| Board 7 South Deals Both Vul |
♠ J ♥ Q 10 8 ♦ J 10 7 4 2 ♣ K 9 8 2 |
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♠ Q 6 4 ♥ K J 9 7 6 ♦ A 9 8 ♣ 5 3 |
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♠ K 10 9 8 3 ♥ A 3 ♦ K 5 ♣ A Q 10 7 |
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| ♠ A 7 5 2 ♥ 5 4 2 ♦ Q 6 3 ♣ J 6 4 |
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EW 6♠; EW 5♥; EW 4N; EW 3♣; EW 2♦
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | |||
| Pass | Pass | 1 ♠ | Pass |
| ? |
While East has the strength for a 1NT opening, that would be a mistake on this fine, suit-oriented hand. West has ten high card points, a useful doubleton, and a decent five card suit - clearly worth a game try. If West were not a passed hand, playing standard methods, he would respond 2♥ (forcing, 10+ HCP, 5+♥) and follow with a raise of spades. 2/1 players would respond 1NT (forcing) and bid 3♠ over opener's 2♣ rebid (opener is not strong enough to force to game with 3♣). This is how 2/1 bidders make a 3-card limit raise, sometimes called a 2-1/2 raise. Note that the standard auction is more descriptive than the forcing-NT auction. After either approach, East will declare 4♠, an excellent game. (The double-dummy top contract of 6♠ is horribly lucky.) Using either system, a direct limit raise of 3♠ over 1♠ absolutely guarantees at least four card support.
As a passed hand, neither 2♥ nor 1NT by West is a forcing response. Many partnerships use some form of the Drury Convention (2♣ and/or 2♦) to show game interest with a fit, which assures that you will play 2♠, 3♠, or 4♠, and not 2♥ or 1NT. I prefer to use 2♦ as my only Drury bid, leaving 2♣ as natural: responder might have opened a weak 2♦ with a strong diamond suit, but could well have a strong club suit he would like to bid now. Before agreeing to play Drury, be sure to discuss the continuations with your partner - the web has lots of info.
The best response might be a fit showing jump shift to 3♥. This invitational bid, standard by a passed hand, promises both a spade fit and a decent heart suit, preferably with secondary honors (KQJ). Opener should up-value hearts, but down-value secondary honors in side suits. (This is roughly the message sent by a standard responder in two bids.) You would do this with only ♥QJ976, holding a fourth trump. Here is a summary of the major options in jump shifts:
Strong Jump Shift: the standard use of a jump shift is to show a hand in the slam zone. Because it chews up so much bidding room, these can be tricky - don't use this just because you can. After all, any new suit response is forcing by an unpassed hand. For standard bidders, I recommend the Soloway jump shift, which shows a slam-interest hand with (1) a single strong suit that you propose to make trump, (2) a good suit with all side suits stopped, planning to rebid notrump, or (3) a good suit with good support for opener - responder's new suit rebid is a cue bid promising this hand.
Weak Jump Shift: shows 3-6 HCP, mostly in the bid six card or longer suit. These are easy, but be sure to agree with your partner before using one.
Intermediate Jump Shift: this non-forcing bid shows a strong suit in a game-invitational hand, without support for opener's suit. Some 2/1 partnerships like this, especially on the auction 1♦ - 3♣.
Fit-showing Jump Shift: this use, illustrated above, is standard for a passed hand, since a strong jump shift is not possible. If playing this way all the time, the bid should show either an invitational or slammish hand - not simply a game-going hand. Robson and Segal tout these, in great detail, in Partnership Bidding in Bridge.
- Pete Matthews