[csdenmark]

Ever heard of this russian system I have received an overview of today?



V. Brushtunov

Bidding System "Three-times-three"

A most of used natural and semi-natural systems have almost the same Class of Difficult Deals (CDD) – that means deals, when inside the system one can hardly declare optimal contract. Increasing players’ level provided that leading pairs use almost full possibilities of natural systems and that’s why struggle in sport bridge between such pairs consists on card-play.
At 60-ties years of previous century Polish theoretic Lukash Slawinsky concluded that for fighting against leading pairs weaker pair should use system with CDD that does not has common regions with CDD of natural systems. This conclusion provided him to invention of group of systems with strong pass and weak opening bids (HUM-Systems in modern terminology). Weak opening bids should either transfer to partner not only specific information about strength and distribution but also carry at preemptive function m ore frequently than natural systems. And then it became clear that all HUM-S’s have rather low average level of opening bid: between 1Club and 1Diamond. So the aim of throwing opponents to intervention these systems did not manage. Moreover, “strong pass” itself
Became the weakest part of these systems because even not too high opponent’s preemptive bid after such a pass destroyed constructive bidding of the system.
At the middle of 70-ties bridge-players from Kharkov (Ukraine)Vladimir Korop and his son Alexey Korop formulated ideology and spectrum of opening bids of absolutely unusual, extremely aggressive and destructive system, called “3x3”. This system even nowadays is still maximal destructive and have average level of opening bids between 1Spades and 1NT because opening calls from Pass till 2Hearts have in practice almost the same probability.

1. Spectrum of opening calls

1.1. Suits openings

System “3x3” has following so-called “suit openings” at 1-st and 2-nd levels:
At the 1-st level: at the 2-nd level:
Pass 1 NT
1 Club 2 Clubs
1 Diamond 2 Diamonds
1 Heart 2 Hearts

Every suit-opening call is made with one from three zone of strength:
at the 1-st level: 0-2 or 7-9 or 16-18,
at the 2-nd level: 3-5 or 10-12 or 18-20.

Moreover, every suit-opening-call describes one from three types of distribution:
- 4-3-3-3, 4-cards suit is bid natural (Pass and 1 NT – for 4 cards in Spade);
- at most one short (two or less cards in it) and at least three cards in all other suits – the short suit is shown via texas;
- at least two short suits (at most two cards in them) – main suit of the hand is shown via texas.

So: every suit opening call has 9 meanings – three types of distribution and three zones of strength. That’s why it was named “3x3”.

Notes: a priory probabilities of these calls are:
- texas in short suit – about 0.6,
- middle zone of strength – about 0.75.
And these probabilities should be informed to opponents in advance

1.2. Other opening bids

1 Spade – two zones of strength (5-7 or 13-15), any distribution;
2 Spades - 21 and more, suit distribution or 23 and more, NT distribution (in practice – forcing game);
2 NT - 21-22, regular distribution;
3 Clubs and higher – classical bids.

[tysen2k]

Okay... well one of the goals is to use an unusual system so that you create swings, giving a weaker pair a chance to win against a strong field.

The translation is a little klunky in places, but let me get this straight.

Pass = 0-2 or 7-9 or 16-18, either 4333, 1- or 2- suiter with clubs, balanced with a club doubleton, or 3-suited short in clubs.
1♣= 0-2 or 7-9 or 16-18, either 3334, 1- or 2- suiter with diamonds, balanced with a diamond doubleton, or 3-suited short in diamonds.
.
.
.
2♥ = 3-5 or 10-12 or 18-20, either 3433, 1- or 2- suiter with spades, balanced with a spade doubleton, or 3-suited short in spades.

These 2-level bids seem very common and over half the time we'll have the balance of the strength...

I'd say it meets its goals for design.

[helene_t]

Under the given circumstances, I would prefer to play either the Paki Spade system from Zia (1♠ shows "13 cards unless I miscounted") or some simple system with unusual preempt criteria, such as Lorenzo or EHAA. Wide-range transfer openings in combination with ultra-light 2-openings might be an option.

The problem with calls that can have a zillion different meanings is that before the dummy is revealed, nobody knows what it is, and after the dummy is revealed everybody knows everything. In other words, partner does not have the information when he needs it, but declarer does.

One of the problems with SAYC and similar systems is the nebulous character of the openings and responses in the minor suits. A wicked system should aim at reducing this problem, not adding to it.

[csdenmark]

In general I agree with your comments Helene. To be clear about the meaning I think is important. I dont like the polish systems - each call have too many meanings. In some special cases it is also so for the italian diamond systems but more limited. Precision is not infected with those kind of problems.

Until tysen revealed something about the system I was unable to extract the meaning of the creation. I put it up here hoping somebody knows the system, the approach behind and maybe some other systems similar. I also uploaded because it is the first russian I have seen. Even the 52 cards are the same all over the world - it has something to be informed a bit of ideas from other parts of the globe.

Anyhow I will ask Vitold to send me more info.