[blml] Another claim with inadequate statement

[Herman De wael]

I'm top-posting at the moment, but my reply is down there:

Herman De Wael
Wilrijk, Antwerpen, Belgium
www.hdw.be

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim West-Meads" <twm at cix.co.uk>
To: blml at rtflb.org
Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2006 03:57 PM
Subject: [blml] Another claim with inadequate statement

 Gordon Bower wrote:
 > 
 > We need a break from encrypted signals arguments, so let's go back to 
 > an old standby, the boundary between careless and irrational.
 > 
 > Dealer West, both sides vul, IMPs (if that matters to you.)
 > 
 >      T97
 >      K
 >      K7432
 >      T932
 > AKJ4      Q6
 > J6          Q98742
 > AQ95      8
 > AJ8       K754
 >       8532
 >       AT53
 >       JT6
 >       Q6
 > 
 > Bidding: 2NT, 3D transfer, 3H, 4H.
 > 
 > 1: CT,4,6,J
 > 2: S4,7,Q,2
 > 3: H2,3,J,K
 > 4: C3,5,Q,A
 > 5: H6,D2,H4,HT
 > 6: D6,DA
 > 

which leaves us with:

      T9
      -
      K7
      932
 AKJ        6
 -            Q987
 Q95      -
 8           K7
       853
       A5
       JT
       -


 > At this point declarer claims 6 of the remaining 7 tricks.

Which seems logical - he knows there is a high trump out, but the CK is high and the other club will be thrown on the high spades.

 > NS look at him expectantly and he says "all tops" or something like 
 > that.
 > I don't think anyone believes West has miscounted the trumps -- but 

That seems strange to me. If he knows there is also a small trump out, then he should realize this could ruff his SK, so he should really see there is a problem left.
One way to find out if he has miscounted is to ask what was followed to the second heart trick. I doubt if the player noticed the red on red discard.
I would let one of his "normal" lines be to cash 2 spades, throwing the club. Sadly, that line works, so we cannot rule the claim down that way.

 > he has not shown any awareness of the fact that he has several 
 > different ways of entering dummy, which are not guaranteed to be 
 > successful.
 > 
 > Do you allow him to make, or do you impose entering dummy with CK, 
 > ruffed?

I think that would be another "normal" line.
 
Tim: No.  I think he might ruff a D to dummy, force out HA, win the S return, 
 ruff a D to dummy, draw the last trump and then start wondering what to 
 do about the C7.

I would not see that as a "normal" line. Claimer thinks he has enough high cards and there is only one high trump out. He does not mistakenly believe the C7 is a high one. He fully intends throwing that on the SK.

 
Tim: I might rule differently depending on what was actually said at the time 
 of the claim statement.

Of course we would. But what was said was consistent with one mistake (and I believe only one possible mistake): he forgot the small trump.
 
So: one normal line:
ruff a diamond, play a heart (taken by the ace of course), diamond return, ruffed, spade to the ace, spade king (club gone), contract made.
But: one other normal line:
club to the king, ruffed - one trick more to the defence.