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NJSPLINT.CVA
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1995-09-09
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NON-JUMP SPLINTERS
What is the meaning of the 4C bid in these auctions?
Opener Responder
1S 2D
2S 3H
3S 4C
Opener Responder
1H 1S
3D 3S
4C
Opener Responder
1H 1S
1NT 3D
3H 4C
Whatever the meaning, 4C can hardly show a suit. The natural bid
with a 5-4-4-0 or 4-4-4-1 hand is 3NT, not 4C.
Perhaps 4C is a vague sort of cue bid, accepting partner's suit as
trump. If so, the bid implies short clubs. Let's make a definite
rule that the 4C bid promises short clubs, and see if any benefit
results.
There is a maxim that the bidding of three suits, including a jump,
promises a singleton or void in the fourth suit. This generally
accepted rule is a liability with many hands. Marshall Miles gives
this example: You open 1H with S-K3 H-AKQ76 D-72 C-AKQ4, and the
bidding goes:
Opener Responder
1H 1S
3C 3S
?
Marshall says that a raise to 4S would promise a singleton or void
in diamonds, so he would reluctantly bid 4C instead. A better way
to handle this situation is to say that a 4S bid would deny short
diamonds, with which opener bids 4D. This would be a non-jump
splinter, showing something like: S-K76 H-AKQ76 D-4 C-AQ104.
Non-jump splinters are defined as fourth suit bids at the four or
five level, when partner has bid and rebid just one suit. He may
have bid notrump somewhere along the way, but his only suit bids
have been in a single suit. There is just one situation in which
a non-jump splinter may be made at the three level:
Opener Responder
1D 1H
3C 3H
3S
The 3S bid is ambiguous. Opener could have either of these two
hands:
1) S-A32 H-7 D-AKQ32 C-AQJ3
2) S-7 H-A32 D-AKJ32 C-AQJ3
Opener will clarify her hand on the next round. Responder assumes
for the moment that opener has short hearts, as in hand 1), and
bids accordingly. Responder cannot make a non-jump splinter bid at
the three level, because fourth suit bids by responder at that
level are Fourth Suit Artificial (q.v.).
More examples:
Opener Responder
1S 3H
3S 4C
4S 5S
Responder denies a singleton or void in diamonds, with which he
would bid 5D, not 5S.
Opener Responder
1S 2C
2NT 3D
3S 4S
Responder does not have short hearts, which would call for a 4H
bid.
Opener Responder
1S 2H
2S 3C
3NT 4D
Responder has a singleton or void in diamonds, plus spade support.
With two diamonds, she would bid 4S.
Opener Responder
1H 2C
2S 3C
5C
Opener has S-AK87 H-AQJ32 D-32 C-K10. In this auction the single-
ton-showing bid in diamonds would be a standard (i.e., jump)
splinter bid of 4D.
There is little harm in making the non-jump splinter bid with Ax
in the splinter suit. If partner has xxx in that suit, he will not
be disappointed to find one slow loser there instead of one fast
loser.
The rule that the bidding of three suits, including a jump,
promises a singleton or void in the fourth suit would still apply
in other situations:
Opener Responder
1H 1S
3C 3NT
4S
Opener Responder
1H 1S
3C 3H
3S
In these auctions opener promises short diamonds, and a 4D bid
instead of the spade raise would not show spade support and short
diamonds. Responder has not bid and rebid just one suit, so the
necessary conditions for a non-jump splinter are lacking.
NON-JUMP SPLINTER BIDS was published in The Bridge World, February
1979, and in the Contract Bridge Forum, March/April 1982.