Tuesday-Thursday Bidding Systems
All modern natural constructive bidding systems are allowed. The following list gives examples of systems and conventions allowed on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Young Chelsea:
System:
Natural 4-card or 5-card systems eg Acol, Benjaminised Acol, French Standard, Standard American. Not allowed: Strong Club or other artificial systems.
Opening 1NT:
Any 3 or 4 point range between 11 and 18 high card points. Stayman and Transfers. Extended Stayman.
Opening Two Bids:
Weak or strong. Not allowed: Multi Two Diamond, two-suited weak bids etc.
Over an Opening 2NT:
3 Clubs Stayman or Baron. Transfers.
Defence to 1NT:
Any method is permitted in which suit bids show at least one known suit. Doubles by an unpassed hand must be for penalties.
Jump Overcalls:
Strong, intermediate or weak.
1NT Overcall:
15-17 or 16-18 in direct seat; can be weaker in protective position.
Slam Conventions:
Any EBU licensed convention (eg Blackwood, Roman Key Card Blackwood, Gerber)
Two-Suited Overcalls:
Unusual No Trump (two lowest unbid suits), Michaels cue bids. Not allowed: Ghestem.
Cue Bids and Splinters:
Allowed.
Action over Opponents' Intervention:
Double for take out ('negative' double) allowed.
Signals & Discards:
Any standard method.
General:
Conventional bids must be alerted by the partner of the player making the bid. Both players in each partnership should have identically completed convention cards which they should make available to opponents on each round. Please determine the range of your opponents' 1NT bid before commencing play each round.
The duplicates on these nights are social and intended to be suitable for
inexperienced players and newcomers to duplicate. The object of these
restrictions is to minimise destructive (as opposed to competitive) bidding.
Players are expected not to psyche (so please don't!) and calls for the
Director should be kept to a minimum.
Simultaneous Pairs:
Please note that on nights when we hold a heat of a simultaneous pairs event, these restrictions are relaxed to allow bidding systems according to EBU Level 3.