Strong Jump Shifts by Responder (Soloway Style)


Responder can make a strong jump-shift (1C by partner - 2S by you) with one of four types of hands:

1 - Strong hand (17+ points) with ONE long, strong suit (at least 2 of the top 3 honors).

2 - Intermediate strength (13-16 points) with a long, solid suit (AKQ) and good controls.

3 - Balanced slam-invitation (17 to 19 points) with a good 5-card suit.

4 - Slam-try-or-better values (16+ points) with a good 5+-card suit AND support for opener's suit (4+-card support for a minor, 3+ cards for a major).

This "four-way" meaning for a jump-shift response was originally proposed by the late Paul Soloway, and the agreement is often called "Soloway Jump Shifts". 

Do NOT jump-shift if you hold:


Opener's rebids

After partner (responder) makes a strong jump-shift, here are meanings of your rebids:


The jump-shifter's rebid

The meanings of your second bid – and which of the four hand types above that they show -- are:

For a more detailed discussion of strong jump-shift responses, see Parts 1 & 2 of the ACBL Bridge Bulletin article "The Strong Jump Shift Response: New Tricks for an Old Bid".


Jump Shift Responses by a Passed Hand

A  jump shift by a passed hand (Pass–1C–2S) should always show:

Opener usually places the contract after a responder’s passed-hand jump shift. Your options are:

For a more detailed discussion of passed-hand jump shifts, see Part 3 of the ACBL Bridge Bulletin article "The Strong Jump Shift Response: New Tricks for an Old Bid".


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