NT sample hands with shortage

	to "Walsh" responses to 1NT this page was last updated: 30-Oct-2008 to "Swedish" responses to 1NT   to "NT bidding book"
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Bidding with shortage opposite partner's 1NT opening           These hands were supplied by Paul Quodomine in order to illustrate how the ‘Walsh” system of responses to 1NT works when responder has a singleton (or void). I have also included the bidding using the ‘direct ambiguous splinters' from the NT bidding book. Janne Roos also supplied the bidding for his ‘Swedish' system but it does not have a feature for responder to show shortage.           1. The 'Walsh' responses as defined by Paul Quodomine 2. The 'Swewdisg' responses as defined by Janne Roos 3. The ‘Definitive Guide to NT bidding…' as defined by Terry Quested.       Hand 1   'Walsh System'                 Opener Responder   Opener Responder   ♠ AKx ♠ xxxx   1NT 2NT (shortage or to play in 3♣) ♥ Ax ♥ KJxx   3♣ 3♦ (singleton or void ♦) ♦ Axxx ♦ x   4♣ 5♣   ♣ 109xx ♣ AQJx   pass                     'Swedish' System   'Quested' System                   Opener Responder   Opener Responder   1NT 2♣   1NT 3♣ (♠, ♣, or ♦ shortage) 2♦ 3NT   3♦ 3NT (singleton or void ♦ )           5♣ pass (5c shows little slam interest)   5♣ is a superior contract to 3NT       ________________________________________________________                 Hand 2   'Walsh System'                   Opener Responder   Opener Responder   ♠ Qxxx ♠ xxxx   1NT 2NT   ♥ KQx ♥ Axxx   3♣ 3NT (singleton or void ♣) ♦ Kx ♦ AQxx   pass     ♣ KQJ10 ♣ x                         'Swedish' System   'Quested' System                   Opener Responder   Opener Responder   1NT 2♣   1NT 3♣ (♠, ♣, or ♦ shortage) 2♠ 4♠   3♦ 3♠ (singleton or void ♣) pass       3NT pass                     3NT is a superior contract to 4s       ________________________________________________________                 Hand 3   'Walsh System'                   Opener Responder   Opener Responder   ♠ Axx ♠ KJxx   1NT 2NT   ♥ AK10x ♥ QJx   3♣ 3♦ (singleton or void ♦) ♦ Qxxx ♦ x   3♥ 3NT 4315 ♣ Kx ♣ Axxxx   4♥ pass                   'Swedish' System   'Quested' System                   Opener Responder   Opener Responder   1NT 2♣   1NT 3♣ (♠, ♣, or ♦ shortage) 2♦ 3♣ (good cards with 5 ♣'s) 3♦ 3NT (singleton or void ♦ ) 3NT pass   4♥ pass                     4♥ is a superior contract to 3NT       ________________________________________________________                 Hand 4   'Walsh System'                   Opener Responder   Opener Responder   ♠ Ax ♠ Kxxx   1NT 2NT   ♥ AQxxx ♥ KJx   3♣ 3NT (singleton or void ♣) ♦ QJx ♦ Axxxx   4♥ pass   ♣ Kxx ♣ x                         'Swedish' System   'Quested' System               Opener Responder   Opener Responder   1♥ 4♣ (splinter) 1NT 3♣ (♠, ♣, or ♦ shortage) 4♥ pass   3♦ 3♠ (singleton or void ♣)           4♥ pass                     If you open this hand with 1NT (as Paul and I do) then you may miss the good 5-3 ♥ fit in other methods. ________________________________________________________                 Hand 5   'Walsh System'                   Opener Responder   Opener Responder   ♠ Kx ♠ Axxx   1NT 2NT   ♥ AQx ♥ KJx   3♣ 3♦ (singleton or void ♦) ♦ xxxx ♦ x   4♣ 4♠ (cue bid) ♣ AQJx ♣ Kxxxx   4NT 5♥ (1430 + responses)           6♣ pass                   'Swedish' System   'Quested' System                   Opener Responder   Opener Responder   1NT 2♣   1NT 3♣ (♠, ♣, or ♦ shortage) 2♦ 3♣ (good cards with 5 ♣'s) 3♦ 3NT (singleton or void ♦ ) 3♦ 3♠ (cue bids) 4♦   (♣'s are trumps) 4♣ 4♦ (cue bids)   4♥ RKCB for ♥'s 4NT 5♥ (1430 + response) 5♦   (2 keycards + ♣Q) 6♣ pass     6♣                     This is a difficult slam to reach without the knowledge that responder has ♦ shortage, allowing opener to show slam interest   ________________________________________________________                   So what can I (Terry) say about these three systems?   The Swedish one is just a little too alien for me, and I like to be able to open 1NT with a 5-card major. But if that's what they play in your neck of the woods then I guess you have to know it. However, it did not cope too well with these hands as there is no mechanism for responder to show a 3-suited hand.   The ‘Walsh' system obviously works well of course and is easy on the memory. But I'm not a fan of Minor Suit Stayman (SARS is far Superior) and I like 4-way transfers.   The “Quested' system obviously also works, but is not quite as good as ‘Walsh' with these example hands (it arrives at the same contract but it's harder on the memory). The advantage is that the ‘Quested' system has other features that ‘Walsh' does not (SARS, ASID, 4-way transfers, Quest transfers etc.). But, as I said, it's a lot harder on the memory.       Paul Quodomine, Janne Roos, Terry Quested       Pattaya Bridge Club - www.pattayabridge.com

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