Durham Bridge Club
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Membership Successes

2023 NEBA
Summer Pairs
Frank Bouweraerts
Irina Hendrickx

2022 NEBA
Swiss Pairs
John Dobson
Audrey Bainbridge

2021 NEBA
Gazette Cup
Joan Crompton
Irene Burns

2021 Runners-Up
NEBA CORWEN TROPHY
For Champion Pairs
Dorothy Pearson
Susan Penswick

2021 EBU
Easter Congress
9 High Tournament
Irina Hendrickx
James Foster

Club Tournament Winners

Club Champion
Evening 2022
Audrey Bainbridge

Club Champion
Afternoon 2022
Adrian Darnell

Durham City
Trophy 2022
Bill Dixon & Peter Sykes

Sykes Cup
2021
Nigel Martin
& Adrian Darnell

Cansino Cup
Pairs 2021
Margaret McCabe &
Iain Gordon

 

Misbid or Misexplanation
Misbids and Misexplanations

"Where's the hand you held during the auction?"

When an opponent's hand does not match the description you were told. (Mainly Law 75)

There are several possibilities. It is perfectly correct to call the TD and ask him to find out which possibility exists - and if the opponents have taken advantage of any unauthorised information.

The opponent has mis-bid.

Example

You double a 1NT opening and the partner bids 2   which is passed out. It turns out that he meant the 2  call to be a transfer to spades, but the system agreement is that it is natural and weak and he forgot. As a result you missed game in hearts and going 5 down for 2 -5 for 500 did not compare well when you had 620 in 4 .

In this sort of case, because you were given a correct explanation of the hand then you have no comeback for the incorrect bid, although the director may ascertain (in a different situation) that there was use of unauthorised information. (The player who bid 2 expected an alert that did not happen)

The opponent has made a psychic call

Again, this is perfectly legitimate - providing their partner has no more reason to expect the psychic call than you have - (if he 'fields' the psychic call then it may be evidence of a concealed partnership understanding and the Director may award a AV+, AV- -10% (60,30). It is perfectly proper to request the Director to record the psychic call to obtain any evidence of such an (illegal) agreement.)

The opponent has not mis-bid, but his call has been misexplained by his partner.

(This includes failure to alert a call, or if there is no actual agreement but an agreement is described, or vice-versa)

Example

After a 1NT call is doubled, the next call is 2 . By agreement this is natural, but the NT caller alerts and, on enquiry, explains it as a transfer to Spades. As a result you miss your stone cold 4♠ contract collecting 250 for 2♠ -5 instead of 620.

In this case there is damage and the Director may award an adjusted score. Since declarer/ dummy must correct all misexplanations before the first card is led, there may also be a procedural penalty imposed.- and of course the player who has just heard his partner give an inaccurate description of his hand, has unauthorised information.

What to do if partner gives an incorrect explanation of your call.

Nothing during the Auction!

You must not by any means indicate that an incorrect explanation has been given. Nor must you try and correct it just yet. Moreover and this is important the fact that partner has given an incorrect explanation is unauthorised information and you must not only disregard it but, given the choice, not make any call that is demonstrably suggested by the information. Yes this may result in you going for -1100 by playing in an absurd contract, but that should not be surprising. Sometimes you may have to give one (the correct) explanation of follow-up calls whilst actually acting as if they meant something else.

When the Auction is over (and before the opening lead is faced).

  • If you are the declaring side
    • If you realise you have misbid then you need do nothing. There is no obligation to tell the opponents that you have misbid. It is up to them to call the Director if they become aware of it and think there has been use of unauthorised information.
    • If you believe partner's explanation is incorrect then you must call the Director. The reason for this is that the Director has the power to give the last defender to make a call (the last pass) the option to change it! The Director may also ask the defenders (in turn away from the table) what they would have done, given a correct explanation.
  • If you are the defending side
    • If you realise you have misbid then you need do nothing. There is no obligation to tell the opponents that you have misbid. It is up to them to call the Director if they become aware of it and think there has been use of unauthorised information.
    • If you believe partner's explanation is incorrect then you must not do anything. The reason for this is that you would be passing unauthorised information to your partner. You must, however, once play has been concluded, call the Director - who will investigate if the other side have been damaged and, if so, may award an adjusted score.

'Unauthorised Panic'

This is a generic term used when a player who is 'woken up' that he has misbid by his partner's explanation rebids the denomination he has shown at the lowest possible level in an attempt to wake up partner, when there is a logical alternative. This will almost always be ruled against.

Example

After partner opens 1NT, the player bids 2NT, which is alerted and described as a 'transfer to Clubs' (which may or may not be correct). The player actually held a balanced raise to to 2NT and after the partner completes the transfer (1N - 2N - 3♣ ) bids 3NT 'because 3♣ is a silly contract - partner might only have 2 clubs'. Almost certainly the final contract will be adjudicated to be 3♣ .

When you realise you have given an incorrect explanation

It may happen that partner's subsequent calls, or maybe even a flash of recollection, wakes you up and you realise that the explanation you gave about a call is incorrect. What do you do?

Well you actually don't have to do anything at once - you can wait until the end of the auction period; however, you must still call the director and then give the correct explanation.

Why can you delay? Well opponents are entitled to know your conventions, they are NOT entitled to know that you are possibly having a bidding misunderstanding. Furthermore your partner is not allowed to know that you have remembered the agreement (although he should never have been in the position of knowing that you haven't.)

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