WALSH CONVENTION
Richard Walsh, a expert bridge player and theoretical
collaborator in 2/1
formulation in the 60s make a strategic inovation in the bidding after 1
opening. He imposed that the response after 1 opening
between choose for
response in 4 cards major
(4/4)
and response in 4+
the priority
should be first to the major if the Responder's hand was less than 12 hcp,
independent the length of Diamond suit be 5
or 6 cards.
Thus, his system, today known as "Two Over One Game Force" (2/1), used
by experts players incorporated with success this aproach to avoid lose the
major fit in competitive auction, so only in hands
with 12+ hcp, the bid of 1 with 5+ cards
is made before a
major because in that case Responder can reverse in level 2 bidding his 4 cards
major.
Corollary: The Operner of 1 after
response 1,
when has flat hand with
12-14 hcp, do not bid his major(s) and bid 1nt, but with
5+ and a major
he bids his major to show for his partner that he can receive a support
in Clubs with 3 cards.
In Marty Bergen's book, “Better Bidding
with Bergen”, there examples of
response after 1
open
using the Walsh's convention as
listed below:
Opener 1 -
Responder ?
|
|
BIDS |
Comment adapted |
|
|
1 |
the priority
is to bid major |
|
|
1 |
the
1 |
|
|
1 |
length is no
priority, bid major is priority |
|
|
1 |
with 12+
hcp we can reverse 2 |
|
|
1 |
the priority
is first the major and if partner bids 1nt then we sign-off in 3 |
|
|
1 |
really not a decent suit but major before |
|
|
1 |
just to show
the lead, terrible hand to bid |
|
|
1 |
the priority
is to bid major |
|
|
1 |
we cannot
bid 2nt without any stopper in a major |
|
|
1nt |
better than 1 |
Now the Opener's
second
bid after Responder 1:
Opener Responder
1
1
?
|
|
BIDS |
Coment |
|
|
1ST |
good hand to receive lead in 1nt |
|
|
1ST |
Responder at first has no major
after 1 |
|
|
1ST |
Opener could also bid 2 |
|
|
1 |
Shows 5 |
The Walsh
convention is not to be follow as absolute rule. If you have
AKxxxx and only more 9xxx
major you could break the rule and ignore this poor suit, opponent could jump to 3 or 4 and your partner with
Kxx may lead Spades!
We also can introduce a reverse weak bid for hand with
108762
x
AKJxxx
x
where after your partner bid 1 if partner bid 1nt then you bid 3 showing a weak 6-5 hand with 8-10 hcp and partner then decide if
pass, bid 4 or 4. The important in a system is the
partnership knowing what partner is bidding. Thus you must make the
agreement with your partner for have success in your bridge system!
ANOTHER
CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT OPEN IN A MINOR SUIT:
1- Hands 4333 with one major many partnerships has preference to open in the
best of the minors to show a better lead.
That is a recommendation
to avoid give a crucial trick in the lead.
So if you have
4333 and 12-14 hcp with
10xx
and
KJ9 open 1.
In statistical terms the 1 open with this criterious of best of minor
is 97% of times
4+ cards, of course there are partnerships
that play "Diamonds 4" and in
hands
4432
will open 1
and this is not good for a efficient system.
2-In hands 5431 with 5
and 4
with singleton Spades, some player open 1
and if
Responder bid 1
then opener bids 2
to avoid 1ST with singleton, as in the follow hand:
x
98x
AJ105
AK876
But, considering the Responder with
3
and 3 he will give preference to
Diamonds,
so
this strategic is not so good. Recomendation is to open in the 5 cards minor,
but of course there always exception if you have:
Kx
Kx
AKJ10
108763
you can open
1.
Thus with
x
98x
AJ105
AK876
open 1 and after 1
you could
bid 2 and with x
AQ9
AJ105
Q8762
after 1 you should bid 1nt.
By the way, if you as Responder have
K9xx
KQ98x
105
K8
and the bidding goes:
Opener Responder
1 1
2 2nt
3 ? <= you should pass in 3 because 5-5 you think Opener
has
shows could be a 3145,
so the suit rebid by
Opener is
for sure 5th but maybe the first suit is only 4th.
3- In hands you can open 2 with 21-22 hcp,
but with long Clubs suit and a 4
cards major the
bidding could be difficult and so is more easy bid a reverse
as this hand:
A
AQJ8
KQJ1092 KJ
because if you open
2
and Responder bid 2 and you of course will bid
3,
and it is possible that Responder with 5-4 or just 5 cards will bid 3 and you now have a problem in bid
4
bypassing the
3nt bid.
So the bidding become too high and this is the point that you must
also consider
in choose the open in a minor or in 2 - always think in your second bid and the space to show your hand.
If you open 2 with this hand opponent
could also bid 3 with favorable
vulnerability.
Thus, strong hands with long minor and a major is recommended be opened in
level 1 and then bid reverse in continuation.
4- When you have
44 in a 4432 or 4441
hand with 12-14
hcp, in what
minor should you open? What is the orientation?
There are one old rule that says with 3 suits you should
open always in 1
because if
Responder bids
1 and that is your singleton, then you can bid 2
avoiding bid 1nt with singleton.
Today even with 4441 and singleton in spades mostly players prefer bid 1nt with
singleton, so this rule was revogaded.
But
if one minor is Q754 and the other
AKJ2 it is better to open in the best minor and if both minors have same top
cards then you open 1.
5- Not reverse:
Suppose you have xx
AJ8
Jxxx
AKJx
and you of course open 1:
Opener Overcall Responder Advancer
1
1
double* pass * shows 4+ cards and maybe 4+ cards
?
What is your bid? This is a problem:
Your need choose between 2 or 2,
but if you choose 2 your partner must
know that is not a reverse bid. A strong bid should be 2 or 3!
So, to avoid more complications, 2 is acceptable as a possible bid!
6- Special Sign-off in 3
If your partner opens 1 and you have long Diamonds
and a major playing NMF the sing-off must be done in 3 because 2 is NMF:
Opener Responder
1
1major
1nt 3 <= Q9xx xx KJ10xx x or 9x J10xx AK10xxx x
pass
Note:
Partnership that play check-back can sign-off in 2 in this sequence.
/ / /