[apollo1201]

IMP pairs, red vs green

Partner deals and opens 1D (playing 5CM, 15-17 NT, could be 3 only if 4432).

RHO overcalls 1H, and you decide (for good or bad) to bid 2C (not GF, can be weaker than 11HCP in competitive) with this long suit, aggressive distribution and and a potential fit for partner:

Kx
x
Kxxx
KTxxxx

Then the auction quickly gets animated. LHO jumps to 4H, partner Xes and RHO passes, not really impressed by all that.

What now?

We hadn’t really discussed that with partner, but:

- is it a FP situation?
- if I bid 4NT, is it a minor t/o or is it natural (thinking +630 is more than the doubled green under tricks at 4H)?
- anyway, should I pull out? To what?

In the PM, partner had a very doubtful X (but what did you have in mind I asked, she said I didn’t want you to bid on so believed we were in a FP situation).

QTxx
K
Axxxx
QJx

Those with nerves of steel, accurate defense, and faith in their luck (D split 22) and in their specific K8 doubleton (dummy hit table with AJ9x S, J to 6, Qx, x) scored +100 for 6 IMPs. A few +50 but also several -420/590. Most common result however was -100 in 5C, losing 3 aces. Not all in 5D suffered a C ruff.

[Cyberyeti]

I would bid 3♣ (fit) first time.

After 2♣ I would consider that we have laid claim to half the deck and been bidding constructively so by our meta agreements pass is forcing.

[Winstonm]

I would have bid 2D.
I don’t think pass should be forcing when you are only protecting a part score holding. If partner doesn’t think you can make 5 clubs or diamonds he/she should be able to pass unless he really wants to punish opponents with a double.

[mikeh]

A useful fp rule is that a pass is forcing at all levels if we have forced to game already, but that otherwise a pass is forcing only if the auction is below the level to which we have forced.

2C did not force us to game nor to the 4 level, so passing 4H is non-forcing.

I think there is a sound argument for a diamond raise on the first round. Our majors are so short, and our strength so modest, that it is reasonable to expect LHO to be bidding and either 3H or 4H by him will inconvenience partner (and then you) unless partner has an unlikely club fit...in which case the opps have lots of majors.partner will usually, though not always, be in a better position to judge what to do if assured of a fit.

I don’t like fit showing jumps with weak suits, nor with stuff outside, so I would not bid 3C, if we had that tool available. I think I’d make a limit raise.

Given that I would not expect this to be a fp situation, I’d pass and lead the spade King, and dodge a bullet....

[Cyberyeti]

mikeh, on 2021-May-14, 09:26, said:

I don’t like fit showing jumps with weak suits, nor with stuff outside, so I would not bid 3C, if we had that tool available. I think I’d make a limit raise.

We don't in the uncontested auction, but over the double this is not atypical and in fact at the strong end for 3♣, we figure bidding 9 cards rather than 4 or 5 with what may be our only bid is useful.

[nige1]

Apollo1201 'Then the auction quickly gets animated. LHO jumps to 4H, partner Xes and RHO passes, not really impressed by all that. What now? We hadn't really discussed that with partner, but:
- is it a FP situation?
- if I bid 4NT, is it a minor t/o or is it natural (thinking +630 is more than the doubled green under tricks at 4H)?
- anyway, should I pull out? To what?
In the PM, partner had a very doubtful X (but what did you have in mind I asked, she said I didn't want you to bid on so believed we were in a FP situation).
Those with nerves of steel, accurate defense, and faith in their luck (D split 22) and in their specific K8 doubleton (dummy hit table with AJ9x S, J to 6, Qx, x) scored +100 for 6 IMPs. A few +50 but also several -420/590. Most common result however was -100 in 5C, losing 3 aces. Not all in 5D suffered a C ruff.
++++++++++++++++++++
After 1♦(X), I rank
1. 3♣ = F/J Helps partner make a better informed decision. Fit Jumps seem especially useful when you have support for a minor and your 5+ card side-suit is a major. Eric Crowhurst pioneered them, calling them Minor-suit Swiss. Robson and Segal popularised them in their seminal Partnership Bidding at Bridge.
2. 2N = Good raise.
3. 2♣ = Not G/F leads to hard choices, later.
Unless 2♣ is G/F, this is not a F/P context. IMO, it's close whether to pass 4♥ or bid 5♦. After a 3♣ F/J, West knows more about the hand and should probably make the decision.

---

[apollo1201]

nige1, on 2021-May-14, 13:42, said:

++++++++++++++++++++
After 1♦(X), I rank
1. 3♣ = F/J Helps partner make a better informed decision. Fit Jumps seem especially useful when you have support and your 5+ card suit is a major. Eric Crowhurst invented them, calling them Minor-suit Swiss. Robson and Segal popularised them in their seminal Partnership Bidding at Bridge.
2. 2N = Good raise.
3. 2♣ = Not G/F leads to hard choices, later.
Unless 2♣ is G/F, this is not a F/P context. IMO, it's close whether to pass 4♥ or bid 5♦. After a 3♣ F/J, West knows more about the hand and should probably make the decision.
[/hv]

Thanks Nigel and all the others

Actually, I forgot the fit jump possiblily, that after X would have been easier to recall (but if was a 1H overcall). Very few deals played since March 2020...and rusty bidding.

True, the strength is min and the C are a bit light, so the 6th card will have to compensate. But more importantly, that would have relieved me of all my hand at once, and no more nasty guesses when the bidding comes back at 4HX. So a compromise between good anticipation and good description.

Mikeh’ rule about passes forcing or not is a very good advice we ll try to keep in mind for sure.

[DavidKok]

In my personal experience fitbids (with or without jump) are quite rare. I have therefore agreed on a few rules for using them which increases their frequency. This lets us show (most) of our hand more quickly, even if the bid itself is slightly less descriptive (and, as you concluded, you may end up wanting to fitbid without this partnership agreement anyway, in which case it is just strictly better to have discussed it beforehand).

The primary goal of our fitbids is always to help partner make the right decision over opps' 4M/5m, with lead direction only of concern if partner has limited their hand (so that we are better placed to decide over their 4M/5m to begin with). In this case you would love to see partner take out their 4M to 5m with, say, 4 card club support along with the diamonds, so it is a perfect jump fitbid. Conversely if partner has short clubs the opponents may struggle to get rid of their club loser(s).

In this agreement we sacrifice strict requirements on length and strength of the side suit, as well as the lead-directing meaning of the bids. At this vulnerability KTxxxx is the absolute minimum, and 5- or 4-card suits would need better quality (for example, KQJx with fear that opposite length you might take no club tricks on defence).