CONFI and Super-CONFI


Confi and Super-Confi were created by George Rosenkrantz, and are designed to facilitate slam bidding opposite a balanced hand.

'Con' stands for controls and 'fi' stands for fit. The general idea is that one bid asks opener for number of controls, and if responder gets an encouraging answer, the partnership looks for fits. The convention is used when responder's hand is balanced (4432/4333) or quasi-balanced (5332, 5422). Confi is used when a small slam is in the picture; Super-confi when a grand slam is possible. Confi stops if the partnership as 9 or fewer controls; Super-confi if the partnership has 11 or fewer controls,

After showing the controls, both players show suits up the line (at least Qxxx) until a playable fit is located. After the fit is found, opener bids up the line to show the number of controls. An ace equals 2 controls, while a king equals one.

For example, assuming a 15-17 1nt opener with 2s as confi, opener would bid 2nt with 3 or fewer controls, 3c=4, 3d=5, 3h=6, 3s=7, 3nt=8 (some would collapse these responses and show 5or fewer, then 6, etc). If opener's controls plus responder's controls total 10 or more, then they start bidding suits up the line. Similarly, if 4d is superconfi, then after 1nt-4d-?, opener would bid 4h=3 or fewer, 4s=4, 4nt=5, 5c=6, 5d=7, 5h=8. If the total number of controls is not 12, responder signs off at 6nt. Any other bid initiates a search for grand slam strain and promises all 12 controls. I received from Henry Sun