Saturday, February 22, 2003 6:07 PM

Principle of Fast Arrival

 

PITBULLS:

 

          Decades ago , the principle of fast arrival was the cornerstone of 2/1 bidding or Jacoby 2NT . If you got to your contract fast, you were minimum and not interested in hearing any Q bids from partner. This has merit on some hands but it was too general and really pre-empted partner when she had a good hand . Quite often she was forced to go to the 5 level to Q bid which resulted in disaster when the hands did not fit well. The ultimate ignominy , going down at the 5 level after making a slam try resulted quite often . Jumps to game  by either partner in a 2/1 auction showed just a minimum and made slam investigation almost impossible when one partner had a huge hand .

 

          Under the principle of fast arrival , we said our jumps to 3NT were weaker than 2NT bids . With this ambiguous 2NT , many many expert partnerships missed baby 6NT slams with 17 HCP opposite 16 HCP .  Conventions like Jacoby 2NT were based on the principle of fast arrival . You leapt to 4 of a major with an opener and bid 3 of a major with a better hand . Again this pre-empted partner when she had a good hand and iffy 5 level contracts resulted after slam investigation.

 

          Years ago , the dinosaur of bridge - strong jump shifts by responder roamed the bridge scene. This was replaced by 4th suit forcing to game or XYZ so that responder can advertise a strong hand and keep the bidding low. However the principle of fast arrival was involved in these auctions also . If responder jumped to game in partners suit then she had  a minimum for a forcing to game auction. In fact , the 4th forcing to game was a slam try in that she did not jump to game initially in partners suit .

 

          Over the years , Bridge experts realized that the principle of fast arrival was misguided . You missed too many slams and made too many slam tries at the 5 level . Ambiguous 2NT rebids with a wide range of HCP’s complicated auctions and experts claimed 12 tricks in 3NT . Meckstroth and Rodwell came up with an invention to replace the principle of fast arrival and that was the “serious 3NT” . We have dozens of e-mails on the serious 3NT and how it makes Q bidding just a forced noise now instead of showing extra etc. The serious 3NT now can define a meaning to the jump to game rather than a minimum it is a hand with no outside controls and points concentrated in the trump suit.

 

          Not playing the principle of fast arrival , makes the jumps to 3NT in forcing auctions show extra for the previous bidding . Klimo recommends and I agree that the leap to 3NT in all forcing to game auctions should show HCP’s in the strong NT range . The 2NT bid should be a minimum or very strong (18-19 ) and that minimizes the ambiguity .

 

          Stan Cabay is not a fan of the principle of fast arrival either . We lost the Swiss teams on a misunderstanding with “fast arrival” and a bizarre Doug Deschner bid at the other table .

 

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                I opened 1♣ and Stan bid 1♥ . I have a tough rebid . I am close to a 3♣ bid but I had terrible club spots and a stiff in partners suit. I chose the underbid of 2♣.  Stan now forced to game with 2♠ . I was hoping Stan was not a fan of “fast arrival” and would take my jump to 3NT to show a hand in the strong NT range for my previous bidding . The opponents asked Stan what my bid meant and when I  heard  “fast arrival” from Stan I knew we were doomed. 3NT making 6 - lose 12  IMPS and the Swiss teams. Doug rebid 2NT with my hand over 1♥ at the other table !! 

 

 

 

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      You have 14 points and nice controls . You have the jack of clubs in partners 6 card club suit and you know that partner is in the strong NT HCP range . Making one slam try is not unreasonable with this hand . Pulling 3NT to 4 of a minor is a slam  try in any system . Tom and I play that as demanding a Q bid. I think Susan and  Pat play that as KCB . They would definitely get to the slam .

 

 

          Anyway , the principle of fast arrival used to define 2/1 bidding & your Jacoby 2NT . If you have bought into the “serious 3NT” philosophy make sure all your understandings are worked out . The “serious 3NT” is far more than just one bid demanding a Q bid. It’s a new way of thinking in Bridge bidding. It effects your Q bidding , 4th suit forcing auctions , 2/1 , Jacoby 2NT &  NT jumps and makes jumps to game “picture bids” . Serious 3NT is just the tip of the ice berg.