Presented here is a new scheme for gameforcing (GF) responses to a strong-1♣ opening (16+).

Contents:

The immediate and obvious downside of this natural scheme is that the final game/slam-contract very often gets "wrong-sided", i.e. declared by the weaker hand.

Later approaches to remedy this weakness has been, for example in Carrot-Club, to define 1♣-1♥ as GF without 5+major, while 1♠ shows 5♥s and 1NT shows 5♠s (another possibility is: 1♣-1♥=5♠, 1♣-1♠=bal, 1♣-1NT=5♥).

This is an improvement, since it will wrong-side the final contract less often. But after Carrot 1♣-1♥, for example, it is not unlikely that the final contract will still turn out to be hearts, particularly since responder may well have 4♥s. And after 1♣-1NT, unless opener has spade support, the final contract is often a wrong-sided 3NT.

So can we do better than that?

Last summer, at the annual Örebro Bridge Festival in Sweden, I met with an old friend and bridge-partner from the 1980's, math professor Bengt Alrud from Gothenburg, Sweden, and got an introduction to his latest bidding-system, named "Turbo".

His full system is very innovative, ground-breaking, and -- frankly -- amazing. But, admittedly, including a lot of complex relay-sequences not super-easy to memorize. Therefore, I made a simplified version ("Mini-Turbo"), that I have played with other partners, and which includes the scheme presented here.

One of the areas I really like, and that many other players could quite easily pick up, is the GF-responses to a strong-1♣ opening.

They are particularly designed to minimize the risk of wrong-siding the contract. And besides placing the 1♣ opener as declarer, the second important goal is also -- through relay-methods -- that declarer should disclose as little information of his hand as possible to defenders.

While we can, of course, never completely guarantee right-siding of the final contract, I think you will agree that the approach presented here increases the probability significantly.

Personally, I consider this a clearly superior method to other such systems I have seen, and an obvious study for any serious pair playing a strong-1♣ system.

Re. the relay-sequences, I am here employing a simple -- yet, very playable -- version, in order not to overshadow the basic concepts with complexities for now. They follow a common pattern, designed to be easy to grasp and memorize, and at the same time work as a solid foundation to get you started using the methods in practical play.

As players gain experience and get more familiar with these methods, they can certainly be further developed and enhanced to fully optimize the available information-space.

We open a strong-1♣ on all hands with 16+hcp, and a GF-responder is ca 9+hcp or a good 8 hcp. A sound principle for subsequent slam-bidding is also that a GF-response promises minimum 2 controls (c) -- where Ace=2c, King=1c -- otherwise, start a negative 1♣-1♦, even if you intend to later drive on to game.

If you prefer 1♣ as 17+, you can of course adjust the minimum requirements of responses.

Generally, a GF-responder to 1♣ will show, in turn:

 a) His relevant lengths in the majors, so opener can assess whether we have a common major trump-suit or not.

 b) Whether he is minimum (ca 8-11 bad hcp) or has extras (11 good hcp and up). When responder shows a minimum hand, opener can often set the game-contract immediately, to avoid spilling more information to defenders.

 c) Only if opener still needs to know: More details about lengths/shortnesses in other suits, etc.

Here's the first round responses. As you can see, a GF-responder's first focus is on the majors only:

 1♣-1♦  = 0-7(8) hcp, or less than 2c.

 1♣-1♥  = GF. Denies 4♥s. May or may not have ♠-suit, i.e 0-5♠s. 
                Includes both balanced and unbalanced hands.

 1♣-1♠  = GF. 4-5♥s. Denies 4♠s. Both balanced and unbalanced hands, 
                and may also have a longer minor side-suit.

 1♣-1NT = GF. A 6-card major. Denies 4 in the other major.

 1♣-2♣  = GF. At least 4-4 in the majors, but no 6-card major -- i.e 4-4/4-5/5-4/5-5 in majors.

 1♣-2♦  = Weak, ca 0-4 hcp. 6+♥s.

 1♣-2♥  = Weak, ca 0-4 hcp. 6+♠s.

 1♣-2♠  = GF. At least 5-5 in minors.

 1♣-2NT = GF. 6-4 or 4-6 in the majors.

 1♣-3X  = GF transfers, showing 7+cards headed by KQ or better (1♣-3♠ shows 7+♣s).

I will not cover here any 1♣-1♦ continuations. Any strong-1♣ scheme where 1♣-1♦ is negative 0+hcp will work.

This response is used for all such hands, whether balanced or unbalanced.

Opener now has 2 relays:
 1♣-1♥-1NT denying 4♠s, while
 1♣-1♥-1♠ shows 4+♠s.
Both relays can be either balanced or unbalanced -- only the spade-length matters -- and with 4+♠s opener may also have another longer suit.

 a) Whether he has 4+♠ support, exactly 3♠s, or shorter ♠-suit.

 b) Whether he has minimum or extra values.

 c) (If needed) Whether he has a 5-card (or 6-card) minor.

The responses:

 1♣-1♥-1♠-1NT = 4+♠s (sets ♠s as trumps).
         -2♣  = Exactly 3♠s.
Higher bids all show 2 or fewer ♠s:

 1♣-1♥-1♠-2♦  = Minimum hand, ca 8-11 bad hcp.
         -2♥  = Extras (ca 11 good hcp and up). Denies 5+minor.
         -2♠  = Extras, 5♣s.
         -2NT = Extras, 5♦s.
         -3♣  = Extras, 6♣s.
         -3♦  = Extras, 6♦s.

If you grasp the scale above, the same pattern will re-appear in many similar sequences.

After the minimum-showing 2♦ above and new relay:

 1♣-1♥-1♠-2♦-2♥-2♠  = No 5-card minor.
               -2NT = 5♣s.
               -3♣  = 5♦s.
               -3♦  = 6♣s.
               -3♥  = 6♦s.

After the 1NT response above establishing ♠ as trumps and new relay, we can use a similar model:

 1♣-1♥-1♠-1NT-2♣-2♦  = Minimum. After new relay: No 5+minor, 5♣s, 5♦s, etc.
                -2♥  = Extras, no 5-card major.
                -2♠  = Extras, 5♣s.
                -2NT = Extras, 5♦s.
                -3♣  = Extras, 6♣s.
                -2♦  = Extras, 6♦s.

Now, responder could still have 5♠s and opener 3-card support. So 1♣-1♥-1NT-2♥ is therefore reserved as a transfer bid showing 5♠s, while all other responses denies 5♠s and make a similar scale as above. Thus we get:

 1♣-1♥-1NT-2♣  = Minimum, denies 5♠s. After new relay: No 5+minor, 5♣s, 5♦s, etc.
          -2♦  = Extras, denies 5♠s, no 5+minor.
          -2♥  = 5-card ♠-suit.
          -2♠  = Extras, denies 5♠s, 5♣s.
          -2NT = Extras, denies 5♠s, 5♦s.
          -3♣  = Extras, denies 5♠s, 6♣s.
          -3♦  = Extras, denies 5♠s, 6♦s.

When responder has shown a 5-card major, we essentially use the same scale, but since a 5-card minor is more rare here, the scale primarily distinguishes between 4-card minors or not:

 1♣-1♥-1NT-2♥-2♠-2NT = Minimum. After new relay: No 4+minor, 4♣s, 4♦s, etc.
                -3♣  = Extras, no 4+minor.
                -3♦  = Extras, 4♣s.
                -3♥  = Extras, 4♦s.
                -3♠  = Extras, 5♣s.
                -3NT = Extras, 5♦s.

To preserve bidding space, opener relays with 1NT, regardless of whether he has ♥-support or not. Thus, an important feature here is that responder must never reply with 2♥, since that could wrong-side the contract when opener has ♥-support.

Since opener might also hold 3♥s, responder will use a transfer-bid here, too, to show 5-card ♥s.

Therefore, the scale looks like this:

 1♣-1♠-1NT-2♣  = Minimum, denies 5♥s. After a new 2♦ or 2♥ relay: No 5+minor, 5♣s, 5♦s, etc.
          -2♦  = 5-card ♥-suit.
          -2♥  = NOTE: "Forbidden bid" since opener might have ♥-support!
          -2♠  = Extras, denies 5♥s, 5♣s.
          -2NT = Extras, denies 5♥s, 5♦s.
          -3♣  = Extras, denies 5♥s, 6♣s.
          -3♦  = Extras, denies 5♥s, 6♦s.

As indicated after 1♣-1♠-1NT-2♣, opener may here chose to relay with either 2♦ or 2♥.

Holding 4♥s himself, he now right-sides the likely ♥-contract by relaying with 2♥. Lacking 4♥s, he rather maximize the bidding-space by relaying with 2♦, and responder's scale can now start with 2♥ since ♥-trump is normally out of the picture.

In both cases, the continued scale is the same: No 5+minor, 5♣s, 5♦s, etc.

After the sequences where responder denies 5-card minor, the next relay asks for a 4-card minor, which he bids naturally. If responder has nothing particular to show, he can generally "default" to the cheapest major-bid (he has already denied the suit, or denied extra-length in it).

Otherwise, after responder has ran the scales above to the end, for simplicity, one can continue bidding naturally and/or according to normal principles in a standard system.

However, if he does so immediately after 1♣-1M, and bids a new suit at the 2-level, these sequences are reserved for showing voids. Opener then bids 2-level "transfers" to his void-suit (1♣-1M-2♠ showing a ♣-void).

The 1♣-2♣-2M relays

The relay-scales are similar as after 1♣-1M, but since responder now has already shown 2 suits, it seems more efficient to show any shortness in a minor than length. Thus, when opener sets ♥s as trumps, the scale looks like (sgtn=singleton):

 1♣-2♣-2♥-2♠  = Minimum. After new relay: No sgtn, sgtn-♣, sgtn-♦, void-♣, void-♦.
         -2NT = Extras, no sgtn.
         -3♣  = Extras, sgtn-♣.
         -3♦  = Extras, sgtn-♦.
         -3♥  = Extras, void-♣.
         -3♠  = Extras, void-♦.

 1♣-2♣-2♦-2♥  = Exactly 4♥s, 4 or 5 ♠s.
         -2♠  = Exactly 5♥s, exactly 4♠s.
         -2NT = 5-5 majors. Minimum. After new relay: sgtn-♣, sgtn-♦, void-♣, void-♦.
         -3♣  = 5-5 majors. Extras, sgtn-♣.
         -3♦  = 5-5 majors. Extras, sgtn-♦.
         -3♥  = 5-5 majors. Extras, void-♣.
         -3♠  = 5-5 majors. Extras, void-♦.

After the 2♥ response above, with 3♠s opener may bid 2♠ to probe for a 5-3 fit, after which:

 1♣-2♣-2♦-2♥-2♠-2NT = 5-card ♠-suit. Establishes ♠s as trump.
               -3♣  = 4♠s. Minimum. After new relay: No sgtn, sgtn-♣, sgtn-♦.
               -3♦  = 4♠s. Extras, no sgtn.
               -3♥  = 4♠s. Extras, sgtn-♣.
               -3♠  = 4♠s. Extras, sgtn-♦.

1♣-1NT is GF with a 6-card major, and denies 4 in the other major.

Holding a GF hand and a 7-card major headed by KQ or better, responder starts with a double-jump transfer bid, 1♣-3♦/3♥. But a 7-card major of poorer quality will also respond 1♣-1NT, so in reality it shows a 6+major.

Opener usually relays with 2♣ to asks for the major, and responder uses a similar scale as above:

 1♣-1NT-2♣-2♦  = 6+♥s, minimum. After new relay: No 4-card minor, 4♣s, 4♦s, 5♣s, 5♦s.
          -2♥  = 6+♠s, minimum. After new relay: No 4-card minor, 4♣s, 4♦s, 5♣s, 5♦s.
          -2♠  = 6+♥s, extras.  After new relay: No 4-card minor, 4♣s, 4♦s, 5♣s, 5♦s.
          -2NT = 6+♠s, extras, no 4-card minor.
          -3♣  = 6+♠s, extras, 4♣s.
          -3♦  = 6+♠s, extras, 4♦s.
          -3♥  = 6+♠s, extras, 5♣s.
          -3♠  = 6+♠s, extras, 5♦s.

1♣-2NT is GF with a 6-card major and also 4 cards in the other major.

If opener has a 4+major of his own, he can set the trump-suit with a natural 3♥/3♠. Otherwise, he usually relays with 3♣:

 1♣-2NT-3♣-3♦  = 6+♥s, minimum.
          -3♥  = 6+♠s, minimum.
          -3♠  = 6+♥s, extras.
          -3NT = 6+♠s, extras, but non-forcing (if opener has short spades).
          -4♣ = 6+♠s, extras, and forcing.