[blml] alertability

[Eric Landau]

At 07:01 AM 12/21/06, Alain wrote:

>1. The bidding :
>N     E     S   W
>1C   1H   X    p
>1S   2D
>
>Now South asks West whether they have 2-suited conventions.
>Assume they indeed play that 2NT shows 55+ in hearts and diamonds ;
>apparently that's what South would like to know ; but they play it 
>"strong
>or weak".
>
>Should West :
>a) answer affirmatively, and volunteer the information that 2NT would 
>have
>been strong/weak, so that partner probably has an 
>intermediate-strength 55.
>b) answer affirmatively, and that's all, because if South wants to know
>whether a 55 is still possible, he should ask.
>c) answer affimatively, and that's all, because 2D seems to show 55 
>anyway
>(bridge logic ; with 54, double) and because an experienced player should
>know there are hands unsuitable for a 2NT bid anyway (poor O/DR).

West should answer affirmatively and volunteer an explanation of the 
2NT agreement.  Unless, however, the fact that it is 
intermediate-strengh derives from agreement or experience ("implicit 
agreement") rather than solely the logic of the situation, it need not 
be stated.  Of course, with inexperienced opponents, one may want to do 
so anyhow as a matter of active ethics, but one should in that case 
make it clear that what is being disclosed is an inference rather than 
an agreement.

>2. You have an agreement that weak suits may be bypassed ; for 
>example, you
>might answer 1NT to 1C within the usual range, while holding a weak 
>4-card
>major.
>This should be disclosed, and the letter of most regulations say 
>you've to
>alert everytime such a bypass would be unexpected ; this means nearly any
>low-level bid is alertable, and makes it unpractical.
>So, is it enough to put such an agreement into the 'important notes'
>section, or pre-alert it ?

Not if it would be genuinely unexpected, but that would strike me as 
odd.  In North America, it is "general knowledge and experience" that 
some partnerships will bypass a weak four-card major and others won't; 
I would expect that to be nearly universal.  The ACBL has explicitly 
stated that neither practice requires an alert.


Eric Landau                     ehaa at starpower.net
1107 Dale Drive                 (301) 608-0347
Silver Spring MD 20910-1607