[blml] Illegal convention

[Adam Beneschan]

> At 19:16 2/10/2006 -0700, Adam Beneschan wrote:
> 
> > >
> > > Yesterday, we opened 1NT and heard a 2D overcall, which turned out to
> > > have an illegal meaning.  This was in a team match, and the board had
> > > not yet been played at the other table.  What should the ruling have
> > > been? (The TD had us redeal, which was fine with us, but I have no idea
> > > whether it was technically correct.)
> 
> It seems within TD's rights, but I don't like this.
> 
> Suppose a pair plays that some non-essential opening (say, 2H) could be 
> anything. That's an illegal convention. When they envision problems because 
> the system deals badly with their current hand, they open 2H (not too 
> often, of course). Problem solved.
> There should be, at the very least, a PP for isung an illegal convention

To clear up any possible confusion, the part you quoted was actually
written by Steve Willner, not me.

Anyway, I tend to agree with you, except that if a pair is using an
illegal convention because (1) the convention regulations or charts
involved are ambiguous or difficult to understand, so that they might
reasonably think they're using a legal convention, or (2) the
convention used to be legal but was recently made illegal, then a PP
might not be appropriate---some other solution is needed.

                                -- Adam