[Free]

Usually someone checks out all the convention cards and gives a report (and statistics) on what types of systems people play in the big events. Has anyone done this for the current European championships?

[hrothgar]

Summary Statistics

All data was taken from the ecats web site (http://www.ecatsbrid...onvention+Cards)

Systems in use in order of popularity (please note, these are BROAD categories. For example, Natural 5 card majors includes things as diverse as fantoni-nunes)

"Natural", 5 card majors (2/1 GF, Standard American, etc) = 33
Strong Club systems (mainly precision variants) = 25
Nebulous Club (Polish, Carrot, etc) = 16
"Natural", 4 card majors = 11
Nasz = 5 (Forcing Club, strong 2♣ or 2♦)
"Natural", 5+ Spades and 4+ Hearts = 4
Magic Diamond = 1

2♦ openings in order of popularity

Multi = 45
Strong (predominantly 18-19 balanced or - alternatively - GF) = 11
Weak 2 = 9
Ekrens = 9
Wilkosz (not even sure if this is legal in the RR) = 5
Intermediate = 5
Weak 2 in Hearts + "something" = 5
Precision = 4
Mini-roman = 1
Spades + minor = 1

General comments:

1. Many countries exhibit enormous amounts of uniformity with respect to the systems being used.

2. Helgemo and Helness have a definite sense of humor. They list a natural weak 2♦ opening as an unusual bid that might require special defenses.

3. Anyone who complains about the Polish conventions cards has never seen the Estonians in (in)action



Belarus
arlovic-zhuravel Nasz
medusheuski-timakhovic = Nasz
zhukov-karbanovic = Nasz

Belgium
caputo-demarcin = Natural, 5 card majors
deroos-deroos = Natural, 5 card majors
polet-kaplan = Natural, 5 card majors

Bulgaria
Batov Bonev = Strong Club
Marashev Petkov = Strong Club
Stefanov Aronov = Strong Club

Croatia
borevkovic-zoric = 2/1 GF
Brguljan-Rase = Polish Club
pravdic-cekol = Natural, 5 card majors

Denmark
bjarnarson-askgaard = Precision
nielsen-schou = Acol
schaltz-schaltz = Natural, 5 card majors

England
armstrong-holland = Natural, 4 card majors
simpson-price = natural, 4 card majors
townsend-gold = natural, 4 card majors

Estonia
naber-luks = Relay Precision
tihane-dalberg = Precision
oja-kask = Precision

Finland
elsinen-kiemo = Natural, 5+♠/4+♥
nyberg-koistinen = Magic Diamond (strong Diamond, int club)
salomaa-backstrom = Strong club

France
bompis-saintemarie = Natural, 5 card majors
chemla-cronier = Natural, 5 card majors
levy-mouiel = Natural, 5 card majors

Germany
gotard-piekarek = polish club
Marsal-Fritsche = Natural, 4 card majors
wladow-elinsecu = Strong club

Greece
filios-papakyriacopoulos = natural, 5 card majors
karamanlis-matziaris = Polish club
koykouselis-zozis = natural, 5 card majors

Hungary
dumbovic-winkler = 2/1 gf
szalay-macskasy = Precision
szilagyi-honti = Precision

Iceland
baldursson-jonsson = Ice relay (precision)
eirnarsson-haraldsson = 2/1 game force
magnusson-thorvaldsson = natural, 5 card majors. OUR FIRST weak 2♦ opening!

Ireland
garvey-carroll = carrot club
hanlon-mcgann = carrot club
mesbur-fitzgibbon = precision

Israel
Birman-Fohrer = natural, 5+♠/4+♥
Grinberg-Pachtman = 2/1 GF
levinger-liran = natural, 5 card majors

Italy
bocchi-duboin = natural, 5 card majors
fantoni-nunes = natural, 5 card majors
lauria-versace = natural, 5 crd majors

Latvia
geste-khazanov = Polish club
rubenis-hayes = 4 card majors, strong NT
rubins-romanovska = Strong club

Luxemborg
helling-hein = 5 card majors. ZAR POINTS MENTIONED ON CC
loefgren-bausback = Strong club
renno-prorok = Polish club

Lithuania
babickas-tyla = Polish Club
lukinskas-michailovas = Polish Club
vainikonis-olanski = Nasz

Netherlands
bertens-bakkeren = Dutch Doubleton
muller-dewijs = Tarzan precision
westra-ramondt = Acol

Norway
brogeland-saelensminde = natural, 5+ ♠/4+♥
ekren-tundal = relay precision. Ekrens is playing Ekrens
helgemo-helness = 5+♠/4+♥. Alert weak 2♦ as may require special defense

Poland
balicki-zmudzinski = Polish club
gawrys-chmurski = Polish club
kowalski-tuszynski = Polish club

Portugal
matos-cruzeiro = 2/1 GF
pessoa-castanheira = 2/1 GF
santos-paz = 2/1 GF

Romania
briciu-ghigheci = Natural, 5 card majors
rotaru-munteanu = Natural, 5+ ♠/4+♥
stirbu-serpoi = Strong club

Russia
gromov-dubinin = Strong club
khokhlov-matushko = Polish club
krasnosselski-rekunov = Polish Club

San Marino
Briolini-fiorini = Precision
gaddi-pizza = Natural, 5 card majors
soroldoni-zaccaria = Natural, 4 card majors

Scotland
matheson-short = 2/1 GF
sime-sanders = Acol
steel-mcgeorge = Natural, 5 card majors

Serbia
Djuricic-Parezanin = Natural, 4 card majors
Vlajnic-Zipovski = Strong club

Spain
basabe-pablos = natural, 5 card majors
bordallo-knap = natural, 5 card majors
wichman-wasik = natural, 5 card majors

Sweden
efraimsson-morath = carrot club
fredin-bjornlund = Natural, 5 card majors
nystrom-bertheau = Relay Precision

Switzerland
abouchanabb-yalcin = natural, 5 card majors
mossop-zivkovic = 2/1 gf
piedra-nikolenkov = strong club

Turkey
pehlivan-dogan = Natural, 5 card majors
sen-gur = natural, 5 card majors
sohtorik-eksioglu = 2/1 GF

Wales
Casey- Kurbalija = Acol
Rees-Kurbalija = Natural, 5 card majors
Tedd-Salisbury = Acol

[Free]

Tnx

[pbleighton]

Richard:

Thanks. What I found striking is that most of the 25 strong club pairs (~20?) played a Precision variant, yet only 4 of them played a Precision 2D. Did you happen to notice, did many of the 1D openers allow zero diamonds?

Peter

[hrothgar]

pbleighton, on Aug 13 2006, 06:53 PM, said:

Richard:

Thanks. What I found striking is that most of the 25 strong club pairs (~20?) played a Precision variant, yet only 4 of them played a Precision 2D. Did you happen to notice, did many of the 1D openers allow zero diamonds?

Peter

Some of the pairs that didn't use a "Precision" 2♦ opening used 2♥ to show the same hand type.

Unfortunately, I didn't spend much time looking at the expected length of the 1♦ opening.

[barmar]

Interesting to note that there are 10 difference uses for 2♦, but the F-word doesn't appear among them.

[paulg]

barmar, on Aug 14 2006, 03:36 PM, said:

Interesting to note that there are 10 difference uses for 2♦, but the F-word doesn't appear among them.

Townsend-Gold (England) use 2♥ for it !