JACOBY TRANSFERS

By: HeyMrTamMan

Jacoby Transfers, used after opening 1NT and 2NT bids, allow opener to declare in responder's five-card or longer major.

This approach offers two advantages: (1) The strong hand becomes declarer (concealing from the defense most of the missing high cards and preventing the opening lead from crossing the strong hand); and (2) Responder is able to describe suit length and hand strength better.

Responses

With a five-card major facing an opening 1NT bid, responder bids the suit below the major at the two level. With five or more hearts, responder bids Two Diamonds. With five or more spades, responder bids Two Hearts. Responder's hand strength at this point is unknown.

Opener's Rebids

Opener accepts the transfer by bidding the major shown at the two level. If responder has bid Two Diamonds, opener rebids Two Hearts. If responder has bid Two Hearts, opener's rebid is Two Spades.

Opener may make a jump in responder's suit if at the top of the 1NT range with four-card trump support. This is known as a Super Acceptance. Opener may also Super-Accept with other bids which further describe his hand. If opener has a good outside four-card suit, ha may bid that suit. For example, 1NT - 2D - 2S is a Super-Acceptance in hearts with a good four-card spade suit (responder may cue bid at this point; the agreed trump suit is hearts and opener will eventually bid Four Hearts or go on to Six Hearts. Finally, opener may also super-accept with a bid of Two Notrump. This shows 4333 pattern.

Responder's Rebids After opener has accepted the transfer, responder clarifies suit length and hand strength.

With a weak hand (0-7 HCP), responder will Pass. Even with a five-card major, the 5-2 suit fit is usually a better contract.

With an invitational hand (8-9 HCP), responder bids Two No Trump with a five-card major (opener may have only two-card support), or Three of the Major with a six-card or longer suit (since opener has at least two-card support, an eight-card fit is guaranteed).

With a game-forcing hand (10+ HCP), responder rebids Three No Trump with a five-card major, or Four of the Major with a six-card suit.

Opener's Rebids

If responder has made a game invitation and opener's hand is minimum (15 to a poor 16 HCP), opener will Pass with two-card major support or, if necessary, correct to Three of the Major with three-card support. With a maximum (good 16 to 17 HCP), opener bids Three No Trump without an eight-card fit, or Four of the Major with an eight-card fit.

If responder has bid Three No Trump, opener will Pass with two-card support or correct to Four of the Major with three-card support.

Two Spades by Responder

After an opening 1NT bid, responder shows a spade suit by transferring with with Two Hearts. Hence the bid of Two Spades is available for other purposes. Here the transfer to Three Clubs, used by responder as a minor-suit runout, is discussed. Two Spades can also be played as Minor-Suit Stayman.

Responder's bid of Two Spades is a transfer to Three Clubs. Responder will have a weak hand, less than 7 HCP, with a six-card minor. If responder's suit is clubs, he passes opener's rebid of Three Clubs. With a diamond suit, responder will correct to Three Diamonds.

Transfers After Stronger No Trump Openings

Jacoby Transfers are also used after a Two No Trump opening. Responder's bid of Three Diamonds is a transfer to Three Hearts, likewise Three Hearts is a transfer to Three Spades.

Jacoby Transfers are also used after a strong Three No Trump opening, and also in the sequence 2C - 2D - 2NT, which shows a hand stronger than an opening bid of Two No Trump..