Improving the General Convention Chart

The General Convention Chart defines what conventions are allowed or disallowed in most ACBL tournaments. Unfortunately, the GCC contains some ill-defined phrases like "all-purpose" or "relay system". This page presents a suggestion of how to clarify these ambiguities.

What is an all-purpose opening bid?

There are rulings that an opening of 1 showing is not "all-purpose". These rulings are a bit like "I know what it is when I see it". The definition used here is that the opening bid can show one or more of a natural suit opening, a balanced hand, a strong hand or a three-suiter without the bid suit. This is done to allow among others the following opening bids:
  • Strong
  • 2-Way (like Swedish )
  • Magic 1m openings
  • Polish
  • Short 1 opening in Precision

    What is a strong hand?

    The GCC allows a strong 2m opening bid but doesn't say what strong is. Only under responses and rebids a suggestion of 15+ HCP is made, but it's not clear if this applies here. After all, AKQJT98765 4 3 2, is ten tricks, but is it a strong opening? I think it's a gross misdescription for opponents to state explain as GF 2 opening bid and yet hold this 10-HCP hand with 10 tricks. This definition clearly uncovers such an opening as a psyche, yet is very lenient to what is a strong hand.

    What is a relay system?

    Under disallowed the GCC states: "Relay (tell me more) systems", but again this allows for "I know what it is when I see it" rulings. Rather than trying to define such a system, responses that can be made on any game forcing hand are disallowed. To not block 2-over-1 systems, GF responses that show one or more of
  • At least four cards in a known suit
  • At least three cards in a suit bid by partner
  • A balanced or semibalanced hand
    are allowed. This should cover all kinds of response systems. A similar approach is taken for the 1NT response to natural opening bids.

    Suggested wording of the GCC

    Definitions:
    
    Balanced hand: A hand with 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2 distribution.
    
    Semibalanced hand: A hand with 5-4-2-2 or 6-3-2-2 distribution.
    
    Three-suited hand: A hand with 4-4-4-1, 5-4-4-0 or 5-4-3-1 distribution.
    
    Natural suit opening bid: 1C or 1D showing at least 3 cards in the bid suit, 1H or 1S showing at least 4 cards in the bid suit, or a suit opening on the 2-level or higher showing at least 5 cards in the bid suit.
    
    Natural suit overcall: An overcall showing at least 4 cards in the bid suit.
    
    ALLOWED:
    
    OPENING BIDS:
    
    1. A Natural suit opening bid on the 1-level that promises at least 8 HCP.
    
    2. A Natural suit opening bid on the 2-level or higher.
    
    3. ONE CLUB OR ONE DIAMOND may be used as an opening bid with at least 10 HCP, and showing one or more of:
    
    a. A Natural opening bid in the bid suit
    b. A balanced or semibalanced hand
    c. A 3-suiter, short in the bid suit
    d. A strong hand with at least 13 HCP
    
    4. OPENING NOTRUMP BID showing one of:
    
    a. a balanced or semibalanced hand with a minimum of 10 HCP.
    b. a strong hand with at least 15 HCP.
    
    5. TWO CLUBS OR TWO DIAMOND ARTIFICIAL OPENING BID indicating a three-suiter with a minimum of 10 HCP.
    
    6. STRENGTH SHOWING OPENING AT THE TWO LEVEL OR HIGHER, showing at least 15 HCP.
    
    7. OPENING BID AT THE TWO LEVEL OR HIGHER indicating two known suits, a minimum of 10 HCP and at least 5-4 distribution in the suits.
    
    8. OPENING NOTRUMP BID AT THE TWO LEVEL OR HIGHER indicating at least 5-4 distribution in the minors.
    
    9. OPENING THREE NOTRUMP BID indicating one of
    a. a solid suit or
    b. a minor one-suiter.
    
    10. OPENING FOUR-LEVEL BID transferring to a known suit.
    
    RESPONSES AND REBIDS:
    
    1. ONE DIAMOND as a forcing, artifical response to 1 CLUB.
    
    2. ONE NOTRUMP response to a major suit opening bid forcing one round, showing one or more of:
    a. At least four cards in a known suit
    b. At least three cards in partner's suit
    c. A balanced or semibalanced hand
    d. Any meaning denying game forcing values
    
    3. RESPONSES WHICH GUARANTEE GAME FORCING OR BETTER VALUES and show one or more of:
    a. At least four cards in a known suit
    b. At least three cards in partner's suit
    c. A balanced or semibalanced hand
    
    4. TWO CLUBS OR TWO DIAMONDS response to third or fourth-seat major-suit openings showing at least three card support.
    
    5. SINGLE OR HIGHER JUMP SHIFTS AND/OR NOTRUMP BIDS AT THE TWO LEVEL OR HIGHER to indicate a raise or to force to game.
    
    6. ARTIFICIAL AND OR CONVENTIONAL CALLS after strong (15+ HCP), forcing opening bids and after opening bids of 2 CLUBS or higher. (See #7 under DISALLOWED.)
    
    7. ALL CONSTRUCTIVE CALLS starting with the opening bidder's second call.
    
    8. CALLS THAT ASK for aces, kings queens, singletons, voids or trump quality and responses thereto.
    
    9. ALL CALLS AFTER A NATURAL NOTRUMP opening bid or direct overcall, EXCEPT for natural notrump opening bids or overcalls with a lower limit of less than 10 HCP or with a range of greater than 5 HCP (including those that have two non-consecutive ranges). See #7 under DISALLOWED.
    
    COMPETITIVE
    
    1. OVERCALL in a new suit showing at least 4 cards in the suit
    
    2. CONVENTIONAL BALANCING CALLS.
    
    2. CONVENTIONAL DOUBLES AND REDOUBLES and responses (including free bids) thereto.
    
    3. NOTRUMP OVERCALL for either
    
    a) a balanced or semibalanced with a minimum of 10 HCP
    
    b) two-suit takeout showing at least 5-4 distribution and at least one known suit (At the four level or higher there is no requirement to have a known suit.) or
    
    c) three-suit takeout ( at least three cards in each of the three suits.)
    
    4. a)JUMP OVERCALLS INTO A SUIT to indicate at least 5-4 distribution in two known suits and responses thereto.
    
        b)SIMPLE OVERCALLS INTO A SUIT to indicate a minimum of 10 HCP, at least 5-4 distribution in two known suits and responses thereto.
    
     5. CUEBID of an opponent's suit and responses thereto, except that a cuebid that could be weak (fewer than 10 HCP) directly over an opening bid, must show at least one known suit.
    
    6. DEFENSE TO:
    
    a) conventional calls (except see #9 RESPONSES and REBIDS above and #7 under DISALLOWED below),
    
    b) natural notrump opening bids and overcalls, except that direct calls, other than double and 2C must have at least one known suit.
    
    c) opening bids of 2C or higher.
    
    7. Numbers 4 through 8 under RESPONSES AND REBIDS above APPLY TO BOTH PAIRS. 
    
    DISALLOWED
    
    1. Psyching of artificial or conventional opening bids and/or conventional responses thereto. Psyching conventional suit responses, which are less than 2NT, to natural openings.
    
    2. Psychic controls (Includes ANY partnership agreement which, if used in conjunction with a psychic call, makes allowance for that psych.)
    
    3. A Pass in the opening position that promises more than 8 HCP, or the player who passed may by agreement have more than 13 HCP.
    
    4. CONVENTIONAL RESPONSES, REBIDS AND A CONVENTIONAL DEFENSE TO AN OPPONENT'S CONVENTIONAL DEFENSE after natural notrump opening bids or overcalls with a lower limit of fewer than 10 HCP or with a range of greater than 5 HCP* (including those that have two non-consecutive ranges) and weak two-bids which by partnership agreement are not within a range of 7 HCP and or do not show at least five cards in the suit.
    
    5. Opening bid of 1 HEART or 1 SPADE promising less than four cards in the bid suit.
    
    6. A natural suit overcall promising less than four cards in the bid suit.
    
    * For example 14 - 18 HCP would be a range of 5 HCP.
    

    For comments please contact me at gerben AT bridgebase DOT com.