[roni57]

We would like to incorporate multi-meanings to several responses to opener's bidding, where the opener can relay the next available suit to know the type of holding. One such convention people play at the club is 1NT-2!S (range-ask or clubs). Do the opps have the right to ask how to defend such a system on the table? Under the ACBL GCC or Midcharts, with less than 6 or more than 6 boards swiss or pairs?

For example (for my specific case), if opps bid (1NT)-P-(2!C)-?, and we come in with a double which might mean !D or Major-minor combination, does the ACBL allow opps to ask for defence? What if I ask the opps to look at my CC before the start of the game, and they can make their own defense conventions (for both GCC and midcharts).

[paulg]

roni57, on 2018-April-08, 21:46, said:

We would like to incorporate multi-meanings to several responses to opener's bidding, where the opener can relay the next available suit to know the type of holding. One such convention people play at the club is 1NT-2!S (range-ask or clubs). Do the opps have the right to ask how to defend such a system on the table? Under the ACBL GCC or Midcharts, with less than 6 or more than 6 boards swiss or pairs?

For example (for my specific case), if opps bid (1NT)-P-(2!C)-?, and we come in with a double which might mean !D or Major-minor combination, does the ACBL allow opps to ask for defence? What if I ask the opps to look at my CC before the start of the game, and they can make their own defense conventions (for both GCC and midcharts).

At GCC, assuming the method is legal on that chart, you never have to provide a written defence for any method. If you play a Mid-Chart method, then you must pre-alert it, provide a written description of the method to your opponents, and provide the approved ACBL defence from the Defense Database (if there is not one, then it must fit the category of not requiring one). Where a Mid-Chart defence is not required, such as for transfer responses to a non-forcing one club opener, you are not obliged to provide one. In essence, if it is legal and there is nothing in the Defense Database, then you do not have to provide a defence.

The only difference with the six board limit is the legality of the method. For example Multi 2♦ is not permitted at Mid-Chart with rounds of fewer than six boards, so the provision of the defence is moot; but it is permitted with longer rounds, so you have to provide the approved defence, written description, and pre-alert it.

However, in a club environment you may wish to get the club's approval to provide a defence if a method is highly unusual to most members (for example, something transfer responses). I worry in a national event that providing unapproved defences is more trouble than they are worth, since (a) people should be able to cope and (b) you get blamed if the defence did not work.

This will all change from 1 November 2018 with the new convention charts. However one aspect that will not change is that you will have to provide an approved written defence for some methods, but there will be fewer needed.