Wednesday, June 21, 2006 8:38 AM

Hand Evaluation - Recovering the SJS

PITBULLS:

The old fashioned strong jump shift by responder had its practical use. Advertising to partner that you have immediate slam intentions with a solid or semi-solid suit certainly is an asset for the partnership. Take this hand from the Vanderbilt. ♠AKQ10xxx ♥KJxxx ♦void ♣K The auction went

1♣-P-1♠-P

2♣-P-2♥-P

3♦-P-3♠-P

4♥-P-4♠-P Partners hand was ♠x ♥Axx ♦Axx ♣AQ1098x so in 7NT reached at the other table , declarer took 7 spade tricks , 5♥ tricks ( doubleton queen) 6♣ tricks ( Jack came down ) and the diamond Ace for 19 top tricks , a 17 IMP pickup.

What went wrong ? These were experts but the opener never visualized such a huge hand by responder. Responder never visualized such a nice hand by opener for a 2♣ rebid. Nobody flashed a slam signal.

Here is how my partners would bid this hand.

1♣-P-1♠-P (1) Equivalent to a strong jump shift solid or semi- solid suit

2♣-P-3♠(1)-P (2) I have two kings and a source of tricks why waste time ?

4NT-P-5♠-P

5NT-P-7NT (2) –P

Do not scoff at the strong jump shift by responder. It had its use in the first 50 years of Bridge & it has its use today. Experts look for places to recover the strong jump shift by responder so a jump rebid is one of them.

Invitational hands can be handled by the Gandolfo method ( invitational jump shifts by responder ) or another way which is to up the range for the WJS so that a simple rebid of your major is invitational . Both ways work & frees the jump by responder to be a strong jump shift.

With a 1NT rebid , 2♣ handles all the invitational hands. This frees a jump rebid & a jump preference by responder to be a strong jump shift type of hand . Another place where we recover the strong jump shift. XYZ where 3 bids at the one level triggers 2 way NMF , recovering the strong jump shift also applies.

After a major opener and a 2/1 , a jump preference by responder shows 4 trump with a nice suit. Still another place where we have recovered the strong jump shift by responder. Original bidding theorists did not have it all wrong. They just had to pick their spots better for the strong jump shift by responder.

1♠-P-2♥-P

2♠-P-4♠-P shows a fit showing jump shift type of hand.

In competition , “recovering the strong jump shift” should not apply. The main reason is frequency since the opponents are bidding also , the odds of you holding such a hand diminishes. The 2^nd reason is that the opponents bid has given you a Q bid with which to work. You can Q bid & jump in your suit to show the strong solid suit hand. Partner opens 1♦ , the opponents overcall 1♥ & you bid 1♠ with ♠AJ10xxx ♥xxxx ♦xx ♣A. Your LHO bids 2♣ & all pass around to you. This is a 3♠ invitational bid which is needed in competition. A 2♠ bid can now be more competitive than invitational.