XYZ
(Courtesy of Bob Crosby)
XYZ - Natural Bidding
The strong jump shift by responder is actually a very practical bid. The bid describes your intentions immediately and once you have the bid off your chest, you can let partner be captain of the auction. Unfortunately the strong jump shift by responder just takes up too much bidding room. Experts though are always on the look out to find places where they can recover the strong jump shift and strong jump preference and add it to their system.
Here is a hand where my teammates got to a slam off two Aces. Playing XYZ, the hand is simple to bid.
KQx 
J10 
AKQxxxx 
J
Partner opens 1 and you respond 1. Partner rebids 1 so there have been 3 bids at the one level. Natural jump bids playing XYZ are strong jump shift hands. You bid 3 to show your slam going hand and partner signs off in 3NT. As you have shown your slam intentions, you can safely pass.
We have made 3 bids at the one level so 3 is a slam try. 2 Way NMF is just a special case of XYZ. XYZ is a modern fix for the ugly 4th suit forcing at the one level. Playing 4th suit forcing you would have to bid 2. Yech!
The fit showing jump was a popular strong jump shift in a bygone era. This bid is recovered by playing XYZ as jump preferences show a strong jump shift hand.
You hold AKxx AKQxx xx xx and partner opens 1 and you respond 1. Partner rebids 1 so you have 3 bids at the one level. XYZ applies and you bid 3. You have shown the old fashioned strong jump shift hand of bidding 2 followed by supporting partner's suit.
Jump preferences used to be strong and slam going. Partner opens 1 and you held AKJxx xx AKxxx x. You would jump shift to 2 and support diamonds. A simple way to describe your monster hand.
Playing XYZ it is also simple.
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1NT | Pass | 3 |
XYZ (4th suit forcing)
XYZ is a popular fix for the ugly 4th suit forcing auctions at the one level. The letters stand for 3 bids at the one level which with the rank of suits can only occur if partner opens a minor. The structure is therefore "minor orientated" so works exactly like the Cabay 2 Way NMF. If responder bids 2 that shows all the invitational hands, if responder bids 2 that is forcing to game. XYZ also frees the Goren jump shifts or jump preferences by responder as slam tries. We are again recovering the useful form of the strong jump shift by responder. Showing your intentions as responder immediately via a strong bid has a powerful theoretical advantage.
Here is a hand from the Bermuda Bowl.
xx AKJxx AKQJx x
Axxx Qx 10x AQJxx.
Partner opens 1, you respond 1 with partner bidding 1. All three bids have been made at the one level so XYZ comes into effect (triggered), You now bid 3 which reverts to Goren which shows a strong two suiter with a slam try. Partner likes her Aces and the heart queen so she bids 3 rather than 3NT. Getting to 6 is now very easy.
Jump preferences playing XYZ are now slam tries. Change the above hand to x AKJxx Ax K10xxx with the first 3 bids remaining at the one level. You now make a forcing slam try of 3. This slam try makes investigation easy for getting to a grand slam in clubs. The beauty of the Goren method of forcing jumps is that you flash your slam interests immediately. Modern bidding does not do this very well. On this auction, you would have to make a phony 4th suit bid before supporting clubs. Even then, you are not necessarily showing slam interest. With the first hand you bid 2, you hear partner alert as 4th suit forcing which may not show diamonds!
Here is another hand where playing XYZ makes bidding easy.
Partner opens 1, you respond 1 with Kx AJ10xxx AQ10x A. Partner rebids 1, you bid 3 announcing your slam aspirations early. Partner co-operates with a 3 bid so you take control with 4 KCB. Partner bids 4NT showing 2 without. You bid 5 as a suit ask and partner bids 7 with her singleton heart. Partner's hand AQJ10 x KJ987 Qxx. Try this auction with 4th suit forcing instead of XYZ and you could get messed up very badly. Partner raises your 2 bid to 3 so now you are fearing duplication of value. The wrong side took control as you want opener to be the captain. Playing XYZ you can choose the captain. I hate 4th suit forcing.
XYZ
When 3 bids for a partnership remain at the one level, some confusing 4th suit forcing auctions can arise out of necessity. Avoiding these 4th suit forcing auctions at the one level or otherwise is usually a good idea. In effect, your bidding system changes if the auction remains at the one level for 3 rounds. Just read an understanding on the Internet introduced by the Granovetters. He calls it XYZ with the letters representing any 3 bids all made at the one level. It is taking the 2-Way NMF a step further by playing the same understandings in any 4th suit forcing auction at the one level with suits rebid rather than just NT. This replaces the phony 4th suit forcing sequences with the same 2-Way NMF made popular after a 1NT rebid. Essentially the advantages are the same with suits bid at the one level as with a 1NT rebid.
You cannot have an auction remain at the one level for 3 bids without opening a minor first. Therefore, this treatment is minor suit orientated even though major suit fits are found later in the auction. Minor suit fits are emphasized with a belated bid to 2NT by responder as a relay to clubs. A further bid shows a singleton or void with a 4 card fit for partner's minor. This version of NMF at the one level follows the same principles:
- 2 is an artificial game force
- 2 a relay to 2 showing invitational hands
- Jumps are slammish and strong.
This treatment avoids some of the 4th suit forcing problems at the one level. Jumps to the 3 level are no longer invitational so solves all matters of weak hands in misfit auctions. You can invent splinters and all sorts of other understandings within this structure. NT bids can have different understandings as it mirrors the same 2-Way NMF structure made popular over a 1NT rebid. The only criteria for XYZ is that opener's rebid remains at the one level.
Here are some advantages of this method. Weak jump shifts after a minor opener are clarified with this structure or can be dropped altogether. For the in between range (6-7 HCP) you can just respond your major and rebid it if the auction remains at the one level. Therefore a weak jump shift must be under this range or added to this range 4-7. These suit rebids cannot be invitational as you did not bid 2 first. Do not need any invitational jump shifts in hearts, spades and diamonds anyway showing 8-12 if you play those. This structure clarifies all of responder's rebids, if the auction is kept at the one level. This treatment blends in with 2NT by responder as a new suit forcing one round (Godfather 2NT). Now the other minor can be NMF and handle invitational hands in the majors.
xx QJ10xxx Kxx xx
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2 |
xx KQJ10xx Kxx xx
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2 |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass | 2* |
* invite
You have these 3 hands :
- xx Kxxxx Kxxxx x
- xx Kxxxx AQxxx x
- xx AKxxx AKxxx x
With partner opening 1. You respond a heart with all of them, partner bids 1 keeping the auction at the one level. With the 1st hand you bid 2 planning to pass the 2 bid unless partner breaks the relay with a good hand. The 2nd hand you bid 2 as a relay and raise diamonds as an invite. The 3rd hand you make a slam try in diamonds at the 3 level directly.
The Granovetters give some hands to try. Strong hands with minor fits are clumsy to handle with normal 4th suit forcing auctions.
K Kxx Kxxxx AKxx
Partner opens 1, you bid 1. Partner bids 1 so you force to game with 2, support clubs later getting to a nice 6. With normal 4th suit forcing you make some stupid jump to 2 in order to force and then support clubs. Artificial bids and using up room are two bidding no-no's.
Another advantage of this treatment is that you do not need invitational jumps to the 3 level anymore as 2 keeps all invitational sequences at the 2 level. Invitational bids at the 3 level quite often go down!
A10xx x KJxxx Axx
Qxxx AJxx xx Kxx
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass | 2** |
* forces 2, **invitational
This treatment also helps with the 4th suit forcing problem with big fits.
You have AKxx AKxxx xx Ax.
Partner opens 1 so you respond 1. Partner rebids 1 so with standard 4th suit forcing methods you bid 2 ambiguous. With XYZ you bid 3 game forcing and slammish. No ambiguity between invitational, forcing or slam try sequences.
OK within this structure you can have some fun inventing bids. Jumps can be fit showing splinters as we do not need invitational jumps anymore.
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
* splinter in support of hearts
A jump to 2NT as invitational is redundant as you can bid 2 first followed by 2NT. Make it a club transfer.
xx Q10xx x KQJxxx. Partner opens 1, you bid 1, Partner bids 1 so you bid 2NT a transfer to clubs. With a suitable hand partner bids 3NT rather than accepting the club transfer otherwise he bails out to 3.
Lots of possibilities within this 2NT structure. 4 card fit minor fit hands forcing to game can be shown after this 2NT relay sequence. After partner bids 3 you now bid your singleton as a 5-4-3-1 or 4-4-4-1 slam try.
A jump preference in partner's minor is game forcing a la Goren so can show the tough to describe slammish 5-5 hands.
A responder's jump rebid can be forcing showing a solid suit (recovering the strong jump shift)
Since jump preferences are no longer invitational we can define them to be forcing with HCP's but an upper range. A 2 bid followed by supporting the major would be a picture bid so a direct jump to game would be based on distribution only.
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 3* |
* serious slam try similar to the Serious 3NT.
2 first followed by raising spades is just 13 HCP's so a direct jump to 4 a distributional shot in the dark with good spades (most of your points).
You can use these understandings with opponents interfering as long as things are kept at the one level.
| 1 |
Dbl | ReDbl | 1 |
| 1 |
| 1 |
1 |
Dbl | Pass |
| 1NT |
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
1 |
| Dbl* |
* support double at one level
XYZ (Major Responses)
Playing the excellent XYZ structure (includes 2 Way NMF as 1NT is at the one level), you have a way of describing all major suit responses. If you play the Cabay 2-Way NMF, the transition to XYZ is seamless. XYZ is considered as a minor suit structure as 3 bids cannot remain at the one level without opening a minor first. However, there are a number of major suit understandings involved with XYZ.
Let's review some common auctions involving majors.
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 4* |
* Fast arrival so no slam interest. Long hearts with an outside card.
| 1 |
Pass | 4* |
* Pre-emptive
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 3* |
* Strong jump shift by responder with good hearts
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
* Drop dead
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass | 2** |
* forces 2, ** Invitational with 5 hearts
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass | 3** |
* forces 2, **Invitational with 6 hearts
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
Pass |
| 2NT | Pass | 3** |
** Game force with hearts not good enough for a strong jump shift
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass | 3** |
** Choice of contracts between 3NT or 4
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
* Just a response
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass | 2** |
** Invitational to game balanced
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass | 3** |
* relay
** Invitational to game distributional
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 3* |
* Strong jump preference, slam invite with distribution
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2* |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass | 2** |
** with 4 spades, no slam interest
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 3* |
* Strong jump preference ・slam try with 5 diamonds
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 3* |
* Strong 5-5 in hearts and clubs ・slammish
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2NT* |
* Relay to 3 to bail out or describe a diamond fit with shortness
XYZ Strong Jump Shifts
If you have bought into XYZ which is triggered by 3 bids at the one level after a minor opening. I feel you do not need weak jump shifts anymore. With XYZ theory, bidding and rebidding your major is "drop dead" and not even an invite (2 shows all invitational hands). In other words, a weak jump shift. If you bought into the Wolfe relay and partner rebids 2NT, weak jump shift hands can be described by the Wolfe relay first followed by bidding your suit if your "weak jump shift" was that bad. If opener has a 2 rebid, rebidding your major is a weak jump shift hand. If you have an invitational major hand, bid 2 first then your major. If partner rebids 2, bid 3 as a NMF and retreating into your major shows an invitational hand. In other words NMF is forcing to game unless you rebid your major which is invitational. Of course, a jump in your major by responder is a Goren strong jump shift.
The strong jump shift by responder is actually a very practical bid. The bid describes your intentions immediately. Once you have the bid off your chest, you can let partner be captain of the auction. Unfortunately the strong jump shift by responder just takes up too much bidding room. Experts though are always on the look out to find places where they can recover the strong jump shift and strong jump preference and add it to their system.
The fit showing jump shift is now part of Bridge World Standard but as a passed hand only. This is because they still want their weak jump shifts. However, playing XYZ with our other understandings do we really need them anymore? The fit showing jump after a minor opening is an excellent descriptive bid. As a non passed hand, we could play it as a game force. It has the unique ability to show where you live in your major showing a fit for partner's minor at the same time. 2NT by the opener asks responder for a singleton. Superb! A raise of responder's major to the 3 level is forcing to game with slam interests.
I think weak jump shifts are over used indicating a red flag for the opponents to take action. Responding one of a major with a WJS hand has an initial tactical and deceptive value as you have not announced your weakness to the opponents. This fit showing jump shift after a minor opener is still another effort on my part to recover another useful form of the Goren strong jump shift. A strong jump shift in a new suit at the two level and announcing a fit for partner at the same time. This is how the jump shift was used in the early days of Bridge. The bid also announces your intentions early for the elusive minor suit slams. You are trading this bid for the luxury of the weak jump shift that now can be shown by a variety of other means.
After a major opener, 1 - P - 2 and 1 - P - 3 are still weak jump shifts and the minor jumps are still masked splinters.
Let's try an auction.
xx Axx Qxx AKxxx
Axx x AKxxx Qxxx
Normal auction:
| 1 |
1 |
||
| 1NT | ? |
Our auction:
| 1 |
Pass | 2 |
Pass |
| 2NT* | Pass | 3** |
Pass |
| 4*** |
Pass | 4NT**** | Pass |
| 5***** |
Pass | 5NT****** | Pass |
| 7 |
* singleton asking, ** singleton heart, *** Keycard blackwood. clubs established, **** 2 with the queen, ***** specific suit ask, ****** king of diamonds
XYZ (Breaking the Relay)
When you play 2-Way NMF, you do not break the relay. This is because you have tightly defined your hand with a 1NT bid and partner just has an invitational hand. Not so playing XYZ, as your one level rebid can be a wide variety of hands. Like breaking all relays, you must decide is it better that I put partner into the picture by describing my hand or accept the relay allowing her show her invitational values? Usually when you have a slam going hand with a nice suit, it is best to let partner in on the secret early. Sometimes a strong jump shift by opener is not practical so a 3rd bid at the one level can be a very good hand.
Here is an example hand.
J10xx Kx A AKQJxx
You open 1 and partner responds 1. You bid 1 so 3 bids have been made at the one level so XYZ is triggered. Partner bids 2 so do you accept the relay to 2? No, you bid 3 which should show a strong 6-4 with a good club suit. This is exactly what you hold. You make life easy for partner as she has Ax Jxx KQJ10x 10xx. She raises clubs so you get to your +1370.
When you open a weak 6-5 or 5-5 in the blacks it is best not to accept the invitational relay.
Axxxx xx x AKxxx
| 1 |
Pass | 1 |
Pass |
| 1 |
Pass | 2 |
Pass |
| ? |
Bid 2 to describe your weak 5-5 rather than allow partner to describe her invitational hand. Do not forget what the 2 relay means in XYZ.
You are puppeting to allow partner to describe the nature of her invitational hand. If you feel that describing your hand is more important, break the relay.
Most of the time, it is best to accept the relay. Partner may be making an invitational raise of one of your suits or maybe introducing a 4th suit. Have a good reason to break the relay. Do not forget that playing XYZ natural jumps or jump preferences by partner are slam invites a la Goren multi years ago. 2 is a game force with no clear cut direction or distribution. The 2 bid shows HCP's rather than a fit or distribution.
XYZ - Wolfe Relay
Experts have adopted XYZ as an excellent way of handling auctions where the bidding remains at the one level for 3 rounds. 2 Way NMF is just a special case of XYZ where the last one level bid is 1NT. The beauty of the structure is that 2 shows all invitational hands, jumps are slam tries and 2 is the catch all game force. 2 demands a relay to 2 afterwards the invitational sequences commence. Having one bid (2) showing all invitational hands simplifies the bidding structure.
What is less known is the Wolfe relay is an extension of 2 Way NMF but after opener makes a 2NT rebid. 3 by responder shows all hands that are the weaker range with no slam interest. In fact, in certain auctions you can escape from 2NT to a partial! Since 2NT is a game force, you do not need 3 to signal a game force but with the 3 inference, all natural bids are strong so may be slam going. This understanding, signals our intentions immediately and cue-bidding can commence. This brings the 2NT bidder into the picture also and allows her to use hand evaluation.
Susan Culham held this hand xxx KQJ109 xx AKx and I opened 1. She replied a heart and I bid 2NT. What now? This 5 card suit can be promoted to a 6 card suit due to suit quality but playing Wolfe relay, rebidding your 5 card major is the standard way 5 card majors are shown. Since you did not relay with 3 initially, you must have a decent hand. Partner bids 3NT so you now bid 4. You have now shown your slam intentions, as you do not pull 3NT from a position of weakness. This is the XYX club and diamond inferences used in a different way by the Wolfe relay. Natural bidding parallels the XYZ diamond bid understandings.
The 2NT bidder has a 5 card club suit so as you have shown your intentions, he is allowed to take control so you get to a baby slam which need a finesse for 7. Normally when one side bids NT, the other hand is captain of the auction. When you use Wolfe relay to show your intentions, you allow captaincy to switch to the other side. A useful side effect of the Wolfe relay and XYZ understandings!
XYZ - Wrinkles
Playing the XYZ structure (which includes the 2 Way NMF) allows you some new freedoms. Since you have the 2 bid showing all and I mean all invitational hands, you have the freedom to redefine some former natural bids. There are two hand types that traditionally have been very difficult to bid. These hands are responder's weak 4-6 and responder's strong 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-3-1 with 4 card support for partner's minor.
Since 2 covers the invitational hands, a jump to 2NT invitational after 3 bids at the one level is no longer needed. This jump rebid to 2NT by responder is a transfer to clubs. You have xx Q109x K QJ98xx and partner opens 1 after you have passed. You respond 1 and partner rebids 1. Now what? This is easy as you bid 2NT and when partner bids 3 you plan to pass. However partner tricks you by breaking the relay and bids 6 instead of 3. Partner holds A10xx void AQ10xx AKxx and knowing as a passed hand you probably hold a 4-6, she bids your cold slam.
OK assume you are not a passed hand and you have one of those awkward 5-4-3-1 or 4-4-4-1 hands with 4 of partner's minor plus a good hand. The only way in the game of Bridge can remain at the one level for 3 rounds is if partner opens a minor. OK, you have 4 of partner's minor and a good hand.
x AKxxx AKxx Jxx.
Partner opens 1 and you respond 1. Partner bids 1 so you know that partner has 5. Here is an opportunity to splinter in partner's spade suit! You bid 2NT over partner's spade bid and partner relays to 3 as ordered. You now bid 3 which shows a singleton or void in spades and 4 of partner's diamonds!
Partner has the magical hand with nothing wasted in spades. A10xx Qx QJ109xx A and you get to your cold 7. Bidding systems are made better when you can solve difficult bidding problems by making use of extinct natural bids. The 2NT bid playing XYZ is one of these extinct bids.
XYZ (Examples)
4th suit forcing at the one level is just as bad a treatment as 4th suit forcing at the two level. XYZ stands for 3 bids at the one level which can only start with a minor due to the rank of the suits. Three bids at the one level should trigger the XYZ treatment which is exactly the Cabay 2 Way NMF forcing understandings. This treatment works well for one NT rebids, so extending the bids after 3 bids at the one level is a natural and easy transition.
If you like recovering the strong jump shift or recovering the strong jump preference from the Goren days, XYZ is compulsory. I play XYZ with my partners so our bidding accuracy has improved immensely with invitational hands and slam bidding.
Here is a hand that came up tonight. Kx AKJ1087 xx xxx which I held with Kiz opening 1. I responded 1. Kiz rebid 1. We have had 3 bids at the one level, so XYZ comes into effect. Like the Cabay treatment, I bid 2 which shows all invitational hands so Kiz must bid 2. I bid 2 invitational and the auction went all pass. Kiz tabled Axxx x KJ109x K10x. 2 has a chance to go down so if you invited by bidding 3 you suffer the ignominy of going down in 3.
A few hands later it was my turn, I opened K109x x AKJ10x xxx 1, Kiz bid 1. I rebid 1 so we have had 3 bids at the one level. Kiz bid 2 showing all invitational hands so I relayed to 2 as ordered. Kiz bid 3 which shows an invitational hands in clubs. Kiz could hold 5-5 or the very troublesome 4-6 with 6 clubs and invitational values. I passed 3 so +110 our way was a cold top. Why? Because the ugly 4th suit forcing does not work. If she bid 2 playing 4th suit forcing we would be forced to game. If she chose a convoluted bid, we would be in the wrong spot. Our system got us the top board, plain and simple.
Now let's get back to the first hand and change the heart suit. Kx AKQJxx KJ xxx. The bidding goes the same way. I now bid 3 which recovers the Goren strong jump shift response. My intentions are made clear almost immediately. I have shown a strong suit and a good hand with no 4th suit forcing nonsense.
Experts should not cling to old and inferior 4th suit notions just because it is standard bidding. With your established partner, scrap 4th suit forcing ideas at the two level with the godfather 2NT as a new suit and XYZ at the one level. These new ways are a vastly superior way to bid, period.