[blml] claim

[Tim West-Meads]

Sven wrote:
> 
> Tim's comment is apparently based mainly upon the uncertainty whether 
> the claimer said or asked that the spades would run through.
> 
> Let me remind that any doubtful points shall be resolved against the
> claimer. (Law 70A)

Exactly what claimer said is a "doubtful point" when reported on this 
list.  It may, or may not, be a doubtful point after the TD investigates 
at the table.  Please note that Manuela originally quoted the statement 
as "Four tricks in spades and I have the DQ."  There's no malice in that 
translation and it may indeed represent an accurate portrayal of what 
declarer intended to say but subsequent accounts make it clear that this 
is something a TD should have investigated (had one been called).

It's just one example of the uncertainties I have about this case from 
reading a [single point of view] written report.  At the table I'd 
investigate those uncertainties - after so doing I may decide there are 
many doubtful points and rule 9 tricks, or no doubtful points and award 
13.  TDs should not be abdicating responsibility by simply ruling such 
points as doubtful without bothering to investigate.

> But any question like: "Do the spades run? If not then I have to think
> again" is entirely improper.

It may be improper, and if you consider it so you may impose a penalty 
for the impropriety.  Nevertheless such "improper" claims happen and may 
even be normal within the style of a given club.  What a TD may not do 
is adjudicate against an improper claim if he has no doubt as to the 
number of tricks which would have resulted.

IME "improper" claims of the above type speed up the game and work well 
*much* more often than they cause problems so I'm disinclined to penalise 
them.

Also IME there are a small minority of bridge lawyers who will quibble 
the slightest grammatical error in a claim statement in the hope that 
the TD will award them a trick they didn't believe for a moment they 
were going to win.  Such players damage the game as whole and I'm damned 
if I'm going to reward them by ruling in their favour - hence the need 
to investigate all aspects of these cases properly.

Tim