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Theory

The principle of fast arrival


When there are two or more forcing routes available to the same contract then the most direct route route will be the weakest, suggesting little interest in any higher contract.


Slower routes will suggest at least full value for the bidding to date and may hint at an interest in higher things.


A simple example is to be found in a game raise opposite partner’s opening one of a major.

Suppose that you play a game-forcing version of the Jacoby 2NT convention agreeing partner’s suit.


I shall confine the present discussion to the two routes available to game in that suit - the direct route and the Jacoby route.  (For my present purposes I shall ignore ignore the possibility of a delayed game raise - now rightly less popular than it once was - and other routes such as a splinter raise or a fit-jump.)

The direct jump is weaker than the Jacoby route.  Indeed, most partnerships will play it as quite weak - it may be a seven-loser hand but this will owe considerably more to shape than to the presence of a number of high cards.

The route via Jacoby on the other hand should be full-value for the raise - say thirteen or so points facing partner’s opener and willing to play along should partner have anything to add.

A

K T 8 6 4 3

Q 8 3

T 5 3

You want to bid up, and you want to bid up fast before your opponents find their spades, but you do not want to encourage partner to get excited.

Bid 4.

You

LHO

Pard

RHO



1

-

?








You

LHO

Pard

RHO

1

-

2

-

3

-

3

-

3

-

3NT

-

4

-

4

-

6

-

-

-

A K

K T 4 3

K 8 7 3

Q 5 3

This time you are full value for your force to game.

Bid 2NT (Jacoby) agreeing hearts and telling partner the good news.

You

LHO

Pard

RHO



1

-

?









In response to Jacoby opener has a similar choice.

You should have a whole system of responses to the 2NT bid, but amongst these will be 3 and 4 both of which are game-going in the context.  4 will be the less encouraging of these two bids.

9 3

K Q 8 6 5

A Q 7 4

5 2

You have a perfectly respectable opener, but with no features such as a shortage or a source of tricks, and no more than you should have by way of high points.

Bid 4.

You

LHO

Pard

RHO

1

-

2NT

-

?









Using a bid in the fourth suit


Frequently a bid in the fourth suit will offer an alternative to a direct game bid.

The slower route will be the stronger route.

An example is given at the bottom of the page on fourth suit forcing in this section.


The following example cropped up recently on a regular club night, although I should admit immediately that I didn’t get it right on the night.


W

Q

K Q T 7 3

A K J

K J 9 3


E

A J T 5


Q T 8 6 5 4

A 8 7


West was the dealer and opened 1.  East responded 2.

West bid a natural and forcing 3, and the onus is now on East.

In the event he showed his sixth diamond with 3.

West can now see the fit and the possibilities.  He makes a fourth suit bid of 3, both to show interest and to find out more.

East can hardly do less than 3NT, (although 4 might be an interesting alternative).

The critical bid is west’s at this point.  Even if the auction were not game-forcing following a response at the two-level and a new suit at the three-level it is certainly forcing now following the bid in the fourth suit.  He bids just 4- stronger than a jump to 5.

East must now come alive.  Voidwood will work on the day but my choice is a cue-bid.  4 is possible, although a void facing partner’s suit can be dangerous.  My choice is 4.

That is all West needs to know, and 6 is an easy bid - although an RKCB enquiry would yield an interesting two key cards and a void.


Diamonds makes thirteen tricks, but that contract is seriously difficult to find in anything resembling a certain manner.  On the night just one pair bid to 6.

Three pairs bid 3NT and two pairs bid 6NT making twelve tricks on each occasion, but four of these were played by West, and no trumps by West can be held to eleven tricks on a spade lead - it is a poor contract unless it is a calculated pairs gamble.

Of the others one pair finished in 5, and one pair stopped in a rather sad 3.


6 scored just under 80% on the night, but it is the right contract to be in unless you can manoeuvre your way to 6NT by East.

Well done the pair which reached 6 - unfortunately I wasn’t part of it.