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EBL – TDs School Examples of Law 16D TDs Workshops 2011 Maurizio Di Sacco – Head of EBL’s TDs School

Examples of Law 16 D

| Maurizio DI SACCO

European Bridge League

TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS COMMITTEE – EUROPEAN TDS SCHOOL TDs Workshop Örebro (SWE)

1/4 December 2011

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LAWS 16D / 25A(B)

East Dealer:

East opens 1♣ and South puts the “double” card on the table. West bids 1♥. South looks at him quite puzzled and says that he has still to bid. At that point he notices his “double” and explains that his real intention was to put “stop” instead. The TD is called. (South’s intention was to bid 2♠, showing a weak two in ♠, as clearly indicated by his cards.)

LAW 25 – LEGAL AND ILLEGAL CHANGES OF CALL A. Unintended Call 1. Until his partner makes a call, a player may substitute his intended call for an unintended call but only if he does so, or attempts to do so, without pause for thought. The second (intended) call stands and is subject to the appropriate Law.

Answer:

The double is taken back, and South is allowed to change his call (Law 25A). However South’s mess as well as 1♥ are UI for NS but not for EW.

The first key of the hand is thus the application of Law 25A: we can be absolutely sure that the double was inadvertent, therefore South has the right to change his call without any further rectification.

Law 16 D. Information from Withdrawn Calls and Plays

When a call or play has been withdrawn as these laws provide:

1. For a non-offending side, all information arising from a withdrawn action is authorized, whether the action be its own or its opponents’.

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2. For an offending side, information arising from its own withdrawn action and from withdrawn actions of the non-offending side is unauthorized. A player of an offending side may not choose from among logical alternative actions one that could demonstrably have been suggested over another by the unauthorized information.

However there are two canceled bids, both lying under the jurisdiction of Law 16D. Double is not relevant, since it was unwilling thus did not convey any information, but it is not that easy for 1♥.

We have to keep in mind that NS must bid and play as if that bid had never been made, whilst EW are both allowed to use it. E.g. if West doubles, North may know that West has at least some ♥s but not a hand suitable for a three level free bid. South may use the inference that his partner’s bids are influenced by that knowledge.

Laws 16D / 25A (B) another one

♠ J63

♥ ---

♦ Q98654

♣ QJ94

♠ Q108 ♠ K52

♥ AJ10943 ♥ KQ865

♦ 1032 ♦ KJ

♣ 5 ♣ K82

♠ A974

♥ 72

♦ A7

♣ A10763

EW play weak jump overcalls.

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South opens 1♣, West passes, North bids 2♣ and West now puts the 2♥ bid on the table.

The TD is called, and West states that he meant to put the Stop card instead of pass, and that he was then reaching for the 2♥ bid when North bid.

Delicate case, where the key problem is represented by the decision about the application of either 25A or 25B, a decision to be taken at the table without the aid of any consultation.

Actually, whilst double and stop are both red cards and you can assume that a mistake has been made, it definitively is awkward to mix up pass and stop. It may be indeed the case where West was thinking of his wife, and had put the pass card on the table voluntarily, only afterwards realizing his mistake.

There is no solution on paper, and only the TD at the table, interviewing the player, can reach the right conclusion (or at least the most likely one), however always keeping in mind to apply Law 25A, therefore allowing the change without any rectification (well, in case of Law 25B there can’t be a change, and the only rectification on play is the possible application of Law 16D at the end). The TD must be certain that the original was really inadvertent. A good thing to be done upon interviewing West is to ask him to repeat his gestures: a player who intend to keep bidding moves in a different way than a player who’s not willing to do it, and a player who has suddenly awakened does show it in some way.

If you decide for the application of Law 25A, then pass and 2♣ are withdrawn and 2♣ is UI for EW but authorized for NS; in case of Law 25B only 2♥ is withdrawn, and it – obviously – represents UI for EW but not for NS.

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Laws 16D2 / 62D2

South is declarer in 7♠. After 10 tricks the situation is:

♠ ---

♥ A10

♦ 10

♣ ---

♠ --- ♠ ---

♥ 3 ♥ J7

♦ Q ♦ J

♣ J ♣ ---

♠ 4

♥ 5

♦ ---

♣ 10

a) South plays the ♥A from dummy, everybody following, then the ♥10 upon which East plays the ♦J. He immediately realizes his mistake and changes his card. The TD is called. South ruffs, and West now throws the ♦Q. South is not happy. Investigating, the TD finds out that the location of the ♣10 is not known; in other words, South could well have held the ♦J.

b) Same as above, but the investigation reveals that East had not followed suit when South had ruffed a ♣ in dummy some tricks before.

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Law 62D. Revoke on Trick Twelve 1. On the twelfth trick, a revoke, even if established, must be corrected if discovered before all four hands have been returned to the board. 2. If a revoke by a defender occurs on the twelfth trick and before it was the turn of his partner to play to the trick, when offender’s partner has cards of two suits he may not choose the play that could possibly have been suggested by seeing the revoke card.

Answers:

a) Law 62D2. Seeing the ♦J represents UI for West, therefore, since West had a logical alternative to his ♦Q discard (the ♣J), the score will be adjusted.

You come there even if, by mistake, you read 62C instead if 62D, although the 12th trick is the one involved. This because in Law 62C there is a specific reference to Law 16D:

Law 62C. Subsequent Cards Played 1. Each member of the non-offending side may withdraw and return to his hand any card he may have played after the revoke but before attention was drawn to it (see Law 16D). 2. After a non-offender so withdraws a card, the player of the offending side next in rotation may withdraw his played card, which becomes a penalty card if the player is a defender, and see Law 16D. 3. A claim of a revoke does not automatically warrant inspection of quitted tricks (see Law 66C).

b) In this case West does not have a logical alternative.

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Laws 16D / 28B

North opens 3♦ OUT OF TURN, and after that East, the real dealer, puts on the table the 3♣ bid and reaches for the “STOP” card. When the TD asks East about his intention, he will answer that he was simply opening the bidding, since he had not realized that North had opened OUT OF TURN.

LAW 28 - CALLS CONSIDERED TO BE IN ROTATION […]

B. Call by Correct Player Cancelling Call Out of Rotation A call is considered to be in rotation when made by a player whose turn it was to call before rectification has been assessed for a call out of rotation by an opponent. Making such a call forfeits the right to rectification for the call out of rotation. The auction proceeds as though the opponent had not called at that turn, but Law 16D2 applies.

Answer:

Law 28B. The 3♦ bid is withdrawn without being subject to any rectification, but represents UI for South (Law 16D2) but not for EW (Law 16D1).

Quite an interesting case about a not well known law, which is important though.

In the various tests made at the EBL level during the years, this is a question that is regularly answered wrongly. The principle to be kept in mind is that a player keeps his right to call at his own turn, whether voluntarily or not, but ONLY if he exercises this right before attention is drawn to the irregularity. Obviously, Law 16D2 still applies to the offending side’s withdrawn call.

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Law 16D / Screens

Screens in use

a) W N E S

1♥ pass 1♣

1♥

Before the tray is pushed through, West realizes that there is an insufficient bid.

b) W N E S

1♥ pass 1♣

1♥

West realizes the mistake and attempts to take back his bid, but South says “no, you can’t change it” and pushes the tray through! North spots the irregularity and calls the TD.

c) W N E S

1♥ pass 1♣

1♥ 1NT pass

North and East finally spot the irregularity and call the TD.

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Answers:

a) We are still in time to avoid any problem. The bids made are authorized information for the respective screenpartner.

b) Quite a mess. The TD asks himself: if South would not have made the decisive irregularity and had not pushed through the tray, what would have happened? Both 1♣ and 1♥ would have been withdrawn without any further rectification. Can we solve the problem simply taking back the two bids and considering them UI for NS (EW cannot be blamed, of course)? I tend to answer “no”, and I suggest as the solution to consider the situation as West had not bid at all, and South had pushed the tray through with just his irregularity on it. Therefore: Law 27 applies to South’s 1♣, West’s 1♥ is withdrawn without any rectification, and it represents UI for NS but not for EW.

c) Easy: the auction goes on.

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LAW 16D / Screens

Screens in use.

East plays 3NT and South is on lead.

Both South and North lead face up, and West opens the aperture.

Answer:

There is no straight answer to this problem in the Screen Regulations, only a possible clue: it seems that the declarer’s side should be deemed responsible, because East has not done his best to prevent the lead OUT OF TURN.

If we follow this line of reasoning, then the legal lead stands, and the lead OUT OF TURN is withdrawn without any rectification. However we still have to decide what to do about the information arising from the withdrawn card: I think that should represent UI for both sides.

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Laws 16D / 25B / 9B

W N E S

1♦/1NT

(♠A8 ♥J93 ♦KQ1084 ♣AJ7)

North bids 1♦ then changes it to 1NT

a) After 1NT East tells North that he is not allowed to do so and then bids 1♠. TD.

b) After 1NT East doubles. West alerts that double and, when asked, says it shows a minor. East looks quite surprised, then sees the 1NT bid, and says that he meant to double 1♦.

LAW 25 - LEGAL AND ILLEGAL CHANGES OF CALL [...] B. Call Intended 1. A substituted call not permitted by A may be accepted by the offender’s LHO. (It is accepted if LHO calls intentionally over it.) The first call is then withdrawn, the second call stands and the auction continues.

2. Except as in 1 a substitution not permitted by A is cancelled. The original call stands and the auction continues.

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Answers:

a) Law 25B1 cannot apply, because East has drawn attention to the irregularity before making any call, therefore he has clearly meant that he didn’t want to accept 1NT. Both 1♠ and 1NT are withdrawn and the auction goes on from 1♦. 1NT is UI for South but not for EW, whilst 1♠, if not repeated, represents UI for West but not for NS.

LAW 9 - PROCEDURE FOLLOWING AN IRREGULARITY

A. Drawing Attention to an Irregularity

1. Unless prohibited by Law, any player may draw attention to an irregularity during the auction period, whether or not it is his turn to call.

2. Unless prohibited by Law, declarer or either defender may draw attention to an irregularity that occurs during the play period. For incorrectly pointed card see Law 65B3.

3. When an irregularity has occurred dummy may not draw attention to it during the play period but may do so after play of the hand is concluded. However any player, including dummy, may attempt to prevent another player’s committing an irregularity (but for dummy subject to Laws 42 and 43).

4. There is no obligation to draw attention to an infraction of law committed by one’s own side (but see Law 20F5 for correction of partner’s apparently mistaken explanation).

B. After Attention Is Drawn to an Irregularity

1. (a) The Director should be summoned at once when attention is drawn to an irregularity.

(b) Any player, including dummy, may summon the Director after attention has been drawn to an irregularity.

(c) Summoning the Director does not cause a player to forfeit any rights to which he might otherwise be entitled.

(d) The fact that a player draws attention to an irregularity committed by his side does not affect the rights of the opponents.

2. No player shall take any action until the Director has explained all matters in regard to rectification.

C. Premature Correction of an Irregularity

Any premature correction of an irregularity by the offender may subject him to a further rectification (see the lead restrictions in Law 26).

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Once again, the Laws are very clear and specific about the range of application of Laws that refer to mechanical situation. However, in this case, you ought to know the Laws as a whole and, particularly, you have to be able to distinguish between the two different infractions committed by the two different sides.

Law 9 is among the ones that a TD should know by heart.

b) A bit confusing, however double and 1NT are withdrawn and - as before - 1NT is UI for NS whilst double, if not repeated, is UI for West.

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Laws 16D / 45

♠ ---

♥ 64

♦ Q96

♣ ---

♠ --- ♠ ---

♥ 85 ♥ Q3

♦ 75 ♦ K

♣ J ♣ 109

♠ ---

♥ 109

♦ AJ

♣ 5

South is playing 3NT and has already won seven tricks. Dummy is on lead, and South calls for the ♦6, but North places the ♥6 in the position of played card.

a) East plays the ♥Q and declarer calls the TD.

b) East plays the ♥Q, South the ♦J and West wonders what is going on and calls the TD.

c) East plays the ♥Q, South the ♦J and West the ♥5. East leads to the next trick playing the ♣ and South, believing in a lead Out Of Turn calls the TD.

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LAW 45 - CARD PLAYED

A. Play of Card from a Hand

Each player except dummy plays a card by detaching it from his hand and facing* it on the table immediately before him.

B. Play of Card from Dummy

Declarer plays a card from dummy by naming the card, after which dummy picks up the card and faces it on the table. In playing from dummy’s hand declarer may, if necessary, pick up the desired card himself.

C. Compulsory Play of Card

1. A defender’s card held so that it is possible for his partner to see its face must be played to the current trick (if the defender has already made a legal play to the current trick, see Law 45E).

2. Declarer must play a card from his hand if it is

(a) held face up, touching or nearly touching the table; or

(b) maintained in such a position as to indicate that it has been played.

3. A card in the dummy must be played if it has been deliberately touched by declarer except for the purpose either of arranging dummy’s cards, or of reaching a card above or below the card or cards touched.

4. (a) A card must be played if a player names or otherwise designates it as the card he proposes to play.

(b) Until his partner has played a card a player may change an unintended designation if he does so without pause for thought. If an opponent has, in turn, played a card that was legal before the change in designation, that opponent may withdraw the card so played, return it to his hand, and substitute another (see Laws 47D and 16D1).

5. A penalty card, major or minor, may have to be played (see Law 50).

D. Card Misplayed by Dummy

If dummy places in the played position a card that declarer did not name, the card must be withdrawn if attention is drawn to it before each side has played to the next trick, and a defender may withdraw and return to his hand a card played after the error but before attention

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was drawn to it; if declarer’s RHO changes his play, declarer may withdraw a card he had subsequently played to that trick. (See Law 16D.)

E. Fifth Card Played to Trick

1. A fifth card contributed to a trick by a defender becomes a penalty card, subject to Law 50, unless the Director deems that it was led, in which case Law 53 or 56 applies.

2. When declarer contributes a fifth card to a trick from his own hand or dummy, it is returned to the hand without further rectification unless the Director deems that it was led, in which case Law 55 applies.

F. Dummy Indicates Card

After dummy’s hand is faced, dummy may not touch or indicate any card (except for purpose of arrangement) without instruction from declarer. If he does so the Director should be summoned forthwith and informed of the action. Play continues. At the end of the play the Director shall award an adjusted score if he considers dummy suggested a play to declarer and the defenders were damaged by the play suggested.

G. Turning the Trick

No player should turn his card face down until all four players have played to the trick.

Answers:

a) The ♦6 was played, and East may change his card if he so wishes. The ♥Q then is withdrawn and represents UI to South but not to West.

b) Same principle. The dummy’s played card is the ♦6. East may withdraw his card if he so wishes. If he does, South may - in turn - change his own as well and the ♥Q represents UI to South, but not to West. If East does not change his card, South has to leave his own.

c) We are still in time to go back and fix the mess, at least from the procedural point of view (Law 45D). The ♣10, the ♥Q and the ♥5 may be withdrawn, as well as the ♦J. If this happens, ♣10, ♥Q, ♥5 and ♦J are authorized information for EW, but UI for South.

If South had played after the ♣10, it would been impossible to go back, and South would have revoked (♦J), established playing after the ♣10.

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Law 16D / STOP

W N E S

1♠ pass 2♥ pass

(♠ J7 ♥ AKJ84 ♦ K74 ♣ Q97)

stop 3♥

North asks West about the use of the “STOP” card, and West looks puzzled. The TD is summoned.

a) West thought that East had bid 1♥. East bids 4♦ and EW reach a slam.

b) Once West realizes what has happened, he states that he meant to bid 4♥ and repeats it to the TD when he arrives at the table.

Answers

The crucial questions are “What is meaning of “STOP”? Which information did it convey?

a) “STOP” is a UI to East; West has virtually shown a strong hand, and since 4♥ is a logical alternative to 4♦, the result should be adjusted as 4♥+2.

b) If we believe West, we are dealing with a 25A case. 4♥ replaces 3♥ and the bidding goes on. Otherwise, the situation is the same as above.

We need to underline that the “STOP” card is not a bidding card, therefore its use is not covered by any procedural law. However Law 16 explains us what is an UI:

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LAW 16 AUTHORIZED AND UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION

A. Players’ Use of Information

1. A player may use information in the auction or play if:

(a) it derives from the legal calls and plays of the current board (including illegal calls and plays that are accepted) and is unaffected by unauthorized information from another source; or

(b) it is authorized information from a withdrawn action (see D); or

(c) it is information specified in any law or regulation to be authorized or, when not otherwise specified, arising from the legal procedures authorized in these laws and in regulations (but see B1 following); or

(d) it is information that the player possessed before he took his hand from the board (Law 7B) and the Laws do not preclude his use of this information.

2. Players may also take account of their estimate of their own score, of the traits of their opponents, and any requirement of the tournament regulations.

3. No player may base a call or play on other information (such information being designated extraneous).

4. If there is a violation of this law causing damage the Director adjusts the score in accordance with Law 12C.

The use of the “STOP” is definitively not listed among the authorized informations, therefore 16A3 applies to it.

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Law 16D1

♠ 1062

♥ KQ986

♦ 1098

♣ J2

♠ K87 ♠ AJ94

♥ J7 ♥ 42

♦ Q2 ♦ 7643

♣ AQ10864 ♣ 975

♠ Q53

♥ A1053

♦ AKJ5

♣ K3

W N E S

1♠ (25A)

2♣

TD then:

1NT

p 2♦ (♥s) 3♣ 3♥

all pass

West leads a ♠ won by East’s A, who plays a ♣. West cashes the A and the Q and plays back a trump.

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Later South cashes ♦AK and makes 3♥.

Answer: The canceled call is an authorized information for East but not for South. East’s 3♣ is then perfectly legal, but South’s ♦ play could have been influenced by the knowledge of some strength in West together with some ♣ length. The result should be adjusted to 3♥-1.

This is a quite classic example about the application of both 16D1 and 16D2. East has the right to draw any inference from the canceled bid: the ♣ length and the not so strong hand (West passed 1NT). Not so for South: he not only has no chance of guessing the ♦Q, he also must play the whole hand assuming that the ♣s are on his right!

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Laws 16D / 62C1

♠ 8653

♠ K ♠ 9742

♠ AQJ10

South plays a ♥ contract. He calls for the ♠3 from dummy, East ruffs, South follows with the ♠10 and West with ♠K.

East realizes to have revoked and after being instructed by the TD replaces the trump with a ♠ and South plays the ♠A.

LAW 62 - CORRECTION OF A REVOKE

A. Revoke Must Be Corrected A player must correct his revoke if he becomes aware of the irregularity before it becomes established. B. Correcting a Revoke To correct a revoke the offender withdraws the card he played and substitutes a legal card.

1. A card so withdrawn becomes a major penalty card (Law 50) if it was played from a defender’s unfaced hand.

2. The card may be replaced without further rectification if it was played from declarer’s (subject to Law 43B2(b)) or dummy’s hand, or if it was a defender’s faced card.

C. Subsequent Cards Played

1. Each member of the non-offending side may withdraw and return to his hand any card he may have played after the revoke but before attention was drawn to it (see Law 16D).

2. After a non-offender so withdraws a card, the player of the offending side next in rotation

may withdraw his played card, which becomes a penalty card if the player is a defender, and see Law 16D.

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3. A claim of a revoke does not automatically warrant inspection of quitted tricks (see Law 66C).

D. Revoke on Trick Twelve

1. On the twelfth trick, a revoke, even if established, must be corrected if discovered before all four hands have been returned to the board.

2. If a revoke by a defender occurs on the twelfth trick and before it was the turn of his

partner to play to the trick, when offender’s partner has cards of two suits he may not choose the play that could possibly have been suggested by seeing the revoke card.

Answer: The information coming form the early play is authorized for South. He then has all the rights to play his A.

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Laws 16D2 / 62C2

♠ 8653

♠ K ♠ 9742

♠ AQJ10

The diagram is the same, but we reverse the problem: East follows suit, South revokes throwing a ♦ and West plays his ♠K.

South realizes his revoke and changes his ♦ for the ♠A.

We have previously seen Law 16D2.

Answer: West’s ♠K is UI to South. One trick to the ♠K.

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Laws 16D2 / 25A

♠ K10

♥ Q102

♦ AJ5

♣ K8643

♠ J975 ♠ ---

♥ A83 ♥ KJ964

♦ Q98 ♦ 7643

♣ AQJ ♣ 10952

♠ AQ86432

♥ 75

♦ K102

♣ 7

W N E S

3♥ (25A) X TD!!

(Let’s say, just for the purpose of this lecture, that the TD applies 25A, but it is not necessarily so. Investigating [or through his personal knowledge of the player involved], the TD may find out that South, playing with a different partner, plays transfer preemptives. The Law to be applied would then been 25B).

W N E S

3♠ P 4♠ End

South finesses the ♠10 making his contract.

Answer: The canceled double, which virtually shows 4♠s or - at least - makes it very likely, represents UI to South. The result should be adjusted to 4♠-1.

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Laws 16D2 / 31B / 26A2

♠ 10865

♥ K7

♦ AJ82

♣ KJ10

♠ KQ4 ♠ AJ972

♥ J10965 ♥ AQ42

♦ 75 ♦ 10

♣ 632 ♣ 954

♠ 3

♥ 83

♦ KQ9643

♣ AQ87

Dealer South. East opens 1♠ Out Of Turn playing Acol. South does not accept, and later NS bid undisturbed up to 5♦. Given the chance thanks to Law 26A, South calls for the ♠ lead, and West leads the ♠K, East following with the 2 showing count. West then plays the ♥J.

LAW 31 - BID OUT OF ROTATION

When a player has bid out of rotation, has passed artificially or has passed partner’s artificial call (see Law 30C), and the call is cancelled the option in Law 29A not having been exercised, the following provisions apply:

A. RHO’s Turn When the offender has called at his RHO’s turn to call, then:

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1. If that opponent passes, offender must repeat the call out of rotation, and when that call is legal there is no rectification.

2. If that opponent makes a legal* bid, double or redouble, offender may make any legal call;

when this call

(a) repeats the denomination of his bid out of rotation, offender’s partner must pass when next it is his turn to call (see Law 23).

(b) does not repeat the denomination of his bid out of rotation, or if the call out of rotation

was an artificial pass or a pass of partner’s artificial call, the lead restrictions in Law 26 may apply, and offender’s partner must pass whenever it is his turn to call (see Law 23).

B. Partner’s or LHO’s Turn When the offender has bid at his partner’s turn to call, or at his LHO’s turn to call, if the offender has not previously called**, offender’s partner must pass whenever it is his turn to call (see Law 23 when the pass damages the non-offending side). The lead restrictions of Law 26 may apply.

* An illegal call by RHO is rectified as usual.

**Later calls at LHO’s turn to call are treated as changes of call, and Law 25 applies.

LAW 26 - CALL WITHDRAWN, LEAD RESTRICTIONS When an offending player’s call is withdrawn, and he chooses a different* final call for that turn, then if he becomes a defender: A. Call Related to Specific Suit if the withdrawn call related solely to a specified suit or suits (and no other suit), and 1. if each such suit was specified in the legal auction by the same player there is no lead

restriction, but see Law 16D.

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2. if any suit specified in the withdrawn call was not specified by the same player in the legal auction then, at offender’s partner’s first turn to lead (which may be the opening lead), declarer may either,

(a) require the offender’s partner to lead such a suit (if there are more than one declarer

chooses the suit); or (b) prohibit offender’s partner from leading (one) such suit. Such prohibition continues for as

long as the offender’s partner retains the lead. B. Other Withdrawn Calls For other withdrawn calls, declarer may prohibit offender’s partner from leading any one suit at his first turn to lead, including the opening lead, such prohibition to continue for as long as offender’s partner retains the lead. * A call repeated with a much different meaning shall be deemed a different call.

Answer: West knows from the canceled bid that East has five ♠s not three but that is UI. He also knows that South has asked for the ♠ lead. Is it a legal information to him?

If the problem was restricted to the canceled call, it is obvious that playing back the ♠Q would be a clear logical alternative. However, the declarer’s choice gave him a clue that, if that information was legal, would lead to the right conclusion with no need of the canceled call (would be very strange for the declarer to ask for the lead in a suit where he owns three small cards).

In the latter option, the offending side would be taking advantage from an infraction, therefore my solution would be an adjusted score as 5♦ making anyhow.

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Laws 16D2 / 50D1

♠ K987

♥ KJ54

♦ A3

♣ 652

♠ 104 ♠ 53

♥ A97 ♥ 8632

♦ QJ1054 ♦ 87

♣ J74 ♣ AK983

♠ AQJ62

♥ Q10

♦ K962

♣ Q10

W N E S

1♠

P 4♠ End

East leads ♣A Out Of Turn;

South forbids the ♣ lead;

West leads ♦Q, A, 8, 2;

then ♥4, 6, Q, A;

West now plays the ♣4.

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Answer: South may hold ♠AQJ62, ♥Q10, ♦96, ♣AK83, in which case the ♦ switch would have been better than a ♣. A ♦ then represents a logical alternative to a ♣, and the result should be adjusted accordingly.

If West would have ducked the first round of ♥, winning the continuation while his partner was giving count following with the 6 and the 2, playing a ♣ would then have been automatic? Or a ♦ would still have been a logical alternative?

When a few experts were interviewed on the matter, the answer was a further “yes”.

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Laws 16D2 / 50D1

♠ KJ86

♥ 865

♦ KQ6

♣ A94

♠ 73 ♠ Q109

♥ AK432 ♥ Q7

♦ 10753 ♦ 982

♣ J5 ♣ 108762

♠ A542

♥ J109

♦ AJ4

♣ KQ3

South plays 4♠. East leads the ♥Q Out Of Turn.

1) South allows West to lead anything he wishes, and the ♥Q stays on the table as a major penalty card. West then leads the ♥2.

2) South asks for the ♥ lead. Once more, West leads the ♥2.

LAW 50 - DISPOSITION OF PENALTY CARD

A card prematurely exposed (but not led, see Law 57) by a defender is a penalty card unless the Director designates otherwise (see Law 49 and Law 23 may apply).

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A. Penalty Card Remains Exposed

A penalty card must be left face up on the table immediately before the player to whom it belongs, until a rectification has been selected. B. Major or Minor Penalty Card? A single card below the rank of an honour exposed unintentionally (as in playing two cards to a trick, or in dropping a card accidentally) becomes a minor penalty card. Any card of honour rank, or any card exposed through deliberate play (for example in leading out of turn, or in revoking and then correcting), becomes a major penalty card; when one defender has two or more penalty cards, all such cards become major penalty cards. C. Disposition of Minor Penalty Card When a defender has a minor penalty card, he may not play any other card of the same suit below the rank of an honour until he has first played the penalty card, but he is entitled to play an honour card instead. Offender’s partner is not subject to lead restriction, but information gained through seeing the penalty card is unauthorized (see E following). D. Disposition of Major Penalty Card When a defender has a major penalty card, both the offender and his partner may be subject to restriction, the offender whenever he is to play, the partner whenever he is to lead. 1. (a) A major penalty card must be played at the first legal opportunity, whether in leading,

following suit, discarding or trumping. If a defender has two or more penalty cards that can legally be played, declarer designates which is to be played.

(b) The obligation to follow suit, or to comply with a lead or play restriction, takes

precedence over the obligation to play a major penalty card, but the penalty card must still be left face up on the table and played at the next legal opportunity.

2. When a defender has the lead while his partner has a major penalty card, he may not lead

until declarer has stated which of the options below is selected (if the defender leads prematurely, he is subject to rectification under Law 49). Declarer may choose:

(a) to require* the defender to lead the suit of the penalty card, or to prohibit* him from

leading that suit for as long as he retains the lead (for two or more penalty cards, see Law 51); if declarer exercises either of these options, the card is no longer a penalty card and is picked up.

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(b) not to require or prohibit a lead, in which case the defender may lead any card; the penalty card remains a penalty card**. If this option is selected Law 50D continues to apply for as long as the penalty card remains.

E. Information from a Penalty Card

1. Knowledge of the requirements for playing a penalty card is authorized information for all players.

2. Other information derived from sight of a penalty card is unauthorized for the partner of the player who has the penalty card (but authorized for declarer).

3. If the Director judges that the exposed card conveyed such information as to damage the non-offending side he shall award an adjusted score.

* If the player is unable to lead as required see Law 59.

**If the partner of the defender with the penalty card retains the lead, and the penalty card has not yet been played, then all the requirements and options of Law 50D2 apply again at the following trick.

Answer: Formally West may lead the ♥2 (50E1) in both cases, but the TD has the right to adjust the score later (50E3). The non-offending side has clearly been damaged by the information coming from the lead out of turn (after ♥AK and a ♥ ruff, East’s natural trump trick vanishes). The result has to be adjusted to 4♠ making.

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Laws 16D2 / 27B

W N E S

1♥

p 1♥ TD!!

North owns a 13 point count, and has not seen South’s opening bid. The auction goes on as:

2♥ p 4♥

p p p

Is South, who holds ♠K3, ♥KQ863, ♦KJ43, ♣109, entitled to bid 4♥?

Law 27 – INSUFFICIENT BID

A. Acceptance of Insufficient Bid.

1. Any insufficient bid may be accepted (treated as legal) at the option of offender’s LHO. It is accepted if that player calls.

2. If a player makes an insufficient bid out of rotation Law 31 applies.

B. Insufficient Bid not Accepted. If an insufficient bid in rotation is not accepted (see A) it must be corrected by the substitution of a legal call (but see 3 following). Then

1. (a) if the insufficient bid is corrected by the lowest sufficient bid in the same denomination and in the Director’s opinion both the insufficient bid and the substituted bid are incontrovertibly not artificial the auction proceeds without further rectification. Law 16D does not apply but see D following.

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(b) if, except as in (a), the insufficient bid is corrected with a legal call that in the Director’s opinion has the same meaning* as, or a more precise meaning* than, the insufficient bid (such meaning being fully contained within the possible meanings of the insufficient bid) the auction proceeds without further rectification, but see D following.

2. except as provided in B1 above, if the insufficient bid is corrected by a sufficient bid or by a pass, the offender’s partner must pass whenever it is his turn to call. The lead restrictions in Law 26 may apply, and see Law 23.

3. except as provided in B1(b) above, if the offender attempts to substitute a double or a redouble for his insufficient bid the attempted call is cancelled. The offender must replace it as the foregoing allows and his partner must then pass whenever it is his turn to call. The lead restrictions in Law 26 may apply, and see Law 23.

4. if the offender attempts to replace the one insufficient bid with another insufficient bid the Director rules as in 3 if the LHO does not accept the substituted insufficient bid as A allows.

C. Premature Replacement

If the offender replaces his insufficient bid before the Director has ruled on rectification, unless the insufficient bid is accepted as A allows the substitution stands. The Director applies the relevant foregoing section to the substitution.

D. Non-offending Side Damaged.

If following the application of B1 the Director judges at the end of the play that without assistance gained through the infraction the outcome of the board could well have been different and in consequence the non-offending side is damaged (see Law 12B1), he shall award an adjusted score. In his adjustment he should seek to recover as nearly as possible the probable outcome of the board had the insufficient bid not occurred.

According to 27B1a, and specifically the last sentence, the answer is a clear “yes”. The information is explicitly authorized.

Was the non-offending side damaged by the Insufficient Bid? Obviously not: the contract would have been the same. Result stands.

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