Page 15 - BB201111

B B
15 BETTER
VOL. 16, NO. 2
BRIDGE
N OVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Opener Jumps in Notrump
Opener’s jump rebid in notrump is
not forcing.
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
2NT Pass
Opener starts with 1 , and then
jumps to 2NT over responder’s 1
bid. That shows a balanced hand of
18-19 points, too strong to open 1NT
but not strong enough to open 2NT.
With a bare minimum, responder is
allowed to pass.
So if most of opener’s rebids are
non-forcing, even jump rebids, when
is opener’s rebid forcing?
Opener’s Jump Shift
Opener’s jump in a new suit—a
jump shift—is forcing to game.
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
3 3
3NT Pass
Opener has an unbalanced hand
with 19 high-card points plus 1 length
point for the five-card heart suit.When
responder bids 1 , opener knows
that there should be enough combined
strength for a game contract. A rebid
of only 2 would not be forcing, so
opener makes a jump in a new suit,
3 , a jump shift.
Responder can’t pass this bid. The
partnership is now committed to at
least game. Responder gives ‘false
preference’ back to opener’s first
suit, and opener chooses to go for
game in notrump. Opener doesn’t
expect responder to have three-card
heart support since responder didn’t
raise hearts right away.
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
2 3
3 4
Pass
Opener starts with the longer suit,
1 . After the 1 response, opener
wants to make sure the partnership
gets to game and jump shifts to 2 .
Responder can’t pass and chooses to
rebid the six-card heart suit. Opener
then rebids the spades.
Opener’s 3 bid is still forcing,
since the jump shift committed the
partnership to game. By rebidding
the spades without getting support
from responder, opener is showing a
five-card suit. By inference, opener
has at least six diamonds, since with
equal length in spades and diamonds,
opener would have started with the
higher-ranking suit, 1 . Responder
puts the partnership in game in the
eight-card major suit fit.
The Dreaded Reverse
Opener’s bid of a second suit at the
two level that is higher-ranking than
opener’s first suit is forcing for at
least one round.
This is technically called a ‘reverse’
and it is one of the most challenging
bidding concepts. It shows at least an
intermediate-strength hand of about
17–18 points, so it is not necessarily
forcing to game. However, it can also
be made with a maximum-strength
hand of 19–21 points, in which case
opener is planning to get to game
even opposite a minimum response.
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
2 2
3 Pass
Opener has an unbalanced hand
with 15 high-card points plus 2 length
points for the six-card diamond suit.
That’s enough to ‘reverse’ into the
heart suit after the 1 response.
Responder can tell it is a reverse
because responder would have to go
to the three level to give preference
back to opener’s first suit. A reverse
always shows more cards in the first
suit than the second suit. With more
hearts than diamonds, opener would
start with the higher-ranking suit, 1 .
Responder can’t pass the reverse
since opener could have a maximum-
strength hand. Here responder rebids
the spade suit. That gives opener a
chance to rebid the diamond suit. Now
responder can pass with a minimum
response, since opener has shown only
a medium-strength hand.
OPENER RESPONDER
1 1
2 2
3NT Pass
Here opener has an unbalanced
hand with 19 high-card points plus 1
length point for the five-card club suit.
Opener starts with the long suit, 1 .
When responder bids 1 , opener
bids 2 , a second suit that is higher-
ranking than opener’s first suit. This
is a reverse and it is forcing.
Responder rebids the heart suit,
and opener now shows a maximum
hand by jumping to 3NT. A bid of
2NT would only be invitational.
Notice that opener didn’t need to
‘jump shift’ into 3 . That would take
up a lot of bidding room, and it isn’t
necessary since the reverse is forcing
and accomplishes the same thing. In
fact, a ‘jump-shift-reverse’ into 3
is used for a completely different
purpose by experienced partnerships.
With an unbalanced maximum-
strength hand, opener jump shifts
after responder’s one-level response
when the second suit is lower-ranking
than the first, and reverses when it is
higher-ranking.
OPENER RESPONDER
A Q 7 5 K 8 3
K 6 J 8 7 2
K Q 8 3 7 5 2
K J 5 Q 9 6
OPENER RESPONDER
7 Q J 8 2
A K Q 8 3 J 5
A K 10 6 Q 5 2
K 8 5 10 6 3 2
OPENER RESPONDER
A K Q 6 4 7 5 2
4 K Q 9 6 3 2
A K J 7 5 4 6
3 9 5 4
OPENER RESPONDER
4 K J 9 7 5 2
K Q J 5 10 3
A K Q 10 5 3 6 4
9 3 J 8 5
OPENER RESPONDER
K Q 9 J 6 5
5 Q 10 9 7 3
A K 7 4 8 6 3
A Q J 8 3 K 4