System Categories

[diejowae]

I do not understand clearly what is meant by system categories (green, blue, yellow, red) and Brown Stickers. Please describe the system categories, and differences with each other. What function for players, and what categories should be used for Junior and Student.

Thank you for your response, and I expect to be sent to my email dyahyulianto@yahoo.co.id

[mrdct]

Is the jurisdiction Indonesia? If so, check with GABSI as a lot of countries have their own system classification regimes.

 

Otherwise, you could have a look at the WBF System Categories which explains it all fairly clearly.

 

As for player categories, refer to the WBF General Conditions of Contest around paragraph 4.5.

[bluejak]

Just to make it clear, this is a forum where people ask questions, and lots of people read the answers. It is not designed as an email question and answer facility. So answers are published here, not sent by email.

 

However, I think it might be of general interest if someone might like to produce a simple summary of the WBF system categories and post it here.

[blackshoe]

Very briefly:

 

Green is for "natural" systems.

Blue is for strong club or diamond systems (Precision, but not Polish).

Red is for "artificial" systems (Polish fits in here).

Yellow is for "highly unusual methods" - HUM systems.

Brown sticker is a supplement to the above covering certain openings at the two and three levels.

[Xiaolongnu]

What colour is the following system?

 

1♣: 11-17 unbalanced.

1♦: 15-19 balanced.

1♥, 1♠: Same as Standard, NOT Precision.

 

With 18-19 unbalanced open 2D, that aside, my question is, what colour is this system?

 

It is not green, for sure. It is not yellow as the opening bids "look like opening bids", is it blue or red?

 

Assuming I am making a ruling all on my own, I would be inclined to call it blue, since by the strict definition, blue means 1C or 1D is always strong, which in turn the strict definition of strong is more than 13 points. However, as an opinion, I do not like calling the 1D bid strong. Firstly, the word "strong" usually refers to things like the Precision 1C or the Standard 2C, where the extended rule of 25 apply. A 15 count in general might not fulfill the extended rule of 25, especially considering the hand is flat! Also, I am inclined to believe that "strong" openings should be unlimited. So should we follow the strict definition of strong as in 13 points as defined in the WBF Systems Policy, or should we use the more common sense meaning of strong as in ridiculously strong, and consider it red instead? Why?

[blackshoe]

I'd say it's red, but I'm not an expert in WBF systems policy.

[pran]

What colour is the following system?

 

1♣: 11-17 unbalanced.

1♦: 15-19 balanced.

1♥, 1♠: Same as Standard, NOT Precision.

 

With 18-19 unbalanced open 2D, that aside, my question is, what colour is this system?

 

It is not green, for sure. It is not yellow as the opening bids "look like opening bids", is it blue or red?

 

Assuming I am making a ruling all on my own, I would be inclined to call it blue, since by the strict definition, blue means 1C or 1D is always strong, which in turn the strict definition of strong is more than 13 points. However, as an opinion, I do not like calling the 1D bid strong. Firstly, the word "strong" usually refers to things like the Precision 1C or the Standard 2C, where the extended rule of 25 apply. A 15 count in general might not fulfill the extended rule of 25, especially considering the hand is flat! Also, I am inclined to believe that "strong" openings should be unlimited. So should we follow the strict definition of strong as in 13 points as defined in the WBF Systems Policy, or should we use the more common sense meaning of strong as in ridiculously strong, and consider it red instead? Why?

I know that we in Norway have adopted WBF regulations on system categories, but I see that our specification for blue is slightly more detailed:

 

A system is blue if 1C and/or 1D are strong (i.e. 13+ HCP) artificial, and openings 1H, 1S and 1NT are as with green systems.

 

So here the described system would be blue or red depending on the nature of the 1NT opening bid.

 

("Strong" is by definition a hand holding at least a King's HCP above average strength.)

[paulg]

Assuming I am making a ruling all on my own, I would be inclined to call it blue, since by the strict definition, blue means 1C or 1D is always strong, which in turn the strict definition of strong is more than 13 points. However, as an opinion, I do not like calling the 1D bid strong. Firstly, the word "strong" usually refers to things like the Precision 1C or the Standard 2C, where the extended rule of 25 apply. A 15 count in general might not fulfill the extended rule of 25, especially considering the hand is flat! Also, I am inclined to believe that "strong" openings should be unlimited. So should we follow the strict definition of strong as in 13 points as defined in the WBF Systems Policy, or should we use the more common sense meaning of strong as in ridiculously strong, and consider it red instead? Why?

I think that you are correct that technically this system could be blue, but it is not in the spirit that a blue classification is perceived. Using common sense is rare when it comes to the WBF Systems Policy, but I think calling the system red is best.

 

From a practical perspective, occasionally the WBF treats Red systems more strictly than Blue systems so you are not gaining an advantage by choosing a red classification.

 

 

[Vampyr]

Just to make it clear, this is a forum where people ask questions, and lots of people read the answers. It is not designed as an email question and answer facility. So answers are published here, not sent by email.

 

However, I think it might be of general interest if someone might like to produce a simple summary of the WBF system categories and post it here.

 

If one subscribes to a topic, though, they can receive email notification when a post is made.

 

Firstly, the word "strong" usually refers to things like the Precision 1C or the Standard 2C, where the extended rule of 25 apply.

 

Just for clarification, the "extended Rule of 25" is an EBU concept, so it is advisable to check whether a particular jurisdiction has (unwisely?) decided to adopt it before worrying whether your "strong" bids conform.