[blml] 3NT or 4S

[Wayne Burrows]

Screens in use.

Uncontested auction.

West North East South
                 1S    Pass
2D     Pass 3NT  Pass
4S     All Pass

This was how the auction was intended but things did not quite happen this way.

As the tray was being passed through the screen after the 4S bid the
4S card fell off the tray.  South who was responsible for moving the
tray replaced the 4S card on the tray.  However somehow the 4S card
still did not make it to the other side of the screen.

Neither North nor East noticed that West had not passed (nor bid 4S or
any other bid).  North passed thinking he was passing out 3NT.

The tray was passed through to the other side of the screen where now
neither South nor West noticed that East had not passed or bid.  South
passed thinking she was passing out 4S.

I suspect that the 4S card had been caught in the screen and was
somehow picked up by the tray as it returned.

South now brilliantly underled her diamond ace against 4S and partner
won the singleton queen.  The play continues until about trick 8 or 9
when declarer claimed pitching his spades on his established winners.
This was a novel idea for South who believed that spades were trumps.

In reality the auction had gone:

West North East South
                 1S    Pass
2D     Pass 3NT  Pass
---      Pass

on one side of the screen and

West North East South
                 1S    Pass
2D     Pass 3NT  Pass
4S     Pass ---     Pass

on the other side of the screen.

How would you rule?

3NT had made an overtrick with one defender defending that contract
and the other defending 4S.

4S would most likely have failed especially after the underlead of the
diamond - the underleader did think she was defending 4S.

Wayne