[blml] Réf. : Re: Fw: played or not?

[Jerry Fusselman]

On 8/15/07, Sven Pran <svenpran at online.no> wrote:
> > On Behalf Of Herman De Wael
> > Sven Pran wrote:
> ...............
> > > Did he want to play a diamond or did he want to ruff?
> > > THAT is the "subtle" difference.
> >
> > But that's the same thing!
> > You cannot ask yourself whether he wanted to do the one or the other,
> > since both are (in his mind) the same thing. Of course he wanted to
> > ruff, but in order to do so, he wanted to play a diamond. It's no use
> > trying to distinguish.
>
> When you do not even want to see the difference this discussion is (as I
> suspected) futile.
>

Sven, it is difficult to see your point.  It appears that you consider
it crucial to know whether declarer wanted to ruff and thinking that
diamonds were trump therefore played a diamond, or whether declarer
wanted to play a diamond for some other reason.  You wrote, "Did he
want to play a diamond or did he want to ruff? THAT is the "subtle"
difference."

But declarer's motive for selecting a card is irrelevant to
determining what card he selected under the law.  The card he selected
is all that matters.  Would your really have the director ask declarer
whether or not his choice of a diamond play was motivated by his
desire to ruff?

Jerry Fusselman