Skip the jump over a double

Partner opens one of a suit, the next player passes, and you make a jump-shift at the two-level or three-level. What are you telling partner?

Weak jump shifts enjoy considerable popularity. You show a six-card suit and a weak hand — but how weak? You and your partner should agree on a range.

I prefer strong jump shifts to the twolevel and game-invitational at the threelevel. Yes, a strong jump occurs with lower frequency, but it is so useful when it arises. Also, I dislike jumping on a weak hand with a potential misfit. That is especially true in this deal, where North made a takeout double promising three or four hearts. The advantage of two hearts was that it showed the six-card suit.

Over two hearts, South bravely bid two spades, liking his double fit in the black suits. Then, unexpectedly, this was passed out. Why didn't West compete with three hearts in the known nine-card fit? If East was going to guess diamonds (not automatic, given North's double), it would have taken a club lead to defeat six hearts. Also, note North's excellent pass, correctly discounting all of those red-suit honors.

West led the club seven, in <00AD> terestingly the only lead to hold South to eight tricks. (Yes, all right, West could have led the diamond ace and shifted to a club, but who would have done that?) South won on the board and led the spade king. West took that trick and shifted to the heart queen, which held. The next club lead was taken on the board, and declarer cashed the spade queen. He had to lose two spades, one heart and two diamonds.