[blml] Are the laws clear on telling pard to ask a question?

[Ed Reppert]

On Mar 14, 2007, at 5:25 PM, Sven Pran wrote:

> East's attempt to ask a question before West has selected her lead is
> illegal and creates extraneous information to West. Among the two
> alternative actions now primarily available to West (either ask or  
> not ask)
> she may not choose the action (to ask) obviously suggested over the  
> other
> (not ask) suggested by East's illegal activity.

A question is not a call or play, so I think you're stretching L16  
out of shape here.

I think you should rather use L73C. Technically, it would seem that  
if, after explaining this law, West still asks the question, South  
must answer (I can't find a law that would allow me to rule that he  
need not), but if West did that, I would issue a significant PP  
(because of "must" in Law 73C) even if I did not adjust the score. I  
will admit that telling South not to answer seems more practical.

> Next West may have more than one logical alternative (up to a  
> maximum of
> thirteen) for her opening lead. Among those alternatives she may  
> not choose
> any card that could demonstrably have been suggested over another  
> by East's
> illegal activity.

OTOH, with this, I agree.