The Crash convention was devised by Mr. Kit Woolsey and Mr. Steve Robinson and is devised as a means to enter the auction with weak two-suited holdings after an artificial 1 Club opening bid by the opponents. This concept has been varied by members of the bridge community.

This variation of the Crash conventional method is attributed to Mr. Roberto Scaramuzzi of Los Angeles, California, United States, (Department of Mathematics, Louisiana State University), which has not been substantiated, only mentioned and uploaded to a chat board on February 1, 1995. This altered version of the original concept has found some popularity with bridge players.

Although altered, the concept is effective in that the overcall of the intervenor interferes with the line of communication between opener and partner and, at the same time, does not identify the intended two suits, because they are first identified with the rebid of the intervenor. The two-suited holding of the intervenor generally consists of at least nine cards in both suits.

The designation of the conventional method is an acronym for: Color, RAnk, SHape, and this is not only the shared designation but also the foundation of the altered version. This altered version is presented below and defines the overcalls after the opposing side bids an artificial, strong 1 Club.

Overcall Method

Double:	Promises a two-suited holding of the same color: either red or black, unspecified.
1 :	Promises a two-suited holding of the same rank: either both Major suits or both Minor suits, unspecified.
1 :	This overcall is natural and promises a one-suited holding with at least a 5-card Heart suit at favorable vulnerability and a 6-card suit at non-favorable vulnerability.
1 :	This overcall is natural and promises a one-suited holding with at least a 5-card Spade suit at favorable vulnerability and a 6-card suit at non-favorable vulnerability.
1 NT:	Promises a two-suited holding of the same shape: either rounded, Hearts and Clubs, or pointed, Spades and Diamonds.
2 :	This overcall is natural and promises a one-suited holding with at least a 5-card Club suit at favorable vulnerability and a 6-card suit at non-favorable vulnerability.
2 :	This overcall is natural and promises a one-suited holding with at least a 5-card Diamond suit at favorable vulnerability and a 6-card suit at non-favorable vulnerability.

It is also a matter of partnership agreement to also reverse the meaning of the 1 No Trump overcall, which would then promise the same rank, and the 1 Diamond overcall, which would then show the same shape. Continuances are a matter of partnership agreement.

Alternative Method

Posted as an email message February 1, 1995, and posted on the Louisiana State University InterNetNews Site by Mr. Roberto Scaramuzzi the content is as follows, which does not contain any reference to any bids on the one level following a strong, artificial 1 Club opening bid by an opponent.

Double:	Promises a two-suited holding of the same color: either red or black, unspecified.
2 :	Promises a two-suited holding of the same rank, either both Major suits or both Minor suits.
2 :	Promises a two-suited holding of the same shape, either Diamonds and Spades, or Clubs and Hearts.
2 :	Natural.
2 :	Natural.
3 :	Natural.
3 :	Natural.

As a postscript to the email message Mr. Roberto Scaramuzzi writes that: "Different variations are possible. Note that this method is now illegal under the revised ACBL general convention chart."

Note: Several of the posts to bridge-related chatrooms have been preserved by Regina Duplicate Bridge Club, located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, which is the source for this information.

If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.