Saturday, September 23, 2006 10:08 PM
Hand Evaluation – XYZ ( 4th suit forcing)
PITBULLS:
XYZ is a popular fix
for the ugly 4th suit
forcing auctions at the one
level. The letters stand for 3 bids at the one level which with
the rank of suits can only occur
when partner opens a minor ( omitting the 1NT
rebid ). The structure is therefore “minor orientated”
so works exactly
like the Cabay 2 way NMF . XYZ includes the 1NT rebid also
so 2 way NMF is a subset of XYZ. When responder bids 2♣
that shows all the invitational hands ,
when responder bids 2♦ that is forcing to game.
XYZ also frees the Goren jump shifts or jump preferences by responder as slam tries. We are again recovering the
useful form of the strong jump shift
by responder.
Showing your intentions as
responder immediately via a strong bid has a powerful theoretical advantage.
Here is a hand from the Bermuda
Bowl. ♠xx
♥AKJxx ♦AKQJx ♣x opposite ♠Axxx ♥Qx ♦10x
♣AQJxx . Partner opens 1♣ , you respond 1♥ with partner
bidding 1♠. All three bids have been made at the one level so XYZ comes into
effect ( triggered) . You now bid 3♦ which reverts
to Goren which shows a strong two suiter with a slam try. Partner likes her Aces & the heart queen so
she bids 3♥ rather than 3NT. Getting to 6♥ is now very
easy.
Jump
preferences playing XYZ are now slam
tries. Change the above hand to ♠x ♥AKJxx ♦Ax
♣K10xxx with the first 3 bids remain at the one level. You now make a forcing slam try of
3♣ . This slam try makes investigation easy for
getting to a grand slam in clubs. The beauty of the Goren method of forcing
jumps is that you flash your slam interests immediately. Modern bidding does not do this very
well. On this auction , you would have to make a phony
4th suit bid before supporting clubs. Even then ,
you are not necessarily showing slam interest. With the first hand you bid 2♦ , you hear
partner alert as 4th suit forcing which may not show diamonds !
Here is another hand where playing
XYZ makes bidding easy.
Partner opens 1♦ , you respond 1♥ with ♠Kx ♥AJ10xxx ♦AQ10x ♣A . Partner rebids 1♠ , you bid 3♦ announcing your
slam aspirations early. Partner co-operates with a 3♠ bid so you take control with 4♦ KCB . Partner bids 4NT showing 2 without.
You bid 5♥ as a suit ask , partner bids 7♦ with her
singleton heart. Partners hand ♠AQJ10 ♥x ♦KJ987
♣Qxx. Try this auction with 4th suit forcing instead of XYZ & you could
get messed up very badly. Partner raises
your ♣ bid to 3 so now you are fearing duplication
of value. The wrong side took control as you want opener
to be the captain .
Playing XYZ you can choose the captain. I hate 4th suit forcing .L