This isn’t about how long you take to bid; that’s a different article. Let’s talk instead about how rapidly the auction progresses
to its conclusion. Does it matter whether we take the most direct route or not?
♠ K Q 8 ♥ 5 4 ♦ J 10 6 5 ♣ 7 4 3 2
|
South
2 ♣
3 ♦
|
North (you)
2 ♦
?
|
Partner’s 2♣
opening is, of course, forcing to game unless she simply rebids 2NT. Your 2♦ bid is an artificial “waiting” bid that
doesn’t say anything about a diamond suit. Partner’s 3♦ bid is natural, showing at least 5
diamonds.
With only one of the
other three suits stopped, you don’t dare bid notrump. You don’t have another
suit to bid, so you must perforce raise diamonds. “Support with support,” as
the saying goes. Your choices then are 4♦ or
5♦.
Which do you bid?
ANSWER: Bid 4♦, implying some extra values. A
5♦ bid
would be the weakest possible bid, something you would bid without those lovely
spade honors. Since we are in a game-forcing auction, partner is not going to
pass; at the very least, she’ll bid 5♦.
THE PRINCIPLE: When there is more than one route to the
same end contract, the “slower” (less direct) route shows some extra values. This is known as
the Principle of Fast Arrival. In a slower auction, you
leave partner some bidding space to explore the hand in more depth, perhaps by
introducing a second suit or starting a cue-bid sequence. At the very least,
the slow bidding route tells partner that you have a little something extra;
maybe that’s just the encouragement she’ll need to investigate slam
possibilities. On the other hand, the fast bidding route warns partner that you
don’t have anything to spare.
One way to remember
this slow/fast business is the mnemonic “slow shows and fast denies”.
Here are a few example
auctions that will be familiar, and you’ll recognize the Principle of Fast
Arrival at work.
|
South
1♠
|
North
4♠
|
Can’t go any faster
than that! North shows a weak hand with long spades.
|
South
1♠
2♥
|
North
2♦
4♠
|
A slower road to game, North showing at least an opening hand
with spade support and a diamond suit.
|
South
1 NT
2♠
|
North
2♥
4♠
|
Going slow with a Jacoby transfer at the two level, then
bidding game to show at least six spades and a hand worth at least 10 points.
|
South
1 NT
4♠
|
North
4♥
Pass
|
A similar situation but fast this time, a Texas transfer at the four level to show
at least six spades but a definitely weaker hand than in the previous
example.
By considering
whether you took the slow route or the fast route, partner can draw appropriate
inferences about your hand to decide whether to investigate bidding further, or
to more accurately judge what to do if the opponents compete in your auction.
BONUS MINUTE (not bridge-related): Perhaps the most
fascinating book I’ve read in quite some time is Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow.
For the last fifty years, Kahneman has been one of the world’s leading
researchers in the psychology of human decision-making. The book is a very
readable explanation of our current understanding of human decision processes,
and how Kahneman’s past research contributed to that understanding. Highly
recommended!
