Some fun with Gazzzillli
Glen Ashton
added so as to not have too few, since I view it as a large Italian monster
that tramples scale models in B movies):
NORTH
5
8 7 4 2
A 10 7 6 5
4 3 2
SOUTH
A K Q 10 7
A Q 10 9
8 2
K 9
1S-1NT-2C(Gi)-2NT(5+Ds, weak)-Pass.
How does one say "we missed our heart fit" in Italian?
The other:
Weak hand: 0-3-5-5
Strong hand: 6-4-2-1
1S-1NT-2C(Gi)-2NT(5+Ds, weak)-3S-Pass
What if 2NT had four hearts?
Are there other schemes for handling the weak hands?
They cancelled the LAX TV show today, so now its exlax on TV.
--
Glen Ashton
Bridge stuff: http://www.bridgematters.com/
Clive Jones
message news:GEuod.17908$Le1.4...@news20.bellglobal.com...
Hmm. I'm not familiar with Gazilli (as it seems to be spelled) - is
there a good summary of it lurking somewhere on the web?
> NORTH
> 5
> 8 7 4 2
> A 10 7 6 5
> 4 3 2
>
> SOUTH
> A K Q 10 7
> A Q 10 9
> 8 2
> K 9
>
> 1S-1NT-2C(Gi)-2NT(5+Ds, weak)-Pass.
What contract would it be ideal to reach, here? Losing trick
count says 4H is OK, but HCP says as few hearts as possible. I'm
not an expert, but 4H looks like a stretch?
> Are there other schemes for handling the weak hands?
Well, I'd expect to see 1S-1NT-2H, unless South was very aggressive
and made a 2C opening: 2C-2D-2S-2NT-3H-4H. But I'm not sure that's
a scheme, as such...
--Clive.
Steven
> added so as to not have too few, since I view it as a large Italian monster
> that tramples scale models in B movies):
>
> NORTH
> 5
> 8 7 4 2
> A 10 7 6 5
> 4 3 2
>
> SOUTH
> A K Q 10 7
> A Q 10 9
> 8 2
> K 9
>
>
> 1S-1NT-2C(Gi)-2NT(5+Ds, weak)-Pass.
> How does one say "we missed our heart fit" in Italian?
2NT also shows a singleton spade, otherwise they sign off in 2S.
If 2NT is bid on exactly 5 diamonds, there are 7 cards in clubs and
hearts. With 5 clubs they sign off in 3C. Meaning that 2NT shows 5
diamonds and 3 hearts or 6 diamonds. Knowing this and looking at a 4
loser hand, south should have bid 3H now after which north probably
bids 4H.
> The other:
> Weak hand: 0-3-5-5
> Strong hand: 6-4-2-1
> 1S-1NT-2C(Gi)-2NT(5+Ds, weak)-3S-Pass
> What if 2NT had four hearts?
In Garozzo's Ambra, a 2NT rebid after 1S-1NT shows a 4-5 loser hand
with 6S-4any. I don't know if Fantoni-Nunes play it the same way
though.
Steven
Frances Hinden
> added so as to not have too few, since I view it as a large Italian monster
> that tramples scale models in B movies):
>
> NORTH
> 5
> 8 7 4 2
> A 10 7 6 5
> 4 3 2
>
> SOUTH
> A K Q 10 7
> A Q 10 9
> 8 2
> K 9
>
>
> 1S-1NT-2C(Gi)-2NT(5+Ds, weak)-Pass.
> How does one say "we missed our heart fit" in Italian?
>
>
> The other:
> Weak hand: 0-3-5-5
> Strong hand: 6-4-2-1
> 1S-1NT-2C(Gi)-2NT(5+Ds, weak)-3S-Pass
> What if 2NT had four hearts?
>
> Are there other schemes for handling the weak hands?
Yes, there are. I've been playing one of them for about 15 years (and
I didn't invent it). And in spite of the people who were rude about it
in the "Close Decisions" thread, I will explain how (and why) it
works.
The downside is that you can't play in 2C after 1M-1NT, and that you
can't play in 2D after 1M-1NT-2C if responder is weak with diamonds.
We think the loss isn't that great, as you would never be allowed to
play 2m if you have a fit there and if you have no fit you may as well
play 2M. The biggest advantages of this method (or similar methods)
are, in descending order
1M-1NT-3M is FG (important because we play 2C opening as really FG,
and no Acol Twos)
1M-1NT-2NT is 18-19 bal giving space to look for alternative contracts
1S-2S is 7-10 constructive; a very weak 2S bid bids 1NT
you can play in 2S with a 16/17-count opposite a pile of rubbish
you find your club fit at the 3-level if you have one, but don't have
to play a 4-2 fit if opener is 4522.
The basic version is as follows:
1S - 1NT (semi-forcing, denies 7+ HCP with 3 spades or 4 spades,
denies any game force, denies 6/7 hearts and invitational values)
Pass: 11-12 5332
2C: clubs or 13-17 balanced or invitational with 6 spades (2.5 spade
rebid)
2D: diamonds NF
2H: hearts NF
2S: spades very NF
2NT: 18-19 bal just NF
3C: diamonds FG
3D: hearts FG
3H: 5-5 majors INV
3S: nat FG
3NT: nat, usually based on 6 running spades
1S - 1NT
2C - 2D: weak or max with 4/5 clubs
2H: 5+ constructive (like a light Acol 2/1)
2S: about 7+ to 9, usually a doubleton (might just be a singleton
if max)
2NT: 10-poor 12, nat
3C/3D: 6-card suit, invitational
3H: lots of hearts, not strong enough to respond 3H on the first
round
3S: 3-card limit raise
3NT: max pass, to play (rare)
4S: 3-card raise, max pass (rare)
1S - 1NT
2C - 2D
2H: balanced or 2.5 spade rebid
2S: spades & clubs no game interest opposite a min
2NT: 5224 invitational opposite a min
3C: 5/5 NF
3D: 5134 FG
3H: 5314 FG
3S: 6(21)4 FG
3NT: 5224 NF
4C: 5/5 FG
1S - 1NT
2C - 2D
2H - 2S min NF (now 2NT good 17 bal INV, new suit fragment with 6
spades, rare)
2NT 10-11 with 4/5 clubs
3C/D/H weak sign-off
3S 3-card limit raise with clubs
3NT super max pass with clubs (rare)
(or just play all the 3-level bids as NAT INV, 5-5)
1S - 1NT
2D - continuations NAT (4-level fragment, huge D support)
1S - 1NT
2H - 3H courtesy raise (would usually pass otherwise)
3D real heart raise
4C/4D huge heart support can be e.g. length or cue bid
1H - 1NT is similar, except that
1H - 1NT may have 4 spades if it has a 3-card limit raise in hearts
1H - 1NT - 2C may be 45 in the majors
1H - 1NT - 2C - 2S = 5/5 in the minors, constructive
Poky
> The other:
> Weak hand: 0-3-5-5
> Strong hand: 6-4-2-1
> 1S-1NT-2C(Gi)-2NT(5+Ds, weak)-3S-Pass
> What if 2NT had four hearts?
2NT cannot include 4+H since 2NT isn't 5+D.
2NT means: "No 2S, at least 5-4 in minors"
Opener could have bid 3D, but was afraid to play there when partner
holds some 1245 pattern.
Poky
> Opener could have bid 3D, but was afraid to play there when partner
> holds some 1245 pattern.
1245 -> 1345
Giovanni Bobbio
> Glen Ashton wrote:
>> The other:
>> Weak hand: 0-3-5-5
>> Strong hand: 6-4-2-1
>> 1S-1NT-2C(Gi)-2NT(5+Ds, weak)-3S-Pass
>> What if 2NT had four hearts?
>
> 2NT cannot include 4+H since 2NT isn't 5+D.
> 2NT means: "No 2S, at least 5-4 in minors"
This is not the way F-N play, apparently. They seem to play a variant that
Garozzo taught where 2NT shows diamonds and 3C clubs.
On the other hand, I think Bocchi-Duboin play it the way you describe. They
had a misunderstanding (published on The Bridge World) in which responder
held some weak 5D-4C shape and bid 2NT in response to the Gazzilli relay.
Opener held three clubs and raised to 5C, evidently expecting 5-5 in the
minors.
There are as many Gazzilli variants as pairs who play the convention.
--
Giovanni
Italy
John (MadDog) Probst
writes
I wouldn't worry too much about that as someone else will be 2345.
--
John (MadDog) Probst| . ! -^- |AIM GLChienFou
451 Mile End Road | /|__. \:/ |BCLive ChienFou
London E3 4PA | / @ __) -|- |john:at:asimere:dot:com
+44-(0)20 8983 5818 | /\ --^ | |www.asimere.com/~john
Glen Ashton
news:pi7e72-...@kien.communicationvalley.it...
>
> There are as many Gazzilli variants as pairs who play the convention.
>
There are variations in strong follow-up sequences too.
Lauria-Versace
5422 16 HCP opposite 1-3-6-3 10 HCP bid
1S-1NT-2C-2D-3C-3D-3NT-4H
Bocchi-Duboin
5-4-2-2 21 HCP opposite 1-4-4-4 9 HCP bid
1S-1NT-2C-2D-2H(relay to 2S?)-2S-3H-3NT
Sometimes over 2C, 2M is rebid with a singleton. Bocchi-Duboin:
S AQ754
H AQ2
D 54
C A83
S 2
H JT97
D T876
C KJ54
1S-1NT-2C-2S-Pass. This made but 2C at other table didn't.
Fantoni-Nunes reached 5C on this one:
S AKJ32
H A7
D AT86
C KQ
S 7
H QT
D 972
C JT95432
Pass-1S-1NT-2C-3C-4C-5C. This lost IMPs when slam made at the other table:
after 3C-3D-4D-6C, they got a spade lead, took the hook which worked, and
later found spades 4-3.
Bocchi-Duboin gain here:
S AJ3
H AKQ765
D J
C Q73
S T875
H T2
D K976
C K95
1H-1S(like a forcing NT)-2C-2H-Pass. Just making. At other table
1H-1S-3H-Pass down 1.
Looks like you will need to write a whole series of articles for Bridge
World - look forward to them!
Giovanni Bobbio
> "Giovanni Bobbio" <giov...@communicationvalley.it> wrote in message
> news:pi7e72-...@kien.communicationvalley.it...
>>
>> There are as many Gazzilli variants as pairs who play the convention.
>>
>
> There are variations in strong follow-up sequences too.
Yes, there are differences. One that leaves me puzzled is that Bpcchi-Duboin
state - in their CC - that they bid the Gazzilli relay with 16-18 HCP
hands. If this is true I don't know what they do with stronger ones.
Actually you report below an example of their bidding Gazzilli with 21 HCP,
so perhaps the CC on the Ecats bridge site isn't up-to-date.
> Lauria-Versace
> 5422 16 HCP opposite 1-3-6-3 10 HCP bid
> 1S-1NT-2C-2D-3C-3D-3NT-4H
Did responder hold something like xxx in clubs, suggesting a weak spot for
NT - note it would be played from the wrong side, or does it look like
there was a misunderstanding?
In all variants I know of, opener bids 2H over 2D when holding hearts.
> Bocchi-Duboin
> 5-4-2-2 21 HCP opposite 1-4-4-4 9 HCP bid
> 1S-1NT-2C-2D-2H(relay to 2S?)-2S-3H-3NT
This is normal: 2H shows 3+H and 3H further says 5=4=2=2. Responder probably
decided that 3NT would be as good or better than 4H.
> Sometimes over 2C, 2M is rebid with a singleton. Bocchi-Duboin:
> S AQ754
> H AQ2
> D 54
> C A83
>
> S 2
> H JT97
> D T876
> C KJ54
> 1S-1NT-2C-2S-Pass. This made but 2C at other table didn't.
Normal, responder has nothing better than 2S to suggest.
> Fantoni-Nunes reached 5C on this one:
> S AKJ32
> H A7
> D AT86
> C KQ
>
> S 7
> H QT
> D 972
> C JT95432
> Pass-1S-1NT-2C-3C-4C-5C. This lost IMPs when slam made at the other
> table: after 3C-3D-4D-6C, they got a spade lead, took the hook which
> worked, and later found spades 4-3.
The bidding is normal: 3C shows a weak hand with clubs, 4C a hand worth a
try regardless. Obviously nothing wrong with not getting to slam :)
> Bocchi-Duboin gain here:
> S AJ3
> H AKQ765
> D J
> C Q73
>
> S T875
> H T2
> D K976
> C K95
>
> 1H-1S(like a forcing NT)-2C-2H-Pass. Just making. At other table
> 1H-1S-3H-Pass down 1.
Pretty nice showing of Gazzilli...
> Looks like you will need to write a whole series of articles for Bridge
> World - look forward to them!
Not easy, since all the variants aren't documented anywhere.
--
Giovanni
Italy
Glen Ashton
See page 3 in http://www.bridgeinindia.homestead.com/HCL-2004-Bulletin_2.pdf
and page 2 in http://www.bridgeinindia.homestead.com/HCL-2004-Bulletin_3.pdf
Ivan Popivanov
> Glen Ashton wrote:
>
> > "Giovanni Bobbio" <giov...@communicationvalley.it> wrote in message
> > news:pi7e72-...@kien.communicationvalley.it...
> >>
> >> There are as many Gazzilli variants as pairs who play the convention.
> >>
> >
> > There are variations in strong follow-up sequences too.
>
> Yes, there are differences. One that leaves me puzzled is that Bpcchi-Duboin
> state - in their CC - that they bid the Gazzilli relay with 16-18 HCP
> hands. If this is true I don't know what they do with stronger ones.
> Actually you report below an example of their bidding Gazzilli with 21 HCP,
> so perhaps the CC on the Ecats bridge site isn't up-to-date.
from the Bermuda Bowl 2003 where they used Gazzilli on 19+HPC hands.
IMO, there is another potential applicaion of Gazzilli, namely to
narrow down the ranges for various natural bidding sequences. Thus,
instead of playing 1S 1N; 3C as 55 and about 14HCP points, it makes
sense to play it as 19+HCP, routing all strong hands via Gazzilli, I
would rather route the 19+HCP via Gazzilli and play the direct jumps
as 16-18HCP. So that the ranges are not touching. Another improvement
is to play transfers (as Bocchi - Duboin) which is possible if the
18-19 HCP balanced hands are not opened via 1M (Bocchi - Duboin open
them with 2C). Here is an example:
1S 1N
2C Gazzilli, either 11-15 with 3+C, or 19+ any
2D NF
2H NF
2S NF
2N 4C+, 16-18 HCP
3C 4D+, 16-18 HCP
3D 4H+, 16-18 HCP
3H 6S/3H, 16-18 HCP
3S 6S/2-H, 16-18 HCP
and after the 2C:
1S 1N
2C 2D relay
2H
2S 11-15 HCP
2N 4C+, 19+ HCP
3C 4D+, 19+ HCP
3D 4H+, 19+ HCP
3H 6S/3H, 19+ HCP
3S 6S/2-H, 19+ HCP
Just my thoughts ...
Cheers,
Ivan