Monday, August 01, 2005 3:41 PM

Hand Evaluation - Jacoby Transfers

PITBULLS:

There is room for improvement with Jacoby Transfers after 1NT. One improvement is a way to handle invitational 5-5’s as opposed to strong 5-5’s. We covered this in a previous article as we use 2♠ as a relay to 2NT after Stayman to handle invitational 5-5’s with spades as the anchor suit . We use a spade relay with heart transfers to handle invitational 5-5’s with hearts as the anchor suit. The transfers to spades do not need a relay as Stayman covers the invitational 5-5’s.

All well & good but also describing forcing to game 5-5’s can also be improved with tweaks to transfers. You can pinpoint the 2-1 or 1-1 in the case of 6-5’s and allow the NT opener to take control with maximums and a good fit. By taking preference either directly or with an unassuming Q bid , the 1NT bidder is asking for shortness. Here is a treatment that my partners & myself are developing :

Game force sequences (5-5)

1NT 2¨

2© 3§ 5-5 clubs & hearts

3¨ § fit, max (asks shortness: 3♥=♦; 3♠=♠; 3NT= both min, 4§/© both longer suit)

3© © fit, max (asks shortness: 3♠=♦; 3nt=♠; 4§/©= both longer suit)

3ª 5 card ♠ suit (concentration, § fit)

4§ RKC in §

4¨ fit for both, maximum

4© Weakest accept (3©’s and bad hand)

1NT 2¨

2© 3¨ 5-5 hearts & diamonds

3© ♥ fit - asks shortness: 3♠=♣; 3nt=♠; 4♦ = both long ♦ 4© = both long ©)

3ª ♦ fit - asks shortness: 3NT=♣; 4♣=♠; 4♦ = both long ♦ 4© = both long ©)

3nt to play

4§ fit for both, maximum

4¨ MSKCB for diamond (can use this to find out about diamonds for heart slam)

4© to play

4nt KCB for hearts

4¨ RKC in ¨

4© weakest accept

Game force sequences (5-5)

1NT 2♥

2♠ 3§ 5-5 spades and clubs

3¨ § fit, max asks short: 3♥=♦; 3♠=©; 3NT= both min 4§= both long § 4♠ = long ♠

3♥ 5 card ♥ suit (concentration, § fit) .

3♠ ♠ fit, maximum (asks shortness: 3nt=♦ 4¨=♥ 4§= both long § 4♠ = long ♠

3nt to play

4§ RKC in §

4¨ fit for both, maximum

4♥ MSKCB for clubs (can use this to find out about clubs for spade slam)

4♠ to play

4nt KCB for spades

4♠ Weakest accept (3♠’s and bad hand)

1NT 2♥

2♠ 3¨ 5-5 spades & diamonds

3© ♦ fit- asks shortness: 3NT=♣; 4♣=♥; 3ª = both , longer ª , 4♦ = both , longer ♦

3ª ♠ fit - asks shortness: 3NT=♣; 4♣=♥; 4♦ = both , longer ♦ , 4ª = both , longer ª

3nt to play

4§ fit for both, maximum

4¨ MSKCB for diamonds (can use this to find out about diamond for spade slam)

4♥ Shortness, mild slam try

4ª to play

4nt KCB for spades

4¨ RKC in ¨

4♠ weakest accept

1NT 2♥

2♠ 3♥ 5 spades & 5 hearts

3ª (max ♠ fit - asks shortness: 3NT=♣; 4♣=♦; 4♥ both , longer ♥ ;4ª = both , longer ª)

3nt to play

4§ fit for ♥ , asks shortness 4♦=♣ , 4♥=♦ , 4ª = both (slam try)

4NT RKC in ♥

4♥ weakest accept

4♠ weakest accept