approach-forcing

English

Etymology

Coined by Ely Culbertson in the early 1930's to describe the bidding system that he invented.

Noun

approach-forcing (uncountable)

1. (bridge) A bidding system in which the responder does not support a partner's bid suit without 4 card support or 3 cards plus a Queen or higher, never passes an opening 1 bid while holding one and a half honor tricks or more, always responds with an indication of hand strength, and in which a 2 opener or jump bid is considered forcing to game. No Trump is used as a negative response when forced to bid.
   • 1934, Literary Digest, volume 118, number 11, page 38:

     […] the approach-forcing system and other less widely known systems offer a helping hand to the beginner […]

   • 1937 March, Silas Bent, “Should we abolish bridge? Yessir!”, in The Rotarian, page 10:

     My acquaintance with trick values, "approach-forcing," the pitfalls of no-trump, the conventions and the various "systems" has come by word of mouth or by painful experience at the card table.

References

• Hand Evaluation – Tactics (Approach Forcing)