[blml] Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[richard.hills at immi.gov.au]

Richard Hills:

>>In my opinion correct explanations becoming AI would be
>>a cure worse than the disease in an expert tournament.

Steve Willner:

>I'm curious what you perceive the problems to be.

Richard Hills:

Try this case study.

In the good old days, complex conventions were only used
in uncontested auctions.  Nowadays in many contested
auctions complex conventions also appear.  A case in
point is two-suited overcalls such as the Michaels
Cuebid.

But in Australia there are at least three different
regional variations on the Michaels Cuebid, and in
Australia the system cards of those using one of those
three regional variations usually merely lists "Michaels"
in the relevant box.  (But my pernickety habit is to write
over-comprehensive details on my own personal system card,
including an explicit definition of my version of the
Michaels Cuebid.)

If East does not enquire about the meaning of a "Michaels",
East may enter the auction only to discover East has bid
a suit promised by the "Michaels" bidder, and East goes for
a penalty of -1100.

If East does enquire about the meaning of a "Michaels", and
Steve's AI rule for a correct explanation was in place,
then the "Michaels" bidder gets an AI reminder that the
partnership agreement is "Adelaide" Michaels rather than
"Sydney" Michaels, so gains AI to take corrective action
after their misbid of "Adelaide" Michaels.

That is, Steve's proposed law change would mean that the
East-West side opposing a North-South side using "Michaels"
would be in a Catch-22 situation, either:

(a) suffering through East's ignorance of the North-South
    methods, or

(b) suffering through East giving an opponent an AI reminder
    of their North-South methods.


Best wishes

Richard James Hills, amicus curiae
National Training Branch, DIAC
02 6223 9052

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