Monday, January 02, 2006 1:05 PM

Hand Evaluation - Strong Jump Shifts ( Suit length )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Strong jump shifts by opener have been around since Bridge was invented. Unfortunately this bid was ambiguous as to distribution. You could jump shift into a 4 card suit or a 5 card suit. This ambiguity caused problems . Also jump shifts caused problems in a natural system though as there is no way to describe invitational two suiters or any hand in the invitational range for that matter , as opposed to just normal openers. Also strong one suiters above the invitational range are impossible to describe with standard methods . Borrowing a page from the forcing club people , we have a partial solution. The 3♣ jump shift can be artificial showing many strong jump shift hand types. To accommodate the many hands opener could hold , the bid demands partner relay to 3♦ unless responder has an over whelming reason to “break the relay” .

 

To differentiate a 4 card jump shift as opposed to a 5 card suit , we sacrifice the 2NT rebid after a forcing 1NT response . A raise of a forcing NT to 2NT is forcing so you can describe a strong jump shift with a 4 card club suit with that bid.  We propose a systemic change to the multi 3♣ SJS to also show a 4 card SJS into diamonds . A 3NT bid after the 3♦ relay shows a 4 card strong jump shift with diamonds. If opener had a 5-5 or 6-5 with clubs for the 3♣ jump shift , we must bid 4♣ after the relay .

 

            This 3♣ SJS bid surfaces after a spade , heart  or a diamond opener with any response. How important is it to have a strong jump shift into clubs as natural with a 4 card suit ? With 5-4-3-1 and 5-4-2-2 hands a jump to  2NT  to show clubs rather than a 3♣ strong jump shift is practical after a 1♥ opener & a 1♠ response.  These hands are bid when you want to right side the NT with stoppers in the 4th suit.  5-5 or 6-5’s with clubs are hands that a strong jump shift in clubs should still exist.

 

            Strong jump shift hands with a 4 card club suit can & should be described by a leap to 2NT if partner does not respond a forcing 1NT ( 1 case ) . We play 2NT as a semi force to game with 18-19 HCP after a forcing 1NT or 1NT to a diamond opener.  When partner responds a forcing 1NT , you do not need this leap to 3♣ treatment. ♠AKQxx ♥xx ♦Kx ♣AQJ10  

 

1♠-P-1NT-P

 2NT-P-3♣-P 

3NT

so your balanced club strong jump shift is described. If you bid anything else,  you are showing a fragment with a 5-4-3-1 distribution with 4 clubs.

 

            The new concept is that a  4 card strong jump shift with diamonds may be described with the multi-purpose 3♣ bid. ♠xx ♥AKxxx ♦AKQx ♣Kx   

 

1♥-P-1♠-P 

 3♣-P-3♦*-P 

 3NT so your 4 card diamond SJS is described. The negative inference now is that a simple 2♦ rebid should never be strong & a 3♦ SJS shows 5 cards & could be in the invitational HCP range or better.  We do not need to blow partials by bidding 3♦ by responder in case opener had an invitational distributional hand. Strong hands are a weakness with a natural system. Forcing club ideas assist in making the system more palatable.

 

 

           

            Some examples

 

            1♥-P-1♠-P

           3NT                5-3-3-2  18-19 HCP

 

            1♠-P-1NT-P

             3NT              5-3-3-2   18-19 HCP

 

          1♥-P-1♠-P

           2NT-P-             5-4-2-2 or 5-4-3-1 with a 4 card club suit. Partner bids 3♣ to ask for the fragment

 

          1♠-P-1NT-P

          2NT-P                5-4-3-1 or 5-4-2-2 with 4 clubs. 3♣ asks for fragment & 3NT shows 5-4-2-2 .