[blml] Failure to alert

[Herman De Wael]

Hello Jaak,
did we have Estonians on the list before this?
If we did, then a double welcome to Jaak!

Jaak Känd wrote:

> Hi!
> 
> 16-board team match.
> 
> Only on the last 16th board EW found, that NS playing Precision Club 
> with 1NT 13-15 balanced.
> 

I am assuming there are other reasons why this could be so late. I 
would not accept that 16 boards are played without knowing the basic 
system of your opponents. At the very least, I'd expect a pair that 
sits down to play 16 boards to take the opponent's CC and read the 
first 1/3rd of one side, with the basic system. I would not accept 
this case as a ruling therefore.

But I had a case where on the 16th board, a pair opened a 1NT which 
was weak, and they were playing variable NT. This particular aspect 
was not on the front of their CC, so I ruled in favour of the opposing 
side.

> Before that in 13th brd North opened 1NT not alerted. EW treated that as 
> 15-17 NT and therefore E didn't double with 14 HCP and balanced hand. 
> Later W bid 2S and took 10 tricks.
> 
> EW playing different defences against weak (up to 15 points)/ strong 
> (14+ points) NTs. If EW know, that 1NT opening is 13-15, East would 
> double, and then it's easy to reach 4S.
> 
> After finishing 16th board (last in match), EW complained about result 
> in 13th board.
> 
> What must do TD (or AC)? Will result of 13th brd stay? Or will be result 
> changed to 4S made or must be there some weighted score?
> 

I will not comment on the actual ruling. We would need the actual 
cards for that anyway.

But as far as asking for a ruling goes, there are only two limits of 
time, which are the start of the next board and the end of the 
correction period.

The correction period has not ended (should be half an hour later) so 
there can be a ruling.
And in the cases of MI, there is no limit about the next board (like 
there is for revokes), and there are many rulings asked for only when 
scoring.
So yes, there is room here for a ruling, and wrong alerts or wrong 
CC's can still be considered.

> Best regards
> 
> Jaak Känd, Estonia
> 

-- 
Herman DE WAEL
Antwerpen Belgium
http://www.hdw.be