Blum on Bridge Jacoby 2NT
	No one adjective can possibly describe the late Oswald Jacoby. So brilliant, he completed the examination of the Society of Actuaries at the age of 21 in 1924, the youngest person to have ever accomplished this feat. "Ozzie" played in and won his first auction tournament, the National Whist Team Championship. Later he helped to form the original "Four Aces," the dominant team of that time. A legendary veteran of three wars, he was awarded the Victory Medal in World War I at age 15. While playing in a regional in Richmond, Va., on Pearl Harbor Day, he left the table and joined the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander. He did not play again for four years. When Ozzie returned from the battlefield, Charles Goren was far ahead of him in masterpoints. Before he could do much about it, Ozzie returned to active duty as a Commander in Intelligence during the Korean Conflict. By the time he was discharged he was 20th in masterpoint rankings. Between 1959 and 1963 he won the McKenney Trophy, signifying the year's masterpoint leader, four out of five times. He was 61 in that final championship year. Ozzie became the first player to acquire 1,000 masterpoints in a year. When he retired from active competition in 1967, Jacoby had surpassed the 10,000-masterpoint mark and was again in first place. Versatile, he wrote 10,000 daily bridge columns (9,200 more than me) and wrote books on poker, canasta, gin rummy, and mathematical odds. In 1973, at the age of 70, he won the World Backgammon Championship. He pioneered many bidding treatments, including Jacoby Transfers, Forcing 2NT, and Weak Jump Overcalls. Let's spend some time discussing the Jacoby 2NT forcing raise. It is used in conjunction with limit raises. In the old days 1spade-3spades or 1 heart-three hearts signified at least a three card holding in partner's suit and a hand valued at 13-15 points. When Jacoby 2NT gained popularity the values for the above raises were reduced to 10-12 points and were renamed limit raises. Keeping this in mind, a jump response to 2NT after a major suit opening by an unpassed hand is a forcing raise of partner's suit. Responder promises at least four trumps. Though it suggests a balanced hand, in theory strength is unlimited. Opener's rebids are conventional and will clarify his strength and pattern. A new suit at the 3-level shows a singleton or void in that suit. A new suit at the 4-level shows a five-card suit. Bidding game in the agreed upon major shows a minimum opener. Bidding 3 in the trump suit shows slam interest with a holding of 16 or more points. A bid of 3NT over opener's major suit equals 14-15 points with no singleton or void. There are variations especially using the 3NT bid. However, they are not necessary and are beyond the scope of this article. If opener does not show a minimum hand, responder may cue bid a suit other than the trump suit to show a first round stopper, an ace or a void. For example: 1 spade-2NT-3 spades-4 clubs. The 3 spade rebid by opener shows slam interest. 4 clubs by responder indicates either an ace or a void in the club suit. Example: 1 heart-2NT-3 diamonds-3 spades. Opener of course announces a five-card heart suit by his opening bid. His second bid of 3 diamonds indicates a singleton in that suit. The first bid of 2NT by responder shows a four-card heart suit plus at least 13 points and is forcing. Responder's second bid of 3 spades is a cue bid showing the spade ace. It also indicates an interest in slam and is asking opener to likewise cue bid a suit in which he holds an ace. Should opener have no aces he may bid the agreed upon trump suit, in this case hearts. Two things should be clear. Jacoby 2NT is in effect only when bid by an unpassed hand. If opener passes and bids 2NT after his partner opens a major, the 2NT bid describes a balanced hand with about 11 points, just under an opening bid. Second, responder's first call cannot be 2NT if he has less than four trumps. He must find another bid, even if he has to lie a bit. When the Jacoby 2NT bid is used properly it makes slam bidding far more accurate, thus becoming a deadly device against the opponents.