[blml] convention

[Wayne Burrows]

On 22/12/06, Eric Landau <ehaa at starpower.net> wrote:
> At 03:14 AM 12/21/06, Grattan wrote:
>
> >From: "Steve Willner" <willner at cfa.harvard.edu>
> >
> > > > From: "Wayne Burrows"
> > >
> > > > The definition does not say that general strength does not make a bid
> > > > conventional.  If the bid doesn't show willingness to play in the
> > > > denomination, if it doesn't show high-card strength in the
> > > > denomination and if it doesn't show length in the denomination
> > then it
> > > > is a convention.
> > >
> > > I think that probably was the original intent, but it's not what the
> > > words actually say.
> >
> >+=+ No. The original intention was that if a call conveys a positive
> >message not within these areas it is a convention. If it is the case that
> >it also carries a message that does fall within these areas this does not
> >nullify its status as a convention. My notes on the discussions are quite
> >clear on this point.
>
> Wayne, I believe, intended to point out a consequence of the defintion
> rather than restating the definition in its entirety, so Grattan's "No"
> strikes me as a serious overbid.  The only contradiction between
> Wayne's statement and Grattan's -- and I don't think this is what
> Grattan had in mind -- is that a bid that has no meaning whatsoever
> would be conventional in Wayne's formulation but not in Grattan's.
>
> Perhaps we should start a thread on whether a totally meaningless bid
> is or is not a convention.  On second thought, though...
>

I couldn't resist commenting sorry Eric.

At the 2006 National Championships in New Zealand the chief director
announced after the event had already started that a "random 1S" over
a Precision 1C was not going to be allowed.  I do not know what
process if any was followed to make this ruling.  This in spite of the
fact that the regulations explicitly allowed "any defense" versus
strong artificial openings.

The 1S bid in question (not in my arsenal) basically showed a hand
that was unsuitable for some other action - even Pass was defined in
their system.  So 1S was automatic if your hand did not qualify for
any other action.

It occurs to me now that 1S is not a convention as it has no "other
meaning".  All we would know about 1S is based on the negative
inferences of not making another bid.

I guess the regulation made at the national championships was illegal.

Wayne