A New Approach to Jump Shifts Over a Diamond Bid


by Roy Wilson


Take a look at these two hands and assume South opens the bidding one diamond. Regardless of system, it's difficult to see how any pair can get to two hearts, right?
The most obvious bidding sequence will probably stop at two diamonds, missing the optimum contract.
North East South West
1 P 1 P
2 P P P


Of course, there are bidding methods that will work well with this hand. Players who have a weak notrump range that includes 14 HCP will find this an easy hand, as will pairs using the British Canape bids. Both methods will find the superior four-four heart fit, but neither the Two-Over-One system players nor Precision players are likely to discover it. Certainly Standard American players will not find it.

The problem is that North needs to show both majors, but barely has enough points to show the five card spade suit. After South carefully avoids the disastrous one notrump call and rebids the diamond suit, North cannot bid again without showing a better hand. Some adventurous North players might decide to rebid two hearts, but in the long run that's usually not a winning strategy. Certainly if the hand gets any weaker, perhaps replacing the king of spades with the queen, not many would rebid two hearts.


This deal is also a difficult one to find the best contract of two hearts, and for the same reason. North can barely get out a one spade response, but again would like to show both majors without getting too high. Neither Canape bids nor a weak notrump system will help with these two hands.

Is there a solution? Well, in the year in 2003 I submitted a request to the ACBL Competition and Conventions Committee. As a result, a proposal was submitted by that body to the ACBL Board of Directors at the summer 2004 meeting; it was accepted, and the General Convention Chart was modified as shown below.

        Jump responses to an opening bid of one in a suit that show one known suit with a minimum of five cards and one other known suit with a minimum of four cards are permitted.

Now we can make an agreement. When partner opens one of a minor, a jump to two hearts shows five or more spades with four or more hearts and a very weak hand.

Partnerships will have to decide how weak, but I suggest from 0 to 6 HCP.

With this discussion in place, North can bid both of the example hands by jumping to two hearts.

Holding 7 to 9 HCP, responder should first bid spades and then rebid hearts. It certainly makes it easy for partner when you give an accurate and narrowly defined description of your hand, right?

You can also agree that a jump to two spades shows the same five-four pattern but is invitational with 10 to 12 HCP. Although the jump to two hearts is somewhat ambiguous as to the number of hearts since it can show either four or five, the jump to two spades should indicate exactly four hearts with longer spades. Let me explain...

Most modern players are using splinter bids in support of a major, but I have never heard of anyone using them in support of a minor, which means the double jump in a major is an idle bid. Also, it seems to be a common practice to jump to three hearts or three spades to show five-five when partner has opened one notrump. The jump to three hearts is treated as invitational while the jump to three spades is considered forcing. The same structure could used over an opening bid of a minor suit.


Consider these two hands. Both hold two five card majors, but the first has only invitational values while the second is a game force hand and could easily produce a slam if there is a fit.

A jump to three hearts should show 10-12 HCP with five-five or better in the majors. That's the bid to make with this hand.                 With five-five in spades and hearts
                and 13 or more HCP, responder
                should jump to three spades,                         a game force bid


That seems to cover all of the possible hands with both majors but one... How to describe a hand with 13+ HCP and five spades with exactly four hearts.

Here's a solution. When the opening bid is a minor, first respond by bidding one heart. If partner rebids one spade you have found a nine card fit. If partner either rebids notrump or a minor, you can make a forcing reverse. Bid two spades. By inference the spade bid must be at least a five card suit since opener has denied holding four.




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