Origin of "transfer Walsh"

[shevek]

Typically I'm too lazy to search.

 

We are talking of methods where most balanced hands without 5cM open 1♣, forcing or not, maybe even including 4-2 minors.

then 1♦ = hearts, 1♥ = spades, 1♠ maybe diamonds, maybe balanced, no major, etc.

 

Have a vague idea that this is European (Italian?) in origin, that Americans adopted the method and (naturally) gave it an American name.

 

Please enlighten lazy me.

[mikestar13]

Bridge Guys attributes transfer responses to 1♣ to Micha Keijzers of the Netherlands. Transfer Walsh is the combining of this idea with the Walsh principle (now standard in 2/1 systems in North America) of by passing a longer diamond suit to show a four card major.

[cloa513]

The convention has its origins in the Walsh System[2] invented by Richard Walsh- according to Wikipedia.

[ulven]

Probably invented in more than one place. In Sweden they started in the mid-80's by the 'Scanian' group, without any outside influence.

Nilsland-Wirgren played transfer responses to 1C in the Miami Rosenblum 1986 (finished 3rd with Fallenius-Lindkvist).

[hrothgar]

Shamelessly stolen from MOSCITO's opening structure ;-)

[helene_t]

It's a quite obvious thing to invent. Shogi and I started playing it a couple of months after we started playing duplicate, hadn't read any literature other than beginner's books at that time, so probably hundreds of other pairs came up with similar ideas. We played the 1NT response as a tranfer to diamonds, though, and

1♣-1♦

1♥-1NT*

as nonforcing with 4-4 in the majors. But otherwise pretty normal.

Bruggeman-Willemsen might have been the first Dutch top pair to play it, but they got the idea from Henk Uijterwaal. I think the Swedes were before him, though.

[nigel_k]

Walsh is non-obvious, but once you have adopted Walsh it seems pretty obvious to use the two lowest ranking bids for the two most common responses. Probably Walsh would have done this himself if he wasn't concerned about the method being legal in the US and achieving broad acceptance.

[PrecisionL]

Bridge Guys attributes transfer responses to 1♣ to Micha Keijzers of the Netherlands. Transfer Walsh is the combining of this idea with the Walsh principle (now standard in 2/1 systems in North America) of by passing a longer diamond suit to show a four card major.

As I understand Walsh and teach it:

 

With a one bid hand, show your lowest 4-cd or better major.

With a hand worth two bids you bid up the line with 4-cd suits (not by passing diamonds] or bid your five card suit (even if it is diamonds).

 

In ACBLand you cannot play transfer responses to an opening bid of 1♣ unless in Mid-Chart game / tournament unless the 1♣ opening is artificial and forcing with 15 or more hcp.