Kaplan-Sheinwold
Encyclopedia
The Kaplan-Sheinwold bidding system
was developed and popularized by Edgar Kaplan
and Alfred Sheinwold
during their partnership, which flourished during the 1950s and 1960s. K-S is one of many natural systems. The system was definitively described in their 1957 book How to Play Winning Bridge, later reissued in paperback
and still later revised.
Kaplan-Sheinwold and the Roth-Stone system were the two most influential challengers to Standard American
bidding in the USA in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Although K-S is not frequently played in its original form in the 21st century, many of its features (though not the 12-14 point 1NT opening) survive in the popular 2/1 Game Forcing
system. Additionally, a few elements of Kaplan-Sheinwold (notably Five-Card Majors) have become accepted as part of Standard American
practice.
Among modern experts, Chip Martel and Lew Stansby play a system closely modeled on K-S, with loads of gadgets. In the late 1960s, the Precision Club
system grafted a strong, forcing opening of 1 onto K-S, in effect following earlier suggestions by Marshall Miles
that five-card majors and the weak no trump be added to the Schenken system. Kaplan viewed Precision with distaste, noting the disadvantages, both theoretical and at-the-table, of combining a strong club with five-card majors.
The principal features of K-S, as revised in the 1960s, are these:
Bidding system
A bidding system in contract bridge is the set of agreements and understandings assigned to calls and sequences of calls used by a partnership, and includes a full description of the meaning of each treatment and convention...
was developed and popularized by Edgar Kaplan
Edgar Kaplan
Edgar Kaplan was an American bridge player and one of the principal contributors to the game. His career spanned six decades and covered every aspect of bridge. He was a teacher, author, editor, administrator, champion player, theorist, expert Vugraph commentator, coach/captain and authority on...
and Alfred Sheinwold
Alfred Sheinwold
Alfred Sheinwold was an American bridge player, administrator, international team captain and prolific author of books about bridge. He was, with Edgar Kaplan, co-developer of the Kaplan-Sheinwold bidding system...
during their partnership, which flourished during the 1950s and 1960s. K-S is one of many natural systems. The system was definitively described in their 1957 book How to Play Winning Bridge, later reissued in paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
and still later revised.
Kaplan-Sheinwold and the Roth-Stone system were the two most influential challengers to Standard American
Standard American
Standard American is a common bidding system for the game of bridge in the United States, also widely used in the rest of the world. This system, or a slight variant, is learned first by most beginners in the U.S. and may be referred to as 'Goren'; a dominant version used in on-line computer...
bidding in the USA in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Although K-S is not frequently played in its original form in the 21st century, many of its features (though not the 12-14 point 1NT opening) survive in the popular 2/1 Game Forcing
2/1 game forcing
2/1 game forcing is a bidding system in modern contract bridge in which, after a one-level opening bid, a non-jump response in a new suit at the two level commits the partnership to bidding at least game....
system. Additionally, a few elements of Kaplan-Sheinwold (notably Five-Card Majors) have become accepted as part of Standard American
Standard American
Standard American is a common bidding system for the game of bridge in the United States, also widely used in the rest of the world. This system, or a slight variant, is learned first by most beginners in the U.S. and may be referred to as 'Goren'; a dominant version used in on-line computer...
practice.
Among modern experts, Chip Martel and Lew Stansby play a system closely modeled on K-S, with loads of gadgets. In the late 1960s, the Precision Club
Precision club
Precision Club is a bidding system in the game of contract bridge. It is a type of strong club system that was invented by C. C. Wei and used to good effect by Taiwan teams in the early 1970s...
system grafted a strong, forcing opening of 1 onto K-S, in effect following earlier suggestions by Marshall Miles
Marshall Miles
Marshall Lauren Miles is an American bridge player and author.-Bridge career:Miles' crowning achievement was winning the World Senior Teams Olympiad in Istanbul in 2004...
that five-card majors and the weak no trump be added to the Schenken system. Kaplan viewed Precision with distaste, noting the disadvantages, both theoretical and at-the-table, of combining a strong club with five-card majors.
The principal features of K-S, as revised in the 1960s, are these:
- Weak no trump. An opening bid of 1NT promises 12–14 high card points (HCP). Transfers are not used, and Stayman is non-forcing. Kaplan's highly successful partnership with Norman KayNorman Kay (bridge player)Norman Kay was an American bridge player. He partnered Sidney Silodor until Silodor's death in 1963. With Edgar Kaplan, Kay formed one of the most successful and longest-lasting partnerships in organized bridge...
used "Timid K-S," which departed from the original K-S structure by using a strong no trump when vulnerable. - Five-card majors, with limit raises. A 1NT response is forcing and responder's double is negative. 3NT is the strong, forcing raise. Two of a minor over a major suit opening is game forcing, unless rebid. 2 over 1 can be weaker (minimum is 10 points and a five card suit) than two of a minor, so as not to miss a good heart partial. Kaplan preferred to open 1 with 5-5 in the black suits and a minimum hand.
- Minor suit openings are strong or unbalanced, or both, because the weak no trump handles all weak, balanced hands. A 1NT rebid by opener shows a strong no trump (15–17 HCP) and a 2NT rebid shows 18–20 HCP. Opener's reverses are forcing. Opener's simple rebids (e.g., 1 m – 1M; 2m) are restricted to absolute minimum hands, and tend to show six cards in the minor. Opener's jump rebids (e.g., 1 m – 1M; 3m) are enormously strong, promising a hand just shy of a forcing opening bid. After a 1 opening, a rebid of 2 shows the strength and pattern of a reverse, and opener's jump to 3 shows a weak hand with 5-5 in the minors.
- In response to one of a minor, responder shows a four card major if possible with a weak or moderate hand. But with values for game, responder first bids a longer side suit, even the other minor, and may rebid in a major. For example, the sequence 1 - 1 ; 1 - 1 may show a strong hand with long diamonds and four spades, but it may also be a "moderately strong hand without a spade stopper." http://www.bridgeworld.com/default.asp?d=editorial_dept&f=edgarkaplan/ksupdated.html
- Inverted minor suit raises are used (a single raise is strong, a double raise is weak and preemptive).
- Weak two bidWeak two bidThe Weak two bid is a common treatment used in the game of contract bridge, where a jump bid of two of a suit signifies a weak hand with a long suit. It is a form of preemptive bid...
s, including 2. - 2Strong two clubsIn most natural bridge bidding systems, the opening bid of 2 is used exclusively for hands too strong for an opening bid at the one-level. Systems that incorporate a strong 2-club opening bid include modern Standard American, standard Acol, 2/1 game forcing and many others...
is the only strong, forcing opening. - Defensively, simple overcallOvercallIn contract bridge, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the first such bid. A direct overcall is a bid made directly over the opening bid by right-hand opponent; an overcall in the 'last seat' is referred to as a balancing...
s are taken to have the same range as an opening bid, and take-out doubles emphasize distribution.
External links
- "Kaplan-Sheinwold Updated" by Edgar Kaplan