responder has sufficient values to bid.
1 NT		Pass						The opener denies a 4-card Heart suit and also a 4-card Spade suit. Possible distribution is 3-3-3-4.
				2		Pass		The responder shows sufficient values to bid on the two level and forces partner to further describe the holding. The opener can now rebid Diamonds with a 6-card holding, rebid 2 Hearts with a 4-card Heart suit (not a reverse), or support the suit of partner on the two level with a 3-card Spade suit since partner implied a 5-card Spade suit.
However, if the opener now rebids on the three level, then the opener is employing the Hardy Adjunct to further describe his holding.
3								Promises 3 cards in the suit of partner, but holding no honors. Distribution is 3-3-4-3.
3								Promises at most 2 cards in the suit of partner, no 4-card Heart suit, and a distribution of 2-3-5-3.
3								Promises 3 cards in the suit of partner, but holding no honors. Distribution is either 3-2-4-4 or 3-2-5-3.
3								Promises a 3-card Spade support accompanied with an honor, generally Queen or higher. Distribution is considered to be flat with 3-3-4-3.
3 NT								Promises a 3-card Spade support with no honor and a distribution of 3-3-4-3.

The rebids by the opener on the three level require more than minimum values. However, values are evaluated differently. The partnership can agree to use the high card point count or base the value of the holding on Losing Trick count.

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.