nullve

Why?

So the bidding could in principle be done by two teams of four humans? Or maybe not: :unsure:

How about leading the ♣J at trick 3 and then guard against East/West having the outstanding trumps if it's covered/not covered, respectively? :unsure: The idea is that * West will tend to cover if he has the queen * the queen is more likely to be in the hand with longer clubs * a stiff spade is more likely to be in the hand with longer clubs .

[hv=https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?bbo=y&lin=st%7C%7Cmd%7C2SAT753HA5DKT2CKJ8%2CSJHQJT62DA95CA963%2CSKQ9HK4DQJ764CQ42%2CS8642H9873D83CT75%7Csv%7C0%7Cah%7CBoard%208%7Cmb%7C1H%7Can%7CMajor%20suit%20opening%20--%205%2B%20%21H%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CD%7Can%7C3%2B%20%21C%3B%203%2B%20%21D%3B%203%2B%20%21S%3B%209%2B%20HCP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C2H%7Can%7C11-16%20total%20points%3B%20forcing%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C2N%7Can%7CInvitational%20to%203NT%20game%20--%203-5%20%21C%3B%203-5%20%21D%3B%202-4%20%21H%3B%202-3%20%21S%3B%2012%2B%20total%20points%3B%20stop%20in%20%21H%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3H%7Can%7C5%2B%20%21D%3B%2012%2B%20HCP%3B%2013-16%20total%20points%3B%20forcing%20to%203N%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3N%7Can%7C3-5%20%21C%3B%203-5%20%21D%3B%202-4%20%21H%3B%202-3%20%21S%3B%2013-20%20HCP%3B%20stop%20in%20%21H%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cpc%7CHQ%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CDQ%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CCK%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CS9%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CCT%7C]400|300[/hv] Click on 3♥.

I played 1N = 7-12*, (4432) with two friends a very long time ago. The idea, iirc, was to make it easier to scramble to a playable spot opposite MIN = 7-9 or if opps started doubling. I believe the original structure included something like 1N-?: 2♣ = relay (GF opposite MAX = 10-12) ...2♦ = 7-9, 4D(432) (=> 2♥ = P/C) ...2♥ = 7-9, 4H4B(32) (=> 2♠ = P/C) ...2♠ = 7-9, 4S4C(32) (=> 3♣ = to play) ...2N+ = 10-12 (don't remember the details) 2♦ = ART INV, usually (always?) with a 5c or longer major ...2♥+ = P/C 2M = to play 3x = to play (I think) other: not sure * Today the 6-point range would have to be at least 8-13 (with MIN/MAX = 8-10/11-13) to make the system non-HUM.

I'm sure Townsend had knowledge that we lack about opps' preemptive style.

Conundrums 1, 2 and 3: You have left out a huge amount of information that would have been available to us at the table.

And the basic robot 2♥ with QJT 65432 QJT AK.

But do you ever open 1M with a normal, weak 2M opening? Seems like you could have opened with a standard Weak Two on boards 16 and 19 here, if available. And why the jump to 3♠ on board 20? Could it be that you were you too strong for a 2♠ rebid in your system? (Not that you played the same system back then, but your 2M openers were the same, weren't they?

Or the lack of weak 2m,2N and 3♣ openings:

I have played the following* in one partnership: 1♣: 11-13-or-17-19 if balanced. Forcing. 1♣-1N: can be thought of as a natural invite opposite a Woodsonian** 11-13-or-17-19 NT. (Opener rejects/accepts the invite with MIN=11-13/MAX=17-19, respectively.) 1♣-1♠: like a Walsh 1♦ response if unbalanced OR a balanced hand without a major not in range for the 1N response 1♣-1♠; 1N = 11-13-or-17-19 NT. The point is to be able to stop in 1N opposite 17-19 BAL when there is no fit. For example: Opener: a) 12 BAL b) 18 BAL Responder: c) 2 hcp, 3343 d) 8 hcp, 3343 a)-c): 1♣-1♠; 1N-P a)-d): 1♣-1N; P b)-c): 1♣-1♠; 1N-P b)-d): 1♣-1N; 3N-P * essentially an idea described by BBF contributors zenko (in 2010) and helene_t (a few years later) ** The original Woodson NT is a natural 1N opening showing either 10-12 or 16-18 hcp. (Yes, simultaneously!)

You know him, don't you? :unsure:

https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/79072-do-you-relay-at-the-6-level/

A deal from yesterday: [hv=pc=n&sn=You&s=sk6hqj3daq8432ct6&nn=Partner&n=saj9h8djt97cakj52&d=w&v=b&b=13&a=1d2cp3nppp&a=c9]266|200[/hv] Lead: ♣9 Your opponents' convention card: https://www.bridgebase.com/doc/gib_system_notes.php What do you know about East-West's hands?

1N is dangerous? 2♣ is not dangerous?

♣Q

2♣ (Stayman) followed by P over 2♦ (risking 2♦ on a 4-2 fit opposite 3325) if Crawling Stayman is not available 2♥ over 2♦ if Crawling Stayman is available (it should be!) 4♥ over 2♥ 3N over 2♠ (having avoided a spade lead) .

Or 4♠ if partner is allowed to raise to 2♥ with 4315. (For some, 1♣-1♥ 1♠-1N 2♥ promises extras, so with a bad minimum (11-13 hcp, say) Opener might have to raise directly if at all. (And if he doesn't, a 5-3 heart fit might be missed.))

If you're one of the TW players who open 1♦ with 4144, how are you distinguishing that shape from 4153 (not 4135 this time)? Opener: a) AKxx-x-KJxxx-Jxx b) AKxx-x-KJxx-Jxxx? Responder: It seems like you would bid Qx-KJxxx-Qxx-xxx 1♦-1♥ 1♠-2♣ 2♦-P in both cases. But are they able to stop in 2M on hands where other TW players using XYZ over 1♣-1♦; 1♠ would bid 1♣-1♦ 1♠-2♣ 2♦-2♥/♠ P ? Standard methods already lead to poor contracts when Opener has 1435.

Luck and poor judgement, maybe? :) (Unless 2♥ promised 4c support.)

I'm not adding artificiality anywhere. In what sense am I wasting bidding space? 2♥ does not just show 4c support. It also shows a range. Your range is wider than mine, so I expect you to go down in 3♥ more often than I do. No, I'm not trying to argue that accepting the transfer with 4c support keeps me out of bad slams. I accept that invite heavy, accept light works better than invite light, accept heavy.

Sorry, I meant to write 1♣-1♦; 1♥-1♠/1N; 2♥, not 1♣-1♦; 1♥/1♠; 2♥. :(

3433 11 counts were just an extreme example. The basic idea in my case is to remove some balanced hands from 1♣-1♦; 2♥ so that the range becomes more manageable. If your transfer accept denies 4c support and 2♣ over 1♣-1♦; 1♥ is a puppet (= relay, the way you're using the term?) to 2♦, then how can I possibly give up something by playing 2♣ only as a marionettte to 2♦ but forcing Opener to bid 2♦ unless he has 4c support?