[stevemale]

Hi,
I saw a top class international using transfers after p bid 1nt after 1S opening, i.e. 1S p 1Nt p 2H was a transfer to 6 spades.
Can anyone direct me to any system notes on this topic, I can see the advantage if this treatment shows 6 spades + 3 hearts, and 2c is presumambly ¬Gazilli!
2D a transfer to H etc.
But would love some guidelines, thought etc.
Steve.

[PhilKing]

stevemale, on 2015-April-21, 05:10, said:

Hi,
I saw a top class international using transfers after p bid 1nt after 1S opening, i.e. 1S p 1Nt p 2H was a transfer to 6 spades.
Can anyone direct me to any system notes on this topic, I can see the advantage if this treatment shows 6 spades + 3 hearts, and 2c is presumambly ¬Gazilli!
2D a transfer to H etc.
But would love some guidelines, thought etc.
Steve.

I can't point you towards the notes, but I have a few observations:

2♣ is certainly NOT Gazilli. You can't do everything! It's a transfer to diamonds. The point of transfers is that opener gets another go, so he can bid his strong Gazilli hands "naturally", which is superior imo.

You have to pass 1NT with minimum balanced hands - you just can't show them in a transfer structure.

There is a big gap when showing clubs, to which there are a few "solutions", but none are close to perfect. Opener can pass 1NT with minimum 5224 hands. This way, a bid of 2♠ can show extra strength or decent shape, but sorting out the right spot after this start is not easy. When I coached Townsend/Gold, they played a 2♠ opening when vulnerable as 5♠4+♣ and a minimum opening (when nv, they were unwilling to give up their 2♠ toy showing a bad preempt in any suit), so 1♠-1NT-2♠ is invitational with clubs.

A jump to 3♣ has to be forcing, but jumps to 3♦ and 3♥ are invitational.

Back to the sequence you saw - 2♥ is just a transfer to 2♠. The point of this is that opener can follow up with a new suit to show a shortage and invitational or better values, or 2NT to show 6 spades and a balanced invite. This is a huge increase in efficiency over standard or Gazilli when it comes to bidding strong hands with six spades.

[gordontd]

Frances Hinden's reply in this thread suggests that they were invented by Phil King, so perhaps he will reply to you.

[stevemale]

PhilKing, on 2015-April-21, 05:40, said:

I can't point you towards the notes, but I have a few observations:

2♣ is certainly NOT Gazilli. You can't do everything! It's a transfer to diamonds. The point of transfers is that opener gets another go, so he can bid his strong Gazilli hands "naturally", which is superior imo.

You have to pass 1NT with minimum balanced hands - you just can't show them in a transfer structure.

There is a big gap when showing clubs, to which there are a few "solutions", but none are close to perfect. Opener can pass 1NT with minimum 5224 hands. This way, a bid of 2♠ can show extra strength or decent shape, but sorting out the right spot after this start is not easy. When I coached Townsend/Gold, they played a 2♠ opening when vulnerable as 5♠4+♣ and a minimum opening (when nv, they were unwilling to give up their 2♠ toy showing a bad preempt in any suit), so 1♠-1NT-2♠ is invitational with clubs.

A jump to 3♣ has to be forcing, but jumps to 3♦ and 3♥ are invitational.

Back to the sequence you saw - 2♥ is just a transfer to 2♠. The point of this is that opener can follow up with a new suit to show a shortage and invitational or better values, or 2NT to show 6 spades and a balanced invite. This is a huge increase in efficiency over standard or Gazilli when it comes to bidding strong hands with six spades.

[stevemale]

thanks Phill,
that is interesting.
Steve