Tuesday, March 20, 2007 11:11 PM

Hand Evaluation - XYZ ( Idle Bids )

PITBULLS:

Playing the XYZ structure ( which includes the 2 way NMF) allows you some new freedoms. Since you have the 2♣ bid showing all & I mean all invitational hands , you have the freedom to redefine some former natural bids. There are two hand types that traditionally have been very difficult to bid. These hands are responders weak 4-6’s & responders strong 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-3-1 with 4 card support for partner’s minor.

Since 2♣ covers the invitational hands , a jump to 2NT invitational after 3 bids at the one level is no longer needed. This jump rebid to 2NT by responder is a transfer to clubs. You have ♠xx ♥Q109x ♦K ♣QJ98xx and partner opens 1♦ after you have passed. You respond 1♥ , partner rebids 1♠. Now what ? This is easy as you bid 2NT so when partner bids 3♣ you plan to pass. However . partner tricks you by breaking the relay & bids 6♣ instead of 3♣. Partner holds ♠A10xx ♥void ♦AQ10xx ♣AKxx so knowing as a passed hand you probably hold a 4-6 , she bids your cold slam.

OK ,assume you are not a passed hand so you have one of those awkward 5-4-3-1 or 4-4-4-1 hands with 4 of partners minor plus a good hand. The only way in the game of Bridge can remain at the one level for 3 rounds is if partner opens a minor. OK , you have 4 of partners minor & a good hand. ♠x ♥AKxxx ♦AKxx ♣Jxx . Partner opens 1♦ , you respond 1♥. Partner bids 1♠ so you know that partner has 5♦. Here is an opportunity to splinter in partners spade suit the XYZ way !! You now bid 2NT over partners spade so partner relays to 3♣ as ordered. You now bid 3♠ which shows a stiff spade with 4 of partners diamonds !

Partner has the magical hand with nothing wasted in spades. ♠A10xx ♥Qx ♦QJ109xx ♣A so you get to your cold 7♦. Bidding systems are improved when you can solve difficult bidding problems by making use of idle extinct natural bids. The 2NT bid playing XYZ is one of these extinct bids.

More idle bids are the natural jump preferences & jump shifts by responder. Since 2♣ covers these invitational hands quite nicely these bids have become idle. Let’s recover them as strong & distributional just like Goren did ½ a century ago. Natural jumps by responder are forcing & slamish but with 5-5 distribution to distinguish them from hands in the 2♦ category of hand types.