With effect from 1st August 2013 the EBU replaced the Orange and Tangerine Books (Handbook of EBU Directives and Permitted Agreements) with the Blue Book (Handbook of Permitted Understandings. The Blue Book covers areas where the Regulating Authority, i.e. the EBU, may determine how the game is played and is empowered by the Law of Contract Bridge. Thus a breach of Blue Book regulations is a breach of the Laws of the game and subject to rectification and/or penalty in the same way as any other breach of those Laws.

 There are two significant areas of change between the Orange and Blue Book, an increase in the scope of announcing and the abolition of “Level 3” bidding restrictions. The latter is primarily a technical change which will have little impact on club bridge players, certainly in the short term. It does permit players to use more complex conventions and action may be required in the future, if there is a proliferation of such activity at the club.

 The area that affects most players is the change to the use of announcing. All announcements made prior to the introduction of the Blue Book remain in place. The key additions are:-

Short suit openings are announced as “May be n”.

e.g. Pairs playing 5 card majors, whose Diamond suit is always 4 cards and so their Club suit may be as few as 2 cards. They should say “May be 2”.

Note that pairs playing Better Minor say nothing as 3 card suit bids are not alertable

2NT Opening bid ranges are now announced in the same way as 1NT openings

e.g. “19 to 20”

Stayman and Transfers are announced in response to 2NT openings in the same way as they are after 1NT

Note i) Five Card Puppet Stayman is still alertable

ii) Bids after stronger ways of opening 2NT are still alertable

e.g. In the sequence below 2♣, 2♦ and 3♣ are all alertable

2♣ P 2♦ P

2NT P 3♣ P

3♥ P 3NT P

4♠ End

There are a few other detailed changes, which players playing affected conventions will be aware of, specifically affecting conventional bids on the first round.

e.g. the 4♦ Splinter Bid in this auction is now alertable

P P P 1♠

P 4♦ P 4♠