We are looking at raising partner's major suit when you have four-card support.
In the old days, if the opener bid one heart or one spade and the responder jump-raised to three, it was forcing to game, promising at least 13 support points. This meant that with an uncontested sequence like one heart — one spade — two diamonds — three hearts, the responder showed three or more trumps. But because a nine-card fit will play a trick better than an eight-card fit some 80 percent of the time, the opener should know how many trumps the responder holds.
So, the limit raise was adopted. A raise from one of a major to three of that major became game-invitational, showing 10-12 support points and eight losers — as in this deal.
South had lousy trumps, but with 15 total points (14 in honor-points and one shortage point for the doubleton diamond), he raised to four spades. When you smell a game, you bid that game.
West led the club queen. South, seeing no losers to ruff on the board, won the first trick and immediately ran the spade 10. East won with his queen and returned a club. Suddenly South saw that he had four losers: two spades, one diamond and one club.
If South had only paused at trick one, he could have foreseen this outcome. He should have led the diamond jack from his hand at trick two. He would have established a discard for his club loser, with the heart king on the board as an entry if East held up his diamond ace for one round. Instead of down one, the contract would have made in comfort.
In the old days, if the opener bid one heart or one spade and the responder jump-raised to three, it was forcing to game, promising at least 13 support points. This meant that with an uncontested sequence like one heart — one spade — two diamonds — three hearts, the responder showed three or more trumps. But because a nine-card fit will play a trick better than an eight-card fit some 80 percent of the time, the opener should know how many trumps the responder holds.
So, the limit raise was adopted. A raise from one of a major to three of that major became game-invitational, showing 10-12 support points and eight losers — as in this deal.
South had lousy trumps, but with 15 total points (14 in honor-points and one shortage point for the doubleton diamond), he raised to four spades. When you smell a game, you bid that game.
West led the club queen. South, seeing no losers to ruff on the board, won the first trick and immediately ran the spade 10. East won with his queen and returned a club. Suddenly South saw that he had four losers: two spades, one diamond and one club.
If South had only paused at trick one, he could have foreseen this outcome. He should have led the diamond jack from his hand at trick two. He would have established a discard for his club loser, with the heart king on the board as an entry if East held up his diamond ace for one round. Instead of down one, the contract would have made in comfort.