Rhoda Walsh, attorney, is a bridge theorist and champion: she’s WBF Grand Master and an ACBL Grand Life Master. She placed third in 1968 World Women’s Team; in the same year she won all three US National Women’s events: two pair events and one team event. 7th in all time masterpoint list for women; author of “Recap Bridge”. With Paul Soloway, John Swanson, and her ex-husband Richard, Rhoda is one of the co-developers of the 2 over 1 Game Forcing System, formerly known as the Walsh System. Rhoda today plays professionally in tournaments with students and teaches private groups.
Neapolitan Club has already published the development after the one level major opening and the 1NT response. (click here >>) We now publish the sequences after 1♣ opening and 1♦ response. This part of Rhoda’s System also had been published, but we now present it in a better format and with Italian and Spanish translation, formerly not done. The Spanish edition is edited by Ignatio Jiménez for Eurobridge Club.
Walsh System Notes
by Rhoda Walsh
1♣-1♦ Sequences
§I. In General
–A 1♦ response to a 1♣ opening bid (1♣-1♦),tentatively denies a four card major and shows 6+ HCP. Forcing one round.
– A four card diamond suit is always bypassed when holding a four or more card major, regardless of the strength of responder’s hand.
– A five card diamond suit is always bypassed when holding a five or more card major, regardless of the strength of responder’s hand.
– A five or six card diamond suit is bid before a four card major only when responder holds a game forcing hand.
§II. Responder holds fewer than four diamonds.
A non-passed hand responder may respond 1♦on a two or three card diamond holding with 6 to 12 HCP and no other available call. Forcing one round.
§III. Responder holds five or more diamonds and a four card major.
A) With less than a game forcing hand: Responder bypasses a five or six card diamond suit and responds in her major:1♣-1♥/1♠.
With a six card diamond suit, and fewer than 10 HCP, responder may thereafter use a Weak 6-4 Jump Shiftto further describe her hand. The Weak 6-4 Jump Shift is a delayed jump by responder to the three level in a new minor. It is nonforcing. Examples:
1♣/1♦–1♥
1♠/1NT-3♦/3♣ = Weak 6-4 Jump Shift.Nonforcing.
1♣/1♥–1♠
2♣-3♦= Weak 6-4 Jump Shift. Nonforcing.
On the contrary:
1♦–1©/1♠
2♦-3♣ = New minor forcing. It is Notthe Weak 6-4 Jump Shift, because there was no jump. Game forcing.
Notes about the Weak 6-4 Jump Shift
–Opener is not permitted to correct to responder’s major unless opener has a three card major suit fit and a zero card minor suit fit.
– Responder’s expected holding is six of the minor and four of the major, but responder may be 5-5, with a fine minor and a poor major.
–Warning: a seven or more card diamond suit is never bypassed in favor of a four card major, regardless of the strength of responder’s hand.
(§III. Responder holds five or more diamonds and a four card major)
B) With a game forcing or better hand: responder bids 1♦ first, intending to rebid her major thereafter:1♣-1♦.
§IV. Opener’s rebids (after 1♣ – 1♦)
A) Holding a Balanced Hand:
a) With 12 to 14 HCP: Holding a six card club suit, opener rebids 2♣; lacking a six card club suit, opener rebids 1NT, bypassing one or both four card majors:1♣-1♦; 1NT/2♣. Nonforcing. 1NT does not promise stoppers in the majors. The exception is when the opener holds Jx or worse in either major and four cards in the other major; in this case, the opener rebids the four card major: 1♣-1♦; 1♥/1♠. Nonforcing.
The rationale of this exception lies in the fact that we don’t want to play in notrump with 2 small facing 2 small, which is a possibility after 1♣-1♦. By bidding the major, opener notifies responder that opener’s hand is not perfectly suited to notrump, and unless responder has the other major controlled, we look for another place to play the contract.
b) With 15 to 17 HCP: Holding a good six card club suit, opener rebids 3♣: 1♣-1♦; 3♣. Game invitational. With a weak six card club suit, opener would have opened 1NT, not 1♣.
c) With 18 to 19 HCP: Opener rebids 2NT, bypassing one or both four card majors: 1♣-1♦; 2NT. Highly game invitational. 2NT does promise full stoppers in both majors.
B. Holding an Unbalanced Hand (i.e., singleton or void in any suit). After 1§-1♦:
a) First priority: Opener rebids a six card club suit at the appropriate level:1♣-1♦; 2♣/3♣]. Nonforcing.
b) Second priority: Opener rebids a four card major, bidding up-the-line 1♣-1♦; 1♥/1♠. Nonforcing.
OR: Opener jump shifts to a four card major, with appropriate values: 1♣-1♦; 2♥/2♠. Game forcing.
c) Third priority: Opener raises responder’s diamond suit, holding four or more diamonds, to the appropriate level: 1♣-1♦; 2♦/3♦. Nonforcing.
§V. Responder’s rebids (after 1§-1♦; any)
A) Holding Five or More Diamonds, a Four Card Major, and a Game Forcing Hand:
a) If opener rebids 1NT: Responder rebids two of her major: 1♣-1♦;1NT-2♥/2♠. Game forcing. This rebid guarantees five or more diamonds, four or more cards in the bid major, and game forcing values.
b) If opener rebids responder’s four card major: Responder jumps to three of her major:
1♣-1♦; 1♥/1♠-3♥/3♠. Game forcing.
This rebid guarantees five or more diamonds, four or more cards in opener’s major, and game forcing values.
Note: A simple raise to the two level by responder is merely competitive, showing 8 to 11 PSP and a three card major suit fit. It tends to indicate Jx or worse in the other major. Nonforcing.
c) If opener rebids the other four card major:
ì)If opener rebids 1♥ and responder’s four card major is spades: Responder jumps to 2♠. I.e: 1♣-1♦; 1♥-2♠. Game forcing.
Note. A rebid of 1ª by responder to opener’s 1♥ rebid (1♣-1♦; 1♥-1♠) is fourth suit forcing, showing 11+ HCP and denying a spade stopper. Game invitational or better.
ìì) If opener rebids 1♠ and responder’s four card major is hearts: Responder rebids in notrump,because opener’s 1♠ bid denied four hearts: 1♣-1♦; 1♠-1NT/2NT/3NT.
– A 2© rebid is fourth suit forcing, showing 11+ HCP and denying hearth stopper: 1♣-1♦; 1♠-2♥. Game invitational or better.
– A 3© rebid shows five hearts and six or more diamonds: 1♣-1♦; 1♠-3♥. Game forcing.
– A 4© rebid is a splinter in support of spades: 1♣-1♦; 1♠-4♥. Forcing to 4ª.
§V. Responder’s rebids (after 1♣-1♦; any)
B. Holding Five or More Diamonds, Four or More Clubs, NO Four Card Major, and a Game Forcing Hand:
a) If opener rebids one of a major or 1NT: Responder rebids 3♣: 1♣-1♦; 1♥/1♠/1NT-3♣. Game forcing.
Note: This is the onlysystemicsequence where a delayed jump raise by responder of opener’s first bid suit is forcing. In all other sequences, it is a game invitational limitraise.
§VI. In competition
Over a takeout double of opener’s 1♣ opening bid, a 1♦ response shows fouror more diamonds and 6+ HCP: 1♣-Dbl by Opp-1♦. Forcing one round. The 1♦ bidtentatively denies a four card major.
§VII. By a passed hand Responder:
A 1♦ response to a 1♣ opening bid shows five or more diamonds and absolutely denies a four card major. Nonforcing.
***
Walsh System – Notes by Rhoda Walsh: 1Club -1Diamond Sequences.
[Italian and English versions edited by Paolo Enrico Garrisi for Neapolitan Club]
originally posted December 21, 2009
October 5, 2012