CRASH convention

In the game of contract bridge, CRASH (an acronym for Color-RAnk-SHape) is a defense against a strong 1♣ or a 1NT opening that first appeared in an article by Kit Woolsey in The Bridge World^[1]. Within the framework of CRASH, subsequent bids denote two suiters of the same color (black or red), the same rank (major or minor), and the same shape (pointed or rounded).

Over an 1NT opening the following CRASH overcall structure applies:

2♣ : two suits of the same color (♠+♣, or ♥+♦)

2♦ : two suits of the same rank (♠+♥, or ♣+♦)

2NT : two suits of the same shape (♠+♦, or ♣+♥)

2♥ : natural

2♠ : natural

Following the 2♣, 2♦ and 2NT overcalls, responder will bid taking into account that out of the two possible two-suited hands of overcaller, the likely holding is in his/her shortest suits. The responses are therefore convertible. For instance, following a 2♣ CRASH overcall, a responder holding ♠10 7 5 ♥Q 9 8 4 2 ♦K J 6 ♣K 3 will bid start from the assumption that his partner holds length in the black suits in which his maximum length is a three card, rather than in the red suits in which his maximum length is a five card. Responder will therefore bid 2♠. Overcaller will pass holding the black suits, or bid 3♦ holding the red suits. In case of the latter, responder will correct to 3♥.

Defenses similar to CRASH, with the bids in a different order, have names such as KOSHER and SHAKER.

See also

• List of defenses to 1NT

References

1. ^ K. Woolsey, The Bridge World, March 1976