Smolen Convention

You’ve got a nice hand with five hearts and four spades. Partner opens 1NT. You start with Stayman, hoping for a major suit fit, but partner responds 2♦️—no four-card major. Now what?

This is where Smolen comes in. It’s a clever convention that lets you show exactly this hand type: five cards in one major and four in the other, with game-forcing values. Even better, it gets the contract played from the right side of the table.

What Is Smolen?

Smolen is a bidding convention used after partner opens 1NT and you bid Stayman, only to hear 2♦️ (denying a four-card major). With game-forcing values and a 5-4 or 4-5 major suit pattern, you jump to the three-level in your four-card major to show five cards in the other major.

Here’s the counterintuitive part that trips up new players: you bid the suit you have less of.

  • 3♥️ = Four hearts, five spades
  • 3♠️ = Four spades, five hearts

Why the switch? It’s all about giving opener maximum flexibility to choose the final contract while keeping the strong hand (the 1NT opener) as declarer.

Why Use Smolen?

There are two huge advantages to playing Smolen:

Right-Siding the Contract

When you have 15-17 HCP behind you (partner’s 1NT range), you want those honors hidden from the opening lead. If your 5-3 fit ends up in hearts and you’re declaring, the opponents can see partner’s hand in dummy and know exactly where every honor is. But if partner declares, your hand goes down as dummy and those honors stay protected.

Smolen makes sure the 1NT opener becomes declarer in the five-card major whenever there’s a fit.

Finding the Best Fit

Sometimes you have both a 5-3 fit in one major and a 4-4 fit in the other. Smolen lets opener choose. With three cards in your five-card suit, opener bids it at the three or four level. With only two cards there but four in your four-card suit, opener can bid that suit instead. This means you’ll always land in your best fit.

When Does Smolen Apply?

Smolen comes into play in a very specific auction:

  1. Partner opens 1NT
  2. You respond 2♣️ (Stayman)
  3. Partner rebids 2♦️ (no four-card major)
  4. You have game-forcing values (typically 10+ HCP)
  5. You have five cards in one major and four in the other

That last point is crucial. If you have 5-5 in the majors, you’d bid differently (usually jumping to 3♥️ to show both majors in some systems). Smolen specifically handles the 5-4 or 4-5 pattern.

The game-forcing values are also non-negotiable. If you’re only invitational (8-9 HCP), you can’t use Smolen because the jump to the three-level promises enough for game.

The Logic Behind the Bid

Let’s walk through why bidding your four-card major makes sense.

Imagine you hold five hearts and four spades with game-forcing values. The auction goes:

1NT - 2♣️ - 2♦️ - ?

If you bid 3♠️ (your four-card suit):

  • If opener has three hearts, they can bid 3♥️ or 4♥️, showing support for your five-card suit
  • If opener has four spades, they can bid 3♠️ or 4♠️, showing the 4-4 fit
  • If opener has neither, they can bid 3NT

By naming your four-card major first, you give opener a clear picture. Opener knows you have exactly four of the suit you bid and exactly five of the other major. Simple.

If you had bid your five-card suit instead (3♥️), opener wouldn’t know if you also had four spades. The information wouldn’t flow as cleanly.

Opener’s Responses to Smolen

After you jump to three of your four-card major, opener has several options:

With Three-Card Support for Your Five-Card Major

Opener bids your five-card major. The level depends on their hand:

  • Game interest but minimum: Bid the major at the three-level (3♥️ or 3♠️)
  • Clear game values: Jump to the four-level (4♥️ or 4♠️)

This puts you in your 5-3 fit with the strong hand declaring.

With Four-Card Support for Your Four-Card Major

Opener can bid the four-card major (the suit you just bid). This shows the 4-4 fit. Usually opener will bid this at the four-level since you’ve already promised game values.

With Neither Fit

Opener bids 3NT. You have 25+ HCP combined and no eight-card major fit, so notrump is your spot.

Showing a Doubleton

Some pairs play that opener can bid three of your five-card suit with only two cards to show a minimum hand, essentially saying “I know you have five there, but I’m not excited about it.” This lets responder decide whether to pass 3NT or correct to four of the major.

Example Auctions

Let’s see Smolen in action with complete hands:

Example 1: Finding the 5-3 Heart Fit

Opener (North):

♠️ K Q 6
♥️ K 9 4
♦️ A J 8 3
♣️ Q 10 5

Responder (South):

♠️ A J 8 3
♥️ Q J 10 6 2
♦️ K 4
♣️ A 6

Auction:

  • North: 1NT
  • South: 2♣️ (Stayman)
  • North: 2♦️ (no four-card major)
  • South: 3♠️ (Smolen: four spades, five hearts)
  • North: 4♥️ (three-card heart support, accepting game)

North declares 4♥️, protecting the king-queen of spades from the opening lead. The five-three fit plays comfortably, and you’re in the right game.

Example 2: Finding the 4-4 Spade Fit

Opener (West):

♠️ K Q 7 4
♥️ A 8
♦️ K Q 10 5
♣️ J 9 3

Responder (East):

♠️ A J 8 3
♥️ K Q 10 6 2
♦️ 7 3
♣️ A 4

Auction:

  • West: 1NT
  • East: 2♣️
  • West: 2♦️
  • East: 3♠️ (four spades, five hearts)
  • West: 4♠️ (four-card spade support)

Even though East has five hearts, the 4-4 spade fit is superior. West’s four-card support makes this clear, and 4♠️ is the best contract.

Example 3: Five Spades, Four Hearts

Opener (North):

♠️ K 8 5
♥️ Q J 4
♦️ A K 9 3
♣️ Q 10 6

Responder (South):

♠️ A Q J 9 4
♥️ K 10 6 2
♦️ 8 4
♣️ A 3

Auction:

  • North: 1NT
  • South: 2♣️
  • North: 2♦️
  • South: 3♥️ (Smolen: four hearts, five spades)
  • North: 3♠️ (three-card spade support)
  • South: 4♠️

South shows five spades by bidding 3♥️. North, with three spades, supports at the three-level showing a minimum. South carries on to game, and the 5-3 spade fit plays from the right side.

Example 4: No Major Fit—Settling in 3NT

Opener (West):

♠️ Q 6
♥️ K 9
♦️ A K J 8 4
♣️ Q 10 6 3

Responder (East):

♠️ A K 8 4
♥️ Q J 10 6 2
♦️ 7 3
♣️ A 4

Auction:

  • West: 1NT
  • East: 2♣️
  • West: 2♦️
  • East: 3♠️ (four spades, five hearts)
  • West: 3NT (only two cards in each major)

West has neither three hearts nor four spades. With 26 HCP and no eight-card major fit, 3NT is clearly the percentage spot. East passes, and the notrump game is reached from the right side.

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1: Using Smolen Without Game Values

Smolen is a game-forcing convention. The jump to the three-level after 1NT - 2♣️ - 2♦️ commits the partnership to game. If you only have invitational values (8-9 HCP), you can’t afford to jump. Instead, bid 2♥️ or 2♠️ to show a five-card suit and let partner decide.

Wrong:

You hold: ♠️ A J 8 3  ♥️ Q J 10 6 2  ♦️ 7 4  ♣️ 6 3 (8 HCP)
Auction: 1NT - 2♣️ - 2♦️ - 3♠️ (wrong—not enough for game)

Right:

Same hand: 1NT - 2♣️ - 2♦️ - 2♥️ (shows five hearts, invitational)

Mistake #2: Bidding Your Five-Card Suit

Remember: Smolen requires you to bid your four-card major to show five in the other one. New players constantly get this backwards.

Wrong:

You hold five hearts, four spades
Auction: 1NT - 2♣️ - 2♦️ - 3♥️ (wrong—this shows five spades!)

Right:

Same hand: 1NT - 2♣️ - 2♦️ - 3♠️ (shows four spades, five hearts)

Mistake #3: Using Smolen With 5-5 Majors

Smolen is for 5-4 hands. If you have five-five in the majors, you need a different approach. Many partnerships use an immediate 3♥️ jump over 1NT to show both majors, or they use 2♣️ followed by bidding both majors naturally. Discuss with your partner what you play in this situation.

Mistake #4: Forgetting Opener Denies a Four-Card Major

Smolen only applies after opener bids 2♦️ to deny a four-card major. If opener responds 2♥️ or 2♠️ to Stayman, you’ve already found a fit (or you’ll bid differently from there). Don’t try to shoehorn Smolen into auctions where opener has shown a major.

Partnership Agreements

Like any convention, Smolen works best when both partners are on the same page. Here are key agreements to discuss:

Agreement #1: Point Range for Game Force

Are we using Smolen with exactly 10+ HCP, or is there flexibility? Some pairs use Smolen with very good 9-counts if they have good controls and a five-card major. Nail down your minimum.

Agreement #2: Opener’s Three-Level Bids

When opener bids three of responder’s five-card major, does it show:

  • Three-card support (most common)
  • Two-card support with a minimum (showing doubleton but accepting the suit)

Some pairs use 3NT as the minimum with two cards and three of the major as three-card support. Others use three of the major for any acceptance (2 or 3 cards) and let responder decide. Agree on this.

Agreement #3: What If Opponents Interfere?

If RHO bids over 2♦️, do Smolen bids still apply? Many pairs play that double can be used as a replacement for Smolen (showing 5-4 majors), or that bids at the three-level are natural and forcing. Discuss your methods.

Agreement #4: Five-Five in the Majors

What do we do with 5-5 majors and game-forcing values? This isn’t Smolen, but you need a treatment. Common options:

  • Direct 3♥️ over 1NT shows both majors
  • Bid Stayman, then bid both majors
  • Use Puppet Stayman (a different convention)

Make sure you’re aligned.

The Bottom Line

Smolen is a sophisticated tool that earns its place in any serious partnership’s convention card. It solves a specific problem—what to do with game-forcing hands containing five of one major and four of the other after partner denies a four-card major with 2♦️.

The key is remembering the “backwards” logic: bid your four-card major to show five of the other. Once you internalize that, the rest flows naturally. Opener chooses the best fit or settles in 3NT, and the contract plays from the strong side.

Practice it a few times, and Smolen will become second nature. Your opponents won’t know what hit them when you smoothly land in the perfect contract, declared by the right hand.

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