[fuburules3]

In response to a 1NT bid showing 15-17, is a 2♠ showing either a long club suit or an invitational balanced hand ACBL GCC legal?

Googling yields: http://web.ncf.ca/ac342/gcc

which suggests anything is fair game over a 1NT opener, but wanted to make sure as I don't have a good feel for these things.

[jdonn]

Yes you are correct, anything is fair game after your sides own natural notrump opener, as long as the minimum of the opening is at least 10 and the range is no greater than 5. It's in the "ALLOWED" section, number 10 under "Responses and Rebids".

(#9 on your link but #10 on the ACBL website)

[fuburules3]

Thanks for quick response!

A follow up question is, do people think this is a good convention if you play 2NT as a transfer to diamonds?

You lose the ability to super accept club transfers (and maybe bid a thin 3NT game), but you no longer have to go through staymen to invite in NT (which can help defense get off to good start).

[rbforster]

What are you currently using your 1N-3m responses as? 5/5 minors weak or strong, or something else?

If so, here's a system I use and like, that gets you the natural 2N, in addition to the rest of the hands covered by minor transfers:

2♠ weak with either or both minors; strong with both minors
2N natural
3m natural invite


2♠ weak with either or both minors; strong with both minors
.......2N diamond pref
............3C weak clubs
............3D weak diamonds or both minors
............3M strong, shortness with both minors
.......3C club pref
............P weak clubs or both minors
............3D weak diamonds
............3M strong, shortness with both minors

[Siegmund]

You can play 2S->3C and 2NT->3D using the in-between step to sort out invitations, and do without a notrump invitation entirely... or you can find some other way to separate the invitations from the bust hands. I would be wary of using 2S as both a NT raise and your ONLY way to get to clubs.

I have played, for some time, a 2S response that shows either a NT invitation, or HHxxxx in either minor, or a few strong hand types... while using 1NT-2NT to handle the club bust.