Saturday, February 22, 2003 6:07 PM

Hand Evaluation - Fast Arrival ( Principle )

 

PITBULLS:

 

            Decades ago , the principle of fast arrival was the cornerstone of 2/1 bidding or Jacoby 2NT . When you reached your contract fast, you were minimum so not interested in hearing any Q bids from partner. This has merit on some hands but it was too general so really pre-empted partner  when she had a good unlimited hand . Quite often she was forced to go to the 5 level to Q bid which resulted in disaster when the hands did not fit well. The ultimate ignominy , going down at the 5 level after making a slam try resulted quite often . Jumps to game  by either partner in a 2/1 auction showed just a minimum so made slam investigation almost impossible when one partner was unlimited .

 

            Under the old  principle of fast arrival , we said our jumps to 3NT were weaker than 2NT bids . With this ambiguous 2NT , many many expert partnerships missed baby 6NT slams with 17 HCP opposite 16 HCP .  Conventions like Jacoby 2NT were based on the principle of fast arrival . You leapt to 4 of a major with an opener but bid 3 of a major with a better hand . Again this pre-empted partner when she had an unlimited hand , so iffy 5 level contracts resulted after slam investigation.

 

            Years ago , the dinosaur of bridge - strong jump shifts by responder roamed the bridge scene. This was replaced by 4th suit forcing to game or XYZ so that responder can advertise a strong hand by keeping  the bidding low. However ,  the principle of fast arrival was involved in these auctions also . When responder jumped to game in partners suit , she had  a minimum for a forcing to game auction. In fact , the 4th forcing to game was a slam try since she did not jump to game initially in partners suit . Unlimited hands should prevent “fast arrival” in those auctions also.

 

            Fast arrival & unlimited hands were now permanently linked. Courtesy Q bids emerged opposite unlimited hands . Fast arrival no longer showed a minimum opener. When partner was “unlimited’ , fast arrival is a “picture bid” saying we have nothing useful for slam purposes or I have less than I have announced previously. Fast arrival was initially invented for 2/1 bidding but the principle applies in all auctions. Goren methods contradict “fast arrival” & the Useful Space Principle. Jumping to game to show strong hands ( HCPs ) is silly bidding as you are just pre-empting your own partner. The 4 level or even the 5 level is an odd place to start exploring for slam or even a better contract. When you play a strong NT in the 15-17 HCP range even with a 5 card major , the invitational 2NT range is idle. The raise to 2NT after an opening bid & a 1 NT response  can now take the place of the Goren 3NT bid ( jump to game after a 1NT response ) . This system modification allows room at the 3 level ( useful space ) to investigate alternative contracts. A leap to 3NT can be a “picture bid” defined by the partnership.

 

            Over the years , Bridge experts realized that the principle of fast arrival for 2/1 auctions was misguided . You missed too many slams and made too many slam tries at the 5 level . Ambiguous 2NT rebids with a wide range of HCP’s complicated auctions so experts claimed 12 tricks in 3NT . Meckstroth and Rodwell came up with an invention to replace the principle of fast arrival  for major suit auctions , the “serious 3NT” . We have dozens of e-mails on the serious 3NT and how this makes Q bidding just a forced noise ( courtesy ) now instead of showing extra etc. The serious 3NT now can define a new meaning to the jump to game rather than a minimum. The jump is a hand with no outside controls with points concentrated in the trump suit.

 

            Not playing the principle of fast arrival , makes the jumps to 3NT in forcing auctions show extra for the previous bidding . Klimo recommends and I agree that the leap to 3NT in all forcing to game auctions should show HCP’s in the strong NT range . The 2NT bid should be a minimum or  very strong (18-19 ) so that range minimizes the ambiguity .

 

            Stan Cabay is not a fan of the principle of fast arrival either . We lost the Swiss teams on a misunderstanding with “fast arrival” and a bizarre Doug Deschner bid at the other table .

 

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                I opened 1♣ , Stan bid 1♥ . I have a tough rebid . I am close to a 3♣ bid but I had terrible club spots with a stiff in partners suit. I chose the underbid of 2♣.  Stan now forced to game with 2♠ . I was hoping Stan was not a fan of “fast arrival” opposite an unlimited hand so  would take my jump to 3NT to show a hand in the strong NT range for my previous bidding . The opponents asked Stan what my bid meant but when I  heard  “fast arrival” from Stan I knew we were doomed. 3NT making 6 - lose 12  IMPS and the Swiss teams. Doug rebid a bizarre 2NT with my hand over 1♥ at the other table !!  6NT was a simple bid by the other hand L.

 

 

 

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      You have 14 points with nice controls . You have the jack of clubs in partners 6 card club suit and you know that partner is in the strong NT HCP range . Making one slam try is not unreasonable with this hand . Pulling 3NT to 4 of a minor is a slam  try in any system . Tom and I play that as demanding a Q bid. 4NT is the death response by partner after a try , of course. I think Susan &  Pat play that as KCB . They would definitely get to the slam .

 

 

           

 

Anyway , the principle of fast arrival used to define 2/1 bidding & your Jacoby 2NT . When you have bought into the “serious 3NT” philosophy , make sure all your understandings are worked out . The “serious 3NT” is far more than just one bid demanding a Q bid. It’s a new way of thinking in Bridge bidding. It effects your Q bidding , 4th suit forcing auctions , 2/1 , Jacoby 2NT &  NT jumps and makes jumps to game “picture bids” . Serious 3NT is just the tip of the ice berg.