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ArtK78, on 2012-March-19, 12:16, said:
Which one of us is British? I hope it is you, Brian, because it is certainly not me. 
My paralegal is British, but I don't think her sense of humor has rubbed off on me (yet).
C.C. Wei's team came on the scene about 40 years ago, since it was either during or just before my bridge-playing life started, which was in 1972. During my first year of playing, and even before setting foot inside of an ACBL club game, a friend of mine purchased the Goren-Wei Precision book. This was just after C.C. Wei and Ron Andersen had an 81% score in a regional pair game in NYC playing Precision. We learned the system and played it. It had a 13-15 1NT opening, which it referred to as a weak NT. 2♣ nonforcing Stayman, 2♦ forcing Stayman responses. 1♦ openings were 3+ cards, if I recall correctly. Any hands of less than 16 points that did not fit into a 1NT, 2♣ (6+clubs or 5-4 in clubs and a major) and 2♦ (4414 or 4405 shapes, with short diamonds and no 5 card major) were opened with 1♦. Since all hands of less than 16 HCP with doubleton diamonds and without a 5-card major were either opened 1NT or 2♣, and since all hands with less than 2 diamonds were opened either 1M or 2♣ or 2♦, only those rare hands with 3 diamonds which did not fit any other opening had to be opened 1♦. For example, a 1-4-3-5 hand with weak clubs and strong diamonds would be opened 1♦ (x KQJx AKx xxxxx). But, for the most part, a 1♦ opening in that version of Precision did have 4 diamonds. Just as a 1♦ opening in most Standard methods rarely has less than 4 diamonds (4432 being the only shape that qualifies for a 3-card 1♦ opening in Standard unless you are allowed to open either minor suit with (43)33 shape).
I know I don't have a copy of that Precision book anymore. If I remember correctly, I loaned it to someone and never got it back. I did find my copy of the original Romex book yesterday, but that is another matter entirely.
My paralegal is British, but I don't think her sense of humor has rubbed off on me (yet).C.C. Wei's team came on the scene about 40 years ago, since it was either during or just before my bridge-playing life started, which was in 1972. During my first year of playing, and even before setting foot inside of an ACBL club game, a friend of mine purchased the Goren-Wei Precision book. This was just after C.C. Wei and Ron Andersen had an 81% score in a regional pair game in NYC playing Precision. We learned the system and played it. It had a 13-15 1NT opening, which it referred to as a weak NT. 2♣ nonforcing Stayman, 2♦ forcing Stayman responses. 1♦ openings were 3+ cards, if I recall correctly. Any hands of less than 16 points that did not fit into a 1NT, 2♣ (6+clubs or 5-4 in clubs and a major) and 2♦ (4414 or 4405 shapes, with short diamonds and no 5 card major) were opened with 1♦. Since all hands of less than 16 HCP with doubleton diamonds and without a 5-card major were either opened 1NT or 2♣, and since all hands with less than 2 diamonds were opened either 1M or 2♣ or 2♦, only those rare hands with 3 diamonds which did not fit any other opening had to be opened 1♦. For example, a 1-4-3-5 hand with weak clubs and strong diamonds would be opened 1♦ (x KQJx AKx xxxxx). But, for the most part, a 1♦ opening in that version of Precision did have 4 diamonds. Just as a 1♦ opening in most Standard methods rarely has less than 4 diamonds (4432 being the only shape that qualifies for a 3-card 1♦ opening in Standard unless you are allowed to open either minor suit with (43)33 shape).
I know I don't have a copy of that Precision book anymore. If I remember correctly, I loaned it to someone and never got it back. I did find my copy of the original Romex book yesterday, but that is another matter entirely.
Yes, I'm the ex-pat Limey.
I thought Wei's team was active in the early 1960s, but it was actually the 1969 Bermuda Bowl where the Taiwanese team achieved their shock second place (according to Wikipedia, at least). The Goren book on Precision that I have is one with (AFAIR) a red cover, I don't recall it having Wei as a co-author. I am as near certain as I can be without finding the actual book that in that writeup, Goren advocates a 12-15 1NT opener, 1♦ as 4+♦, and the rest of it more or less as you say. Balanced 11 counts were supposed to be passed. Without checking, I can't remember what the recommended opener was on your x KQJx AKx xxxxx hand.
I never really played Goren's or Wei's write up in any case, as I learned Precision while still living in England (about the same time as you did) it was Terence Reese's tweaked version of Blue Team Precision that was the widely available writeup.