FAULTY EXPLANATION

Continuing my series on laws and etiquette, writes David Lewis, we continue with the case where partner gives an incorrect or incomplete explanation. Remember, it is your duty to say so at the end of the auction if you are declarer or dummy, or after the play of the cards if you are a defender.

So, if there appears to be an incorrect explanation or failure to alert, either confessed by the offending side or spotted by the non-offending side, what next? Neglecting the trivial cases where nobody is remotely damaged, there are two possible outcomes.

ú The explanation was correct. The player making the bid or play forgot his system, deviated from it slightly or made a gross miss-bid (a psychic bid). Opponents are not entitled to redress. “A player may violate an announced partnership agreement, so long as his partner is unaware of the violation, but habitual violations may create implicit agreements, which must be disclosed.” – Law 75 B. To monitor habitual violations, it is club practice for all psyches to be recorded in the Psyche Book.

ú The explanation was incorrect. The director will determine whether the non-offending side has been damaged, and, if so, will award an adjusted score.

Of course, if players do not have a convention card, and partners disagree about what their system really is, it is a real problem for directors to sort out. In such a situation, as a director, I would choose the alternative that was least favourable to that pair.

UNAUTHORISED INFORMATION

Frequent mention has been made of ‘unauthorised information’ in this series, but what is it and how does it work? Law 16 devotes nearly two pages to this subject, so I will attempt a summary.

Authorised information comes from calls (bids including pass) and play of the cards (e.g. defensive signalling). Unauthorised information comes from remarks, mannerisms, hesitations, overhearing and so forth. If a player considers that an opponent has made such information available and that damage could result, he may announce that he reserves the right to summon the director later. However if the possibility of unauthorised information is disputed (e.g. whether there was a hesitation) the director should be summoned immediately.

If a player receives unauthorised information, he may not choose from among logical alternatives an action that could demonstrably have been suggested over another by that information. If he does, the director may award an adjusted score. He will not adjust the score is he considers that most players would have chosen that action anyway, without the unauthorised information.

CONVENTION CARDS

Convention cards are useful! Apart from helping the director, they inform opponents concisely of your agreements and are useful to yourselves where recollections are different. You may use your card as a reminder before the start of play, but not during a hand. They are not mandatory if you play simple systems. See the Orange Book for definitions and a completed example convention card.

Convention cards are not difficult to produce. They are available at the club in small (EBU 20) or large (EBU 20A) sizes. Many people use computerised versions. They can be downloaded from the EBU or there are probably a number of club members who would produce one for you. I am one.