smerriman, on 2020-July-02, 19:44, said:
I guess there are variations on anything, but if someone said two-way checkback, I would definitely assume they meant 2C was a puppet to 2D. If you Google 'two-way checkback', it seems virtually everyone else agrees, though there is a rare article that doesn't mention the puppet.
Even with 2
♣ forcing a 2
♦ reply it is still important to distinguish between 2
♣*-2
♦*-3
♣, immediate 3
♣, 2
♣*-2
♦*-2NT and immediate 2NT. These can all be played as some amount of clubs and points, or even as two-suited or balanced hands.
Stephen Tu, on 2020-July-02, 20:03, said:
The puppet variation has probably obtained enough dominance that people stop including it in the name, or have forgotten the non-puppet variation ever existed?
I admit this is the first time I heard the word 'puppet' in the name, I thought it was just called Checkback Stayman (or 2-Way Checkback Stayman, where 2
♣* 100% forces 2
♦*).
Also to jump the gun a bit on a frequent point of confusion: after 1m-1M-1NT-2
♦* opener is requested to bid their major (if any), and you need an agreement on what to do if holding both a 3-card in responder's major and a 4-card oM. I prefer bidding the 4-card suit first, but others prefer to show support first or bid 'up the line'. This is a bigger issue if opener can hold spades after 1
♣-1
♥-1NT.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Hands rotated to make West dealer. If you're unsure of your methods, you might just boot 6♠ over partner's 1N rebid.
Obviously it's better to have some agreement e.g. after 1X - 1Y - 1N - ?
- 2-way check-back is the most popular. I like the version that Stephen Tu attributes to Kit Woolsey. 2♣ = PUP to 2♦. 2♦ = ART G/F.
- NMF = New minor forcing. Here 2♣ = ART F/1.
- Crowhurst: 2♣ = ART F/1. Other bids N/F (simple and consistent).