When partner opens 1NT and you just happen to have five or six cards in one suit (preferably in hearts or spades), the Jacoby Transfer is a gorgeous convention that allows you to “force” your partner to bid YOUR suit. This allows the partnership to bid the best trump suit while keeping partner’s strong hand hidden—because it is more difficult to defeat the hidden hand.
Earlier this month, Morgan Hill residents Chuck and Carolyn Wilson and Marti Jefferson—who teamed with Morgan Hill resident Mineko Sakai—partnered together at my Wednesday evening bridge club to gorgeously bid and then beautifully play this exciting hand taken from a sectional tournament held last year.
In the example shown, East opened with 1NT showing 15-17 HCP, a balance hand, and no five-card major. Holding eight HCP and five spades, West bid 2H (one suit LOWER than the suit you really want) invoking the Jacoby Transfer, which instructs partner to bid the next higher suit, i.e., spades, which East did.
But West still had two problems to solve: a) with only five spades, West didn’t know if East had only two spades or three-plus spades; and b) with only eight HCP, there weren’t enough points to bid game in notrump. And West conveyed both these problems to partner by re-bidding 2NT!
Fortunately, East did hold three spades, making the “golden eight,” so East raised to 3S which showed a holding of three-plus spades and 15-16 HCP, and putting the question of game level right back to West. And, with that fortunate turn of events, the value of West’s hand suddenly increased by an additional five dummy points (reflecting the void in clubs), and making more than enough strength to go to game at 4S.
Finally, using this gorgeous convention, both partnerships were able to both bid and, most importantly, make their game contracts. Well done Chuck and Carolyn Wilson and Marti Jefferson and Mineko Sakai! That was good bridge!
Good luck and good bridge.
