Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

Right-click here for hands.

Board 14: South opens a routine 1C. I'm sure most Norths responded 1S, but I would recommend 2S, forcing to game and showing immediate slam interest. However, it is normal in American methods to promise at least a five-card suit for a jump shift so 1S may be best if you haven't discussed this with partner. A good auction might be 1C-2S; 3S (promising 4 card support)-4NT; 5H-5NT; 6D-? With all the Aces,Kings and the Queen of spades, there might be a grand slam; but opener might have little besides his two Aces and one King. Best is to bid 6S -- the trump suit makes for a safer slam than 6NT and there may be a play for an overtrick. 19 hcp opposite an opening bid could add up to only 31 or 32 hcp -- enough for slam in a suit, but below the usual standard of 33 hcp for 6NT. As it happens, making 6NT requires some sort of squeeze or defensive error, while 6S makes easily by trumping a diamond in dummy.

If the bidding begins 1C-1S; 2S, does the raise promise four card support? If so North can proceed with Blackwood as above. Otherwise, he'd better make a forcing bid and see whether partner repeats the spade support. A plausible auction might be 1C-1S; 2S-3H; 3S etc., but if South thinks he's already shown four trumps he may bid 3NT instead and the auction could go off the rails. As usual, making any slam nets a decent score: only four of nine pairs bid and made slam.

Board 23: West opens 1C and East can show immediate slam interest with a strong jump to 2S. A good auction might be 1C-2S; 3C-3H; 3NT-? At this point East has told his story and partner wasn't interested, so East can pass 3NT in comfort.

Absent strong jump shifts, or with the restriction that the jumper cannot have a second suit, the auction begins 1C-1S; 2C-? Gadget-loving partnerships might play New Minor Forcing here (an extension, normally the convention only applies after opener rebids 1NT); that would allow 2H on a weak 5-4 hand. But the default agreement is that 2H is forcing, under the core rule of Standard American bidding: "A new suit-over-suit bid by a responder who has never passed is forcing." Despite the misfit, opener should like his clubs enough to leap to 3NT at this point -- the previous 2C bid limited his hand somewhat, so this just shows a good minimum-range hand. And now responder is uncomfortable passing with 16 hcp when all he has shown is eleven or so. Pass is probably best, but how much simpler to announce the strength up front with a strong jump!

I count two strong jumps and zero weak ones this session, a fairly typical result. But it would be zero strong jumps as well if you require a five card suit and prohibit a second suit, both common restrictions in American but not European methods. I generally prefer American methods except for two level jump shifts, as illustrated by today's hands. It's possible to land in the right spot without a strong jump, but it's easy to go wrong. An early jump saves much guesswork later.