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Jacoby 2NT Is Better Than the Baron 2NT

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Jacoby 2NT Is Better Than the Baron 2NT The Debate Neil Rosen Jacoby 2NT is Better than the Baron 2NT Two top players debate a hot bridge topic. Tell us whose argument has won you over by emailing [email protected] INEVITABLY AS times move on, things creating a simple statement imme - or singletons separately – a improve. Bidding systems follow this diately that the hand has 13+ High marvellous way to aid slam trend as much as technology, science etc. Card Points and a spade fit. The judgment (but this is an article for The 2NT response used to be played alternative is to bid 2 ®, then 4 ´ another day!). only as a natural bid. Fine for when you which is fatally flawed on two counts: want to bid it, but in practice (particularly a) A classic Direct Game Raise 6. One further advantage of having after partner has opened one of a major) should have a good suit so that Jacoby available is that if partner opens quite ineffective as there is always an partner can judge slam prospects 1™/1 ´ you can use either Ordinary or alternative bid available. over the jump to game. Roman Key-Card Black wood: The Baron 2NT bid came in during the b) There is ambiguity over the a) To use Ordinary Blackwood just 1940s, promoted as part of the Baron number of trumps held: does it respond 4NT directly; system of bidding, by Leo Baron. It was show four or only three? Some b) To use RKCB simply bid 2NT primarily to enable strong balanced hands argue that with only three you bid (Jacoby) then 4NT on your next to be bid more effectively, a hand-type Fourth Suit Forcing first, others turn. which needed much help to be bid at the disagree. time as Fourth Suit Forcing had not been I am not going to fall into the trap often developed sufficiently to enable these 3. It now allows Splinter responses to be found in this Debate feature of cherry- hands to be bid accurately. However, times made on nice hands with support but picking some hands to promote my case. have moved on . fewer than 13 HCP, i.e. 10-12 What I am doing is simply to suggest that The Jacoby 2NT response to 1 ™/1 ´ is an approximately. This gives a huge edge Jacoby 2NT is a key aspect of modern absolutely terrific convention, now being in slam bidding for major-suit bidding enabling slam explo ration to played globally, where essentially the bid contracts – something the Baron occur much more easily than without it. announces: 2NT players simply do not have! Much work can be done by partnerships a) Game going values; 13+ HCP is to develop bidding when using Jacoby. normal; 4. Those who play the Baron 2NT Below is a very brief outline of a possible b) At least four-card support for system often choose to use a 3NT scheme of responses: partner’s major. response to 1 ™/1 ´ as a ‘Pudding After 1 ™/1 ´ – 2NT: Raise’. This shows four-card support, New suit at 3 level = natural side suit, The advantages of playing this system are no shortage and about 12-15 HCP. at least 5-4. numerous. Let’s consider just a few: When you stop to think about the 3™/3 ´ = extra values, merits (?!) of this system, it should not usually six trumps. 1. The system is very simple to play. My take long to realise that it is clearly 3NT = 15+ balanced, only observation is to remind you awful to have to start your slam forcing. that it does not apply after passing investigations at such an unneces - New suit at 4 level = Splinter. initially or after intervention. sarily high level – much better to 4™/4 ´ = Weakest bid simply start with 2NT and await available (shows a 2. It takes enormous pressure off other developments a whole level lower! poorish minimum sequences, such as the dreaded without good ‘Delayed Game Raise’ sequences so 5. An optional extra for those using controls). common in poorly played Acol, e.g. Jacoby is to introduce greater pre - holding the hand below: cision into direct Splinter raises, since I urge you to ditch archaic methods such the 3NT bid is otherwise redundant. as the Baron 2NT and introduce Jacoby to ´ A Q 7 2 With work you can show either voids your armoury! r ™ 5 4 t K J 7 A new document concerning the forthcoming Blue Point scheme is available for ® K 8 7 2 interested club and county event organisers to view at www.ebu.co.uk/ publications/Official_Documents/Revised%20Blue%20Point%20Scheme.pdf You can now respond 2NT to 1 ´, 38 English Bridge October 2012 www.ebu.co.uk Chris Jagger The Debate Baron 2NT is Better than the Jacoby 2NT Or write to the Editor, English Bridge, 23 Erleigh Road, Reading RG1 5LR. Short comments for publication are welcome. ONE OF the joys of bridge is that people and soon reached the good slam. Knowing for partner. This still doesn’t prevent you love to play ‘the best’ method – by which that partner had a strong balanced hand, from using 3NT to show a balanced raise, they seem to mean the system that if they the opening hand was worth a lot, and it using a splinter bid, perhaps trading in a have perfect judgment, if they never get would be hard to fault the auction. Except strong jump shift for a raise in partner’s tired and if opponents keep quiet (and for one thing: they only bid it because they suit, or simply bidding a suit at a low level, throw in a few more ifs), is the best were playing the Baron 2NT, and we all and supporting partner later – when you method. Whether it gets them better know that Baron is not how you bid have actually found out a bit more about results or not is beside the point: at least it ‘properly’. what partner has. is ‘theoretically’ better. There are plenty of other hands that are Neil might point out that nobody in the When I arrived at university I knew difficult too; try: Premier League was playing a Baron 2NT, nothing about bidding, but I played the and he may be right, but then not every one Baron 2NT, a response to one of a suit ´ 6 ´ K 7 5 4 was playing Jacoby. And let me tell you opening showing 16 or more points and a ™ A K 7 5 4 N ™ Q 2 about two key boards from the match W E balanced hand. t A Q 10 6 3 S t K J 8 between the first- and second-placed teams. Over this we did not play complicated ® Q 9 ® A K 7 6 First, we gained a game swing where a trivial methods: we bid naturally. We did not grand slam was missed using Jacoby that spend hours discussing the continuations: I saw this bid: 1 ™ –1´ –2t –3® – would have been easy playing Baron and what does it mean if I open 1 t, you 3t –3NT. This is not even a hand that is Splinters. Space permitting I would give you respond 2NT and I rebid 3 t? Well . it fitting terribly well, with wasted cards in the hand and you would say ‘but it shows five diamonds. And if responder bids both black suits, yet a Baron auction shouldn’t have been missed using Jacoby’, 3™ over this, is that showing four hearts? usually ends in slam, whereas starting with which would be true – but the point was, it Err . yes. You’ve got it: we didn’t need any a 1 ´ response probably does not. After this was missed. Bridge is about keeping things time to discuss the conti n uations and deal, I heard a long debate about whether simple enough so that they work at the neither would you. bidding the fourth suit followed by 3NT table, not about the theoretical merits of a Similarly, 1 ® – 2NT –3™? Well, you was showing extra values, doubt about the system where everyone has perfect judg - haven’t got five clubs as you would bid 3 ®, club stop, looking for three-card spade ment and full recall of the system! so you must be 4-4, either a strong no- support, or something else. Second, we lost a game swing when we trump (playing weak no-trump), or it The basic reason why Baron is so useful used Jacoby and described our hand too could be a 4-4-1-4 distribution. 1 ® – is that strong balanced hands are hard to well, so opponents found the defence to 2NT – 3NT? You don’t have five clubs, you bid; if anyone tells you otherwise, view beat the contract. Playing Baron we would don’t have another suit, so I make that them with grave suspicion! more quickly have found our strength, a 3-3-3-4 shape, stronger than a weak no- Some top players partly get round the and not needed to describe the hands so trump (else you would have opened 1NT, problem by playing some 4NT bids as fully. It made me feel like Skid Simon’s not 1 ®), perhaps 15-16 points, since you natural and invitational. For example 1 ™ – ‘unlucky expert’, who is always playing are happy to play in 3NT. How accurate is 2® –2™ – 4NT. Do you really want this best, but always loses! that?! It is all easy to work out. sort of confusion over Blackwood in your Jacoby has several flaws: it needs a lot of However, at university I learnt how to methods? And even if you do, it doesn’t discussion to make it effective (and few bid ‘properly’ and we abandoned Baron: get round all the problems.
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