Monday, March 19, 2007 2:37 AM
 
Hand Evaluation – Fast Arrival ( Approach Forcing )

 

PITBULLS:

            Modern bidding is an “approach forcing” system. What does this mean ? This means that whenever responder bids a new suit ,  it is forcing.  Before “approach forcing’ became in vogue , you had to jump to force. Strong jump shifts by responder , strong jump preferences & jumps after 2/1 bidding were needed to force & show a good hand.

            The modern style means jumps or fast arrival to game means something altogether different from strength. In a 2/1 auction since it is forcing to game , a jump in a suit does not show strength but suit quality. I like to generalize & play all jumps in a suit to show good suit quality rather than strength. Jumps to a new suit in a 2/1 auction are splinters. Jumps to 3NT show specifically hands that evaluate to a strong NT. Fast arrival to game in a Q bidding auction or otherwise says I have nothing extra but more importantly I lack a control to Q bid.

            Sometimes it is best to go back to the “old ways” where jumps were needed to force thereby showing your slam intentions immediately. This modern notion is recovering the useful forms of the strong jump shift & jump preference. The useful jump shifts by responder is where you show a good suit or a fit rather than just a lot of HCP’s.  Jump rebids by responder show a slam going hand with a good suit. In order to play this , you need to beef up your weak jump shifts so that a simple rebid of your suit is invitational. Fit showing jump shifts as a passed hand are becoming standard bidding.

            Playing a structure like XYZ allows you to play strong jump shifts & jump preferences by responder. Why ? Because all game forcing hands are shown by a 2♦ bid & all invitational hands with a 2♣ bid. This leaves the jump shifts & jump preferences to be picture bids that show your slam hand immediately rather than approach forcing. Approach forcing has its advantages but showing your intentions are not one of them as you can make a forcing bid with any strength or suit quality & length.

 

            Here is a good auction that shows fast arrival in action.

 

 ♠AKxxx ♥xx ♦AKQxx ♣x opposite     ♠x ♥Qx ♦J10xx ♣AKQJxx    

 

1♠-P-2♣-P

 2♦-P-3♦-P

 3♠-P-5♦-P              fast arrival to show no heart control. Partner denies a heart control by bypassing hearts to show the spade control.