[blml] claim

[Guthrie]

[Koen Grauwels]
Yesterday I was called at the table for the case described below. Both 
West and I are (inexperienced and playing) Club directors. West did 
send me a mail to ask to review my decision. West is the best player 
at the table, the other 3 players are at best intermediate.
Mail be West:
"These were the hands when North plays a small club in a NT contract. 
South (dummy) has only small cards left, but no Clubs.
North       East       South      West
C:Jxxx      C:Q10      dummy      H: A
             H:xx                  D: 1098
North plays a small Club and East shows his cards and says: "Two clubs 
for me and the rest is for you". West immediately protests because he 
still has Heart Ace and 3 free diamonds (all higher diamonds are gone).
Now there follows a lot of rumour/discussion at the table because of 
the protest of West (unauthorized information?), after which some of 
the cards come on the table. West is not sure in which sequence the 
cards come on the table; according to North first club Queen and then 
Club Ten, so North now asks 3 tricks. The sequence of club Queen 
followed by the Ten is not important because further play after the 
claim should be cancelled.
The Tournament director now has to decide how many tricks E-W make in 
case of normal completion of the play. It is clear that East will make 
his 2 tricks (club Ten followed by the Queen) in case of normal play. 
Other play by East would be unrealistic and should therefore not be 
taken into account according the rules. Because East now has left only 
Hearts, West will make the remaining tricks. There are no other 
possibilities.

[nige1]
North      East       South      West
C:x        C:Q10      dummy      C: J
H:AT8      H:xx                  D: 9xx
Suppose this had been the ending. From East's point of view the 
position may look the same. But, in this ending, when North leads a 
club, East must crocodile coup CQ to take 2 tricks. CT takes only one 
trick. Hence, IMO, on Koen's actual hand, either ruling is arguable.

BLMLers have long opined that the WBFLC should provide more 
comprehensive guidelines for such rulings.

I agree. It would be even better, IMO, to simplify the law to make all 
such disputes unnecessary.