Soloway Jump Shifts

Soloway jump shifts are named for the late American expert Paul Soloway, winner of 5 Bermuda Bowl world championships and the top ACBL masterpoint holder at the time of his passing. They are an alternative to traditional strong jump shifts. Rather than showing a single-suited 17-19 points, a Soloway jump shift is made on three strong hand patterns: Balanced, single-suited, and double-suited with support for partner. With any of these hand types, responder jump-shifts into his longest suit.

Details of each hand type:

1. With a balanced 18-19 HCP, responder jump-shifts into his longest suit. For example, after partner opens 1:

   KQ3 K93 AKJ8 K76

   Bid 2.

   
   Playing certain methods like SAYC, your 3NT response may show a balanced 16-18 HCP. If playing Soloway, this treatment should be discussed by partnerships because 18 HCP balanced hands can be handled by either method.

2. With a good 15-18 points and a one-suited hand, responder bids his long suit. For example, after partner opens 1:

   Q9 AKJ852 A4 K52

   Bid 2.

   
   

3. The final hand type is a two-suiter with a good 15-18 points. Over a minor-suit opening bid, responder needs at least 5-4 shape, with the 4-card holding being in partner's suit. Over a major-suit opening, responder must be at least 5-3, with the 3-card holding in partner's suit. For example, after partner opens 1:

   KQJ98 Q963 A4 A6

   Bid 2.

Note that Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek, in their book "Modern Bridge Conventions", suggest 17+ points for Soloway jump shifts. The exact point range is up to partnership agreement, and requires discussion about how to handle 19+ hands.

The jump shift asks opener to relay to the next-higher bid. Thus, if responder bids 2, opener should rebid 2. If responder bids 2, opener should rebid 2, and so on.

Responder's Rebids

After opener's relay, responder clarifies his hand pattern by one of the following bids:

1. Bidding no-trumps at the cheapest level shows a strong balanced hand.

2. Rebidding the jump shift suit shows the single-suited hand.

3. Bidding partner's suit shows the two-suited hand without a singleton or void.

4. Bidding a new suit shows the two-suited hand with a singleton or void in the bid suit.

		Opener			Responder
		QT2			AK6
		K6			AQ75
		AJT96			532
		AT5			KQ8
		Opener 1 2 (2) 6NT			Responder 2 (1) 2NT (3) Pass

1. Soloway
2. Relay
3. 18-19 balanced
4. An educated guess with a combined 32-33 HCP

		Opener			Responder
		KT93			AJ5
		AJT3			Q75
		8			AKQ972
		AT52			9
		Opener 1 2 (2) 3NT (4)			Responder 2 (1) 3 (3) Pass

1. Soloway
2. Relay
3. Strong one-suiter
4. Signoff

		Opener			Responder
		AQT943			KJ2
		A6			KQ752
		A75			8
		73			AKJ8
		Opener 1 3 (2) 4NT (4) 5NT (6) 7			Responder 3 (1) 4 (3) 5 (5) 6 (7) Pass

1. Soloway
2. Relay
3. 5 hearts, 3+ spades and diamond shortness
4. 1430 Roman Keycard Blackwood
5. 2 key cards w/out the queen
6. Asking for kings
7. 2 kings