[blml] 40B3? [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[richard.hills at immi.gov.au]

2007 Law 40B3:

The Regulating Authority may disallow prior agreement by a
partnership to vary its understandings during the auction or
play following a question asked, a response to a question, or
any irregularity.

Bob Geller:

[snip]

>EXAMPLE 1:  I open 1NT, and LHO doubles.  Partner asks the
>meaning of the double (penalty or takeout).  We vary our
>treatments according to the opponents answer.
>
>EXAMPLE 2.  I open 1NT, and LHO bids 2C.  Partner asks the
>meaning.  We vary our treatments according to the opponents
>answer (i.e. whether 2C shows majors, or an unspecified one
>suiter, or ....).

[snip]

>But my question is, what sort of "varying one's understanding
>according to the answer to a question" did the drafters have
>in mind?  Can anyone provide a good example.   Thanks.
>
>Best,
>Bob

Richard Hills:

The key issue is the phrase "vary its understandings".

In both of Bob Geller's examples there are pre-existing
alternative partnership understandings, one of which will come
into effect dependent on which of two possibilities the
opponents' partnership understandings are.  So there is no
"varying" in Bob Geller's examples.

In my opinion Law 40B3 talks about interrogations, not
directly about the opponents' partnership understandings.

For example, pard opens 1NT 15-18, but when his RHO overcalls
pard chooses to conduct a lengthy enquiry about RHO's overcall,
thus varying your understandings to state that pard actually
has 19 hcp.

For example, an opponent asks partner about your bid.  Pard
gives an answer showing that he has completely forgotten.  You
have a prior agreement with pard to vary your understandings
to avoid disaster (and a prior agreement to vary your later
explanations a la De Wael School to prevent pard having UI
restrictions).


Best wishes

Richard James Hills
Governance & Standards Section
National Training Branch
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Telephone: 02 6223 8439
Email: richard.hills at immi.gov.au

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