[OBSugar]

In the middle of research, have read several great threads here and BW. But, most treatments involve a weak NT rebid and we love our 12-14 1NT open. We have Gazzilli over diamonds, Heart and Spade opens. I have the Goetze article. So, that said, can anyone point me to a treatment for transfer Walsh in which 1NT is weak? Or, make suggestions. Thanks.

[mgoetze]

There's one relevant thread in the weak NT section of my systems index.

http://bridge.mgoetze.net/bbf.html

[Phil]

If 1D is truly unbalanced I'd play transfer rebids by opener so no need for Gazilli.

Good luck!

[ahydra]

Non-expert here. I play 5cM weak NT, our system over 1C is a homebrewed 1D=4+H, 1H=4+S, 1S=INV+ with diamonds or a pile of rubbish (5-9 "dustbin 1NT" response type hand) and 1NT = 5-9 5+ diamonds. After 1R transfer, opener should bid NT with any balanced hand even with 3-card support (but support the major to the appropriate level with 4-card support). We use transfer completion = 3M 5C unbal, F1, but I think there might be a better option for it.

For NT rebids you can either play 1NT = 15-19 with a suitable checkback and 2NT = BAL, 4 card support, 16+ (jacoby style), or 1NT 15-17 and 2NT 18-19.

Our 1C covers NAT, BAL 15-19, and all 4441s except a singleton spade. With a BAL hand and a 5-card other suit we open the suit and rebid in NT (rather than the Auken/Welland approach of opening 1C on all BAL hands not in range).

ahydra

[fromageGB]

While I play twalsh combined with a 15/16 1NT open, if you are committed to a weak 1NT then there is no reason why you should not play twalsh with that. Just play exactly the same 1♣, but swapping your "weakest strength" rebids which in my case is 12-14 with your 15/16 or 15-17.

Your biggest decisions are what to do over a "1 red" reply, and what the 1♠ and 1NT replies mean, and these are exactly the same decisions whatever the strength of the 1NT open. If you (like me) favour a 1♠ reply as a relay that may include minor hands, then you also have the decision of what use you assign to the 2♣ and 2♦ replies.

Transfer walsh is a big benefit whether you play weak or strong NT. In my view it works even better with an "unbalanced diamond", where a 1♦ open shows a 6 card diamond suit, or a hand that has a singleton or void outside diamonds. This not only helps you when you open 1♣ (because you are now guaranteed to have at least 2 cards in each major), but also gives rise to more descriptive rebids when you do open 1♦.

[Kungsgeten]

I got inspired and tried to create a structure. There are some novel ideas, perhaps the most interesting is using 1C--1red; 1S as Gazzilli. I started writing it down right here on the forum, but got carried away and put together a pdf instead: http://snortingmarad...lub_weak_nt.pdf

[Kungsgeten]

fromageGB, on 2016-January-23, 06:32, said:

Transfer walsh is a big benefit whether you play weak or strong NT. In my view it works even better with an "unbalanced diamond", where a 1♦ open shows a 6 card diamond suit, or a hand that has a singleton or void outside diamonds. This not only helps you when you open 1♣ (because you are now guaranteed to have at least 2 cards in each major), but also gives rise to more descriptive rebids when you do open 1♦.

I do not quite understand. Can 1D be less than 4 if holding a singleton major? Like (14)-2-6 or (14)-3-5 or (0-4)-2-7?

[fromageGB]

Kungsgeten, on 2016-January-23, 07:51, said:

I do not quite understand. Can 1D be less than 4 if holding a singleton major? Like (14)-2-6 or (14)-3-5 or (0-4)-2-7?

The way I play it, yes (by the definition I gave for the 1♦ open), but not on all those hands. I did not say that my definition of a 1♣ open is that you have "6 clubs, or cannot open 1♦". Hands 1 and 3 therefore open 1♣. On these, if responder shows your major you are delighted of course, and if not, and he shows hearts while your major is spades, the bidding is 1♣ 1♦! 1♠ which is natural in a 4xx6+ shape. If he shows spades, and your major is hearts, the bidding is 1♣ 1♥! 2♣, which is 6+ clubs and not strong enough for 3♣. The 1♥ reply denies 4 hearts, because 1NT would be the reply to show a {54}xx hand, and 2♦ the reply for 55xx or longer.

Your hand 2 will open 1♦ and this is of course the only shape where it will not have 4 diamonds. Responder can support diamonds as if it were 4, as it will be a huge majority of the time, and the singleton helps with almost certain ruffs in the short trump hand. The same logic applies in the majors - if responder has a 4 card major, and opener's shape is 3145, we treat 3 card support just like 4, because in practice the short trump hand has compensating ruffs. Of course, if responder is 44xx and opener is {43}51, we have a mechanism that allows responder to show 44 to allow opener to pick the 4 card major to play in 2M.

So the answer is yes, and it works very well if you are happy with the idea of 3 card major support with a singleton or void outside. When you have that shape, NT is not normally a good idea anyway, and of course there is nothing to stop responder having more than 4; with unbalanced hands around he normally does.

[fromageGB]

Kungsgeten, on 2016-January-23, 07:43, said:

I got inspired and tried to create a structure. There are some novel ideas, perhaps the most interesting is using 1C--1red; 1S as Gazzilli. I started writing it down right here on the forum, but got carried away and put together a pdf instead: http://snortingmarad...lub_weak_nt.pdf

Very impressive, comprehensive, and conveys a huge amount of detail about the hands. If you like a weak NT, and you have the memory, then this could be the way to go. Unfortunately I'm equipped with a mere 64K as opposed to your 8MB