Blum on Bridge Major Suit Raises
	For the next three weeks we will take up the subject of major suit raises. Today and next week will be devoted to first giving an overview, then an explanation of the various methods in use today to show support for partner's spade or heart suit. It is common knowledge among most intermediate and advanced players that when one bid is substituted for another to announce a certain type hand, that bid can no longer be used for the type hand from where it was taken. The hope is that more is gained by the substitution than is lost. For example, 30 years ago an opening bid of 2 spades, hearts, diamonds or clubs announced a powerful hand in the bid suit. Modern bidding methods employ all the named suits except clubs as preemptive bids showing five to ten points with a good six-card suit. 2 clubs is reserved for all strong distributional hands. A later call will name opener's strong suit. It is clear that more is gained in this instance using modern methods than is lost under the old system. Our final week we will discuss the problems associated with major suit raises and attempt to solve them with more up-to-date techniques. In other words, we will substitute some bids for others. It will be up to you whether or not you wish to add these to your convention card. I guarantee you will give it some thought. Most systems require opener to hold five cards in a major suit to open that suit. When the responder bids at the next level of the same suit partner opened, it is called a raise. If the responder skips a level that bid is known as a jump raise. Though most of you yawned after that explanation, I felt it was necessary so the novice could catch up with you experts. Using five-card majors it becomes necessary to combine with them a forcing no-trump that is employed to supposedly cover all bases. When the forcing no-trump is put to use a direct raise of a suit (1 spade-2 spades or 1 heart 2 hearts) becomes a "constructive raise" showing three- or four-card support for partner's suit and 8-10 points. For responder to make a jump raise (1 spade-3 spades or 1 heart-3 hearts) he must have four-card support and 11-12 points. This is also known as a limit raise. When the responder has the equivalent of an opening bid plus four cards in partner's suit he can utilize a bid called the "Jacoby No-trump" (notice I spelled it correctly this week). Incidentally for those who read my article about "Jacoby Transfers", the only relationship between the two conventions is that the inventor of each was Oswald Jacoby. Theorist Marty Bergen has infused a set of bids that is increasing in popularity. "Bergen Raises" offer a new concept that most definitely should be considered by established partnerships. "Splinter Bids" and "Reverse Drury" are two calls that are directly related to major suit raises and will be reviewed later. Though a bit advanced, their use is important and should be considered by intermediates. The "forcing no-trump" covers many hands from 5-12 points. We will confine our discussion to hands where this bid is followed by a raise or jump raise in partner's major suit. For a simple raise after bidding 1 no-trump responder must have at least two-card support for opener's major. It is important to note that over partner's one heart opening responder bids 1 spade with at least four spades. Do not use the forcing no-trump. After the response of 1NT opener rebids his major only if he holds six or more cards in the suit. Otherwise he bids his longer minor at the two level. If he opened specifically 1 spade he would bid a four- or five-card heart suit over the no-trump response. Holding less than four hearts bid the longer minor. If your distribution were 5-2-3-3, bid the better three-card minor. The auction has proceeded opener 1 spade (heart) responder 1NT-opener 2 hearts, diamonds or clubs. A return to opener's major at the two-level indicates either a preference with two-card support or a better fit lacking the values to make a constructive raise. Should responder jump in opener's suit after first bidding 1NT he shows a limit raise (10-12 points) with three-card support. Over 1 spade holding 104-Q72-AQ54-9653 after responding 1NT forcing, bid 2 spades over opener's lower suit response. Holding QJ5-A4-KJ32-9653 bid 3 spades after responding 1NT, a limit raise with three-card support. Holding QJ5-62-KJ32-J653 raise directly to 2 spades. This is a classic constructive raise.