[JLOGIC]

Fast arrival refers to jumping to game in a GF auction, eg 1S 2C 2D 2S 4S with a minimum hand, or 1N 2H 2S 3C 4S, or 1S 2C 2S 4S. It doesn't refer to failing to cuebid and signing off.

[cherdano]

 Codo, on 2013-July-25, 06:16, said:

Ok, so maybe this is the point, here in Germany (and not just here) many people are influenced by the FES style, where 2 ♠ shows just that you hold a normal (11-14 or similar) opening and no lower suit to bid. It does not deny a diamond fit or a balanced hand.

I am not very confident about many things related to bidding. But I am confident that this style is vastly inferior. Having to jump in a forcing auction when you don't know the right strain will hurt a lot. (And remember that finding a game that is 7% better is just as important as finding a 55% slam.)

[fromageGB]

 cherdano, on 2013-July-30, 14:12, said:

But I am confident that this style is vastly inferior. Having to jump in a forcing auction when you don't know the right strain will hurt a lot.

I may be misunderstanding you, but there is no mention of jumping. In a system like SEF there are bids you can make to describe your hand with a rebid greater than 2M, but these require greater strength. I would assume (without knowing all systems) this is pretty common. It's just that with hands with no cheap suit, or that have support, or are balanced, a rebid of 2M is made as a waiting bid if not strong enough to go higher. What's wrong with that? Therefore, while a 15+ hand can rebid NT or support partner, or a 17+ hand can bid a new (expensive) suit without a jump, there is a presumption that 2M is limited. It may of course be stronger.

Having made an initial 2M rebid, you don't have to jump to 4M to show (again) that you are limited, so the bidding is kept low to allow the best contract to be found.

[cherdano]

 fromageGB, on 2013-July-30, 15:40, said:

I may be misunderstanding you, but there is no mention of jumping. In a system like SEF there are bids you can make to describe your hand with a rebid greater than 2M, but these require greater strength. I would assume (without knowing all systems) this is pretty common. It's just that with hands with no cheap suit, or that have support, or are balanced, a rebid of 2M is made as a waiting bid if not strong enough to go higher. What's wrong with that? Therefore, while a 15+ hand can rebid NT or support partner, or a 17+ hand can bid a new (expensive) suit without a jump, there is a presumption that 2M is limited. It may of course be stronger.

Having made an initial 2M rebid, you don't have to jump to 4M to show (again) that you are limited, so the bidding is kept low to allow the best contract to be found.

Codo said that 2S is limited to 12-14 points. Nothing wrong with the style you describe.

[rhm]

 cherdano, on 2013-July-30, 16:47, said:

Codo said that 2S is limited to 12-14 points. Nothing wrong with the style you describe.

To my knowledge FES style or what is called in Germany Forum-D are systems where 2/1 is not game forcing. Rebidding your major is not forcing and therefor limited.
Once you apply this style to 2/1 gf, rebidding your major may of course hide hands, which are stronger, but where a higher rebid than 2M would be inconvenient.
Usually these are unbalanced hands with 15+, shortage in partner's suit and either a weak six card major or a 5431 distribution, where the second suit is too weak and not worth mentioning as a high reverse.
These stronger exceptions are rare enough, so that the implication that opener normally is minimum would still be a sensible assumption unless proven otherwise later.
Though not my style, there are merits in this approach, considering that one of the big problems in 2/1 is that often neither opener nor responder get limited early.

Where I disagree with Codo is that this should induce opener to cuebid 4♣ with this absolute ace-less poor major suit minimum.
Again I wonder what opener would do if he happened to hold the rare stronger hand types or a really slam suitable minimum.
As Justin rightly pointed out calling the simple reraise 4♠ "fast arrival" is a misnomer. It is simply a sign-off, though with the same implication, warning responder of going higher.
If you believe in a weak opening style such bids are absolutely required.
Judgment rules the game, not dogmas.

Rainer Herrmann