[blml] played or not?

[Nigel]

[Herman de Wael]
The contract is 3NT but declarer is confused and he thinks  he's
playing 5 diamonds. He plays a card from hand and instructs dummy to
"ruff". When the table stops laughing, the director is called.
Has the lowest diamond been played or not?

[Sven Pram]
Why would anybody even think the possibility that a Diamond has been 
called from dummy? "Ruff" refers to a non-existent denomination.

[André Steffens]
To me it seems that declarer's intention was incontrovertible to  play
a small diamond.

[nige1]
I agree with André Steffens. Assuming that diamonds is the most likely 
alternative contract, then declarer seems to have designated a diamond.

[Ed Reppert]
That information was not given in the original post, save by inference 
from "he thought diamonds were trumps" (how did Herman know
that?) The only way to know declarer's intention is to ask him.

[nigel]
I feel it is a mistake to ask declarer if discarding a diamond would 
probably cost a trick. Some declarers may admit that they thought 
diamonds were trumps bit others may well rationalise some other 
possibility. IMO the director should not encourage a player to 
prevaricate, unnecessarily.

[Jerry Fusselman]
...Law 45B: "Director plays a card from dummy by naming the card"  If 
declarer's intention is incontrovertible from his attempt to name the 
card, then the intended card is deemed played by Law 46B0.  The only 
remaining issue, it seems to me, is whether his intention to play a 
small diamond was incontrovertible.  I think the information we have 
is not quite sufficient to be sure, though I suspect it was 
incontrovertible.

[nige1]
I agree with Jerry Fusselman. For example, suppose that the nine of 
diamonds is the only nine and the only diamond in dummy. If diamonds 
is the putative trump suit then declarer plays D9 when he nominates 
"nine" "diamond" "carrot" "ruff" "trump" or even "curse of Scotland.

[Grattan Endicott]
+=+ Your deuce nominates a card - by rank or suit or both. "Ruff " 
does not designate a card. It designates an intended play. Laws 45 and 
46 are concerned with the designation of cards,except that 46B5 deals 
with plays where no card is designated. +=+

[Mr. Eliot's Sunday Morning Service]
Sweeney shifts from ham to ham
Stirring the water in his bath.
The masters of the subtle schools
Are controversial, polymath.