Fit showing Jumps

Forcing 1NT (Fit Showing Jumps)

Fit showing jumps as a passed hand are now part of Bridge World Standard. They make perfect sense as your weak two’s have already been bid and splinters as a passed hand are ludicrous. Evaluating fits of course is basic hand evaluation. These fit showing jumps are especially good when partner opens a minor in 3rd or 4th seat. The only rules are that the bid is a jump shift meaning the best passed hand possible and show values concentrated in the jumped suit. A NT bid by opener always asks for the singleton and a simple raise of the major is forcing.

I like fit showing jumps in another place also. We play a 2/1 over a major as non forcing to game when suit rebid. Therefore, there is no reason for a forcing 1NT jump bid to show a natural suit. This opens up the jump bid by the 1NT responder as a splinter or a fit showing jump to show great support for opener. I prefer the latter. The reason is frequency. We are already short in opener’s major for responding 1NT in the first place, so the odds of shortness in another suit to be a splinter decreases. We never splinter in partner's major, of course. A singleton can be shown as a control later in the auction.

Showing a strong minor raise for opener after a forcing NT has always been a problem. These were the fix hands that Goren handled better than a forcing NT. Showing a good suit and values around 10 HCP initially which opener now bids maybe as a 3 card suit prevents the 1NT contortions. Now responder must convince opener she has that type of support for her minor after a 1NT response. A fit showing jump helps describe these hand types and it is clearly better than an artificial 2S after a 1H opener or an artificial 2H bid requiring a relay. You are in effect recovering the Goren 2/1 by showing where you live, minor suit support and 10+ HCP with one jump bid. You can still use 2S to show a strong minor raise after 1H opener but there is an extra implication now. You do not have a fit showing jump when you chose that bid. Probably most of your HCP’s in partner’s minor.

Showing a strong heart raise after a spade opener and a 2H rebid has been a problem by responder (other than leaping to game) as slam is still possible. In addition, when you had a limit raise in partner's major, partner rebids her major, a fit showing jump leaves slam possibilities open.

1Spade Pass 1NT Pass
2Club Pass 3Diamond

Svoid Hxx DAQxxxx CJ987x

Grand Slam possible opposite SJ10xxx HAx DKx CAKxx

2/1 (Jump Preferences)

Most experts play fit showing jumps as a passed hand only. In the early days of Bridge, fit showing strong jump shifts were very common. You announced a good suit, a strong hand with a fit simultaneously by making one bid. In today’s game, it is best to look for spots in your system where you can make “pseudo” fit showing jumps. Evaluating fits, of course, is a basic hand evaluation skill.

Partner opens 1S, you hold SQxxx Hx Dxx CAKQJ10x. Bidding anything but 2C is silly as this is the main feature of this hand. Partner bids 2D so you leap to 3S to show a fit showing jump in the modern era. With a weaker hand, go all the way to 4S after your 2/1. This is a “picture bid” called the 2/1 jump preference. This is the fit showing jump but the “jump” part comes later. The jump preference after a 2/1 is an idle bid anyway and splinters get in the way of immediate fit showing jump shifts unless a passed hand.

Partner opens 1H, they overcall 2D so you have SAQJxx HQxxx Dxx Cxx. Do not bid 3D to show limit raise or better or even worse leap to 4H. Bid a “pseudo fit showing jump” by bidding 2S and then leaping to 4H when you have a chance. The opponents jam to 5D and partner has SKxxHAKJ10xx Dx CAxx. You have made life easy for her to bid 6H.

Forcing pass theory is aided by pseudo fit showing jumps. By showing where you live first, you make partner's decision at a high level very easy. Partner has SAKxxxx Hxx DKJ10xx Cvoid and overcalls 1S to the heart opener. They bid 3H and you have SQJxx Hx Dxx CAQ1098x. Do not bid something silly like 4S or 4H. Make a “pseudo fit showing jump” of 4C. This bid is forcing so you will have a chance to bid 4S. They now compete to 5H over your eventual 4Scontract so you make a forcing pass to partner who doubles on the strength of her club void. Two down, instead of you going one down with the wrong forcing pass decision.

Over takeout doubles, remember there are always opponents lurking. Partner opens 1H, RHO doubles and you have Sxx HAQJxx Dx CK10xxx. Some people play fit showing jumps at the 4 level. I would splinter to 3D to help partner in her competitive decision if they bid 4S. A splinter is also a pseudo fit showing jump as you are telling partner how the hands fit. Do not splinter with a weak hand. Just leap to game as a splinter turns on forcing passes.

How hands fit it is a huge part of the game of Bridge. Showing where you live assists partner in defensive (forcing pass decisions) or offensive decisions (game or slam bidding). Concealing your hand is a good poker strategy but in Bridge you have a partner. Let partner in on the nature of your hand with fit showing bids

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Steve Lawrence and I had a hand showed a 2/1 jump preference in action. I held Sxx Hxxx DJ10 CAKQJxx and Steve opened 1H vulnerable. With a mild heart fit and a good suit, I decided to force to game. I bid 2C, Steve bid 2D and I leapt to 4H. This was passed out to the last player who doubled. Passed around to Steve who held SAQ HJxxxx DAKxx Cxx. Knowing that I had virtually solid clubs, is a great hand evaluation advantage. Looking at Steve's hand, the double must be the old fashioned “trump stack” variety. It is an easy pull to 4NT which makes for +630. The doubler had HAKQ109 and would take 5 natural heart tricks!