[blml] GK&E (was: alertability)

[Marvin French]

From: "Ed Reppert"
>
> On Jan 18, 2007, at 12:47 PM, Eric Landau wrote:
>
> > If The Law really required a full core dump of every
possibly relevant
> > piece of knowledge that might conceivably affect an
opponent's
> > subsequent choice of calls in response to any request
for information
> > whatsoever, why would it even mention the opponents'
right to ask
> > follow-up questions?
>
> It is the alert regulation, not the Law (Law 20F
specifically) that,
> at least in the ACBL, says "Any request for information
should be the
> trigger. Opponents need only indicate the desire for
information -
> all relevant disclosure should be given automatically,"
and "The
> proper way to ask for information is 'please explain.' "
The alert
> regulation does not address follow-up questions.
>
Nor does it address questions about non-Alertable or
non-Announceable calls.

The ACBL Code of Active Ethics specifies what the "Actively
Ethical Bridge Player" does, not what is required. It says
"the actively ethical player will go beyond what is required
in volunteering information to the opponents. Quite often,
the declaring side in an actively ethical partnership will
volunteer such information before the opening lead is made."

The "code" is properly voluntary, since its content is not
stated in the form of an ACBL regulation and (unlike
regulations) was not produced by the ACBL Board of
Directors.  A regulation requiring the declaring side to
volunteer before the opening lead all special partnership
agreements related to the auction is certainly called for.
At least players should be advised to routinely ask for such
information before leading, which very few do.

Marv
Marvin L. French
San Diego, California
www.marvinfrench.com