Dutch Acol

The Acol bidding system, developed and enhanced in England, has many followers in the bridge community and has gained world-wide acceptance. The guidelines of the Acol bidding system are, however, not static and can be varied to fit the needs and requirements of individual partnership agreements. This is not only the case in England, but also around the world.

Dutch Acol Version

One version of the Acol bidding system in Holland is called Dutch Acol, and deals mainly with the opening bid. Although this variant has many similarities with the general guidelines of the Acol bidding system, some of the opening bids differ. The responses are generally the same as in traditional Acol, but may be changed according to the partnership understanding.

1 :		Promises 11-20 high card points and a 3-card plus Club suit.
1 :		Promises 11-20 high card points and a r-card plus Diamond suit.
1 :		Promises 11-20 high card points and a 5-card plus Heart suit.
or:		Promises 11-20 high card points with 4-4 distribution in both Major suits.
1 :		Promises 11-20 high card points and a 5-card plus Spade suit.
1 NT:		Promises 15-17 high card points plus, and balanced distribution.
2 :		Promises 7-10 high card points and a 6-card plus Diamond suit,
or:		21 plus high card points and any shape.
2 :		Promises 7-10 high card points and a 6-card Heart or Spade suit.
or:		Promises 22-23 high card points and balanced distribution.
2 :		Promises 7-11 high card points and 5-4 plus distribution in Hearts and a Minor suit.
2 :		Promises 7-11 high card points and 5-4 plus distribution in Spades and a Minor suit.
2 NT:		Promises 20-21 high card points and balanced distribution.

As the bridge player can recognize, there are several opening bids which can have different meanings, and this duplicity is cleared up in the continuing bidding sequence. Defense to this different opening bid used by bridge players in The Netherlands is generally the same as contained in the normal Acol guidelines for defense.

Crowhurst

Crowhurst is a secondary Stayman inquiry after a 1 No Trump rebid by the opener. This Treatment was devised by Mr. Eric Crowhurst and widely used by British tournament bridge players. The opener is assumed to have 12 to 16 high card points. The 2 Clubs rebid by the responder asks simply for further descriptive information. The Crowhurst bid is always 2 Clubs, even if the opening bid was 1 Club.

If the opener has 15 to 16 high card points, the opener rebids 2 No Trump, which is game forcing, and this is regardless of his distribution. If the opener has 12 to 14 high card points, the opener either rebids a 5-card Major suit, or the opener shows a 3-card support for the Major suit of the responder, or the opener shows an unbid 4-card Major suit if he has one, or the opener rebids 2 Diamonds.

Illustrations

Opener		Responder
75 AK984 KJ7 A76
1		1
1 NT		2	Acol Crowhurst
2 NT rebid

Opener		Responder
53 Q9865 KJ7 AK6
1		1
1 NT		2	Acol Crowhurst
2 rebid

Opener		Responder
76 KQJ9 KJ6 A875
1		1
1 NT		2	Acol Crowhurst
2 rebid			fewer than 2 Spades, fewer than 5 Hearts, fewer than 15 high card points.

The above examples should show how the principle of Crowhurst functions. Since the concept is so similar to the Stayman convention, there should be no problems in understanding the concept. The bridge player should only remember that the opening does not have to be 1 No Trump before applying the Crowhurst convention, but that it is implemented once the opener has rebid 1 No Trump.

Mr. Eric Crowhurst also devised a concept of Opening Bids, which is still used in parts of England. The opening bids and meanings are listed below. There are many similarities to the Acol bidding system, and the responses are almost identical after the rebid of the opener clarifies the holding further.

1 :		Promises 12-21 high card points and a 3-card plus Club suit.
1 :		Promises 12-21 high card points and a 4-card plus Diamond suit.
1 :		Promises 12-21 high card points and a 4-card plus Heart suit.
1 :		Promises 12-14 high card points and a 4-card plus Spade suit.
1 NT:		Promises 12-14 high card points plus, balanced and/or forcing.
2 :		Promises 22 high card points and any shape.
2 :		Promises 18 plus high card points and and shows a 5-card plus Diamond suit.
2 :		Promises 18 plus high card points and and shows a 5-card plus Heart suit.
2 :		Promises 18 plus high card points and and shows a 5-card plus Spade suit.
2 NT:		Promises 20-22 high card points and a balanced distribution.

 

 

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.