[PrecisionL]

Playing in the Gatlinburg Regional 2 session A/B Pairs (750-2000 & 2000+ MP) we were allowed to play 2 Mid-Chart Conventions:

Kaplan Inversion (1♠ response to an opening bid of 1♥ = forcing and 0-3♠)

Multi-Landy over Opponent's 1NT Opening (2♦ = unspecified Major Suit)

I was surprised, B players (750-2000 MP) may not have much experience against such conventions.

[blackshoe]

It seems like a bad idea to preclude B players from gaining experience against these conventions on the grounds that they don't have experience against them.

Both conventions fall into "allowed in any mid-chart event, no pre-approved defense required". Presumably, the thought is that they are conventions to which such players ought to be able to work out a defense without too much trouble.

What surprises me is that in order for the mid-chart to be authorized for an event at a Regional, the fact that it is authorized has to be included in tournament advertising, and I don't see anything about it in the Gatlinburg flyer.

[bluecalm]

Quote

Multi-Landy over Opponent's 1NT Opening (2♦ = unspecified Major Suit)

I was surprised, B players (750-2000 MP) may not have much experience against such conventions.

USA... you guys allow to play 2♣ as any one suiter but 2♦ as one major is not allowed. Crazy
Multi Landy is standard defense to 1NT in so many areas in the world that I guess it's beneficial for Americans to be more exposed to it.

[Free]

blackshoe, on 2011-April-19, 06:16, said:

It seems like a bad idea to preclude B players from gaining experience against these conventions on the grounds that they don't have experience against them.

Isn't this exactly why all these illogical restrictions (I love bluecalm's example) were created in the first place? To protect people from evil conventions they don't know, even if they're very similar to something they do know?

[Phil]

bluecalm, on 2011-April-19, 06:17, said:

USA... you guys allow to play 2♣ as any one suiter but 2♦ as one major is not allowed. Crazy
Multi Landy is standard defense to 1NT in so many areas in the world that I guess it's beneficial for Americans to be more exposed to it.

Well the logic of this is that 2♣ doesn't impede any systems, but 2♦ does. I disagree with a lot the League does, but this is rational.

As we've talked about here, more of the progressive districts have allowed NT midchart defenses for the regionals, and its nice to see the interior of the country is finally following suit.

[mycroft]

I believe that there is a regulation (that I can't find at the moment) that Districts can allow Mid-Chart in separate Flight A games at Regionals District-wide, without announcement. We in District 18 do, at least, and we don't :-).

According to the flyer, these are advertised as separate games (the 2000+/0-2000 - note, not 750-2000 - and the 750/300 pairs), but they will be treated the same as a single, StratiFlighted game with A/X at 2000, and B limited to 750.

[blackshoe]

mycroft, on 2011-April-19, 11:25, said:

I believe that there is a regulation (that I can't find at the moment) that Districts can allow Mid-Chart in separate Flight A games at Regionals District-wide, without announcement. We in District 18 do, at least, and we don't :-).

According to the flyer, these are advertised as separate games (the 2000+/0-2000 - note, not 750-2000 - and the 750/300 pairs), but they will be treated the same as a single, StratiFlighted game with A/X at 2000, and B limited to 750.

The regulation you're looking for is at the top of the Mid-Chart. It should be item 4 in the list; IMO they screwed up the formatting. It says

Quote

This chart (or any part) may apply to any sectionally or regionally rated event or tournament at sponsor’s option provided that this has been included in tournament advertising. (The requirement for advertising does not extend to use in Flt. A or high brackets of KOs.)

The emphasis is mine. I suppose if the event in question is Stratiflighted, rather than just stratified, the bolded bit applies, but it's listed as the latter, not the former, in the Gatlinburg flyer.

[blackshoe]

Free, on 2011-April-19, 07:23, said:

Isn't this exactly why all these illogical restrictions (I love bluecalm's example) were created in the first place? To protect people from evil conventions they don't know, even if they're very similar to something they do know?

What's really funny is that the alert procedure says in part

Quote

Players are expected to be prepared for the vast majority of systems that they may encounter at the bridge table. Common methods include either strong or weak notrumps with or without five-card majors. The forcing opening bid will most often be an artificial forcing opening of 1 or 2 .

When you play a system structured along different agreements than these, you should draw the opponents attention to your convention card before the round begins. In short, if you play a system that most players would not immediately recognize (such as a canapé system) or one the opponents may wish to discuss before the auction begins (a 10-12 1NT range with distributional requirements for minor-suit openings, for example), you are required to pre-Alert the opponents.

Apparently the "vast majority" of systems includes Standard American, 2/1, and Precision, and not much else (although the basic Romex system is allowed on the GCC, and most people around here, at least, wouldn't know a Dynamic NT from a hole in the ground).

[manudude03]

bluecalm, on 2011-April-19, 06:17, said:

USA... you guys allow to play 2♣ as any one suiter but 2♦ as one major is not allowed. Crazy
Multi Landy is standard defense to 1NT in so many areas in the world that I guess it's beneficial for Americans to be more exposed to it.

Someone should really go to one of these tournaments and say they play reverse multi landy, see how they react .

[Echognome]

bluecalm, on 2011-April-19, 06:17, said:

USA... you guys allow to play 2♣ as any one suiter but 2♦ as one major is not allowed. Crazy
Multi Landy is standard defense to 1NT in so many areas in the world that I guess it's beneficial for Americans to be more exposed to it.

Is this akin to saying that ACBL allows a 1♥ call to show an opening hand with 5+ hearts, but not a 1♦ call to show the same thing is also crazy?

[han]

Echognome, on 2011-April-19, 15:26, said:

Is this akin to saying that ACBL allows a 1♥ call to show an opening hand with 5+ hearts, but not a 1♦ call to show the same thing is also crazy?

No it is not since your example compares one natural bid with a conventional bid. However, I do find it strange that probably the most played defense to 1NT worldwide and probably also in many American tournaments is not GCC legal.

[Free]

Echognome, on 2011-April-19, 15:26, said:

Is this akin to saying that ACBL allows a 1♥ call to show an opening hand with 5+ hearts, but not a 1♦ call to show the same thing is also crazy?

No, it's more like opening 2M on a 5 card is allowed, but opening 2M on a 5 card with an unknown side suit minor is not.

[billw55]

Free, on 2011-April-19, 07:23, said:

Isn't this exactly why all these illogical restrictions (I love bluecalm's example) were created in the first place? To protect old people from evil conventions they don't know, even if they're very similar to something they do know?

fixed