[blml] Announce or alert?

[David Grabiner]

"Grattan Endicott" <gesta at tiscali.co.uk> writes:

> +=+ It does seem to me that announcements are a good
> thing when the announced meaning is clearly something
> that the partners will not get wrong. Opening bids and
> responses thereto, for example. I am less sure of them
> in competitive situations. I offer opinion that experiment
> initially could be confined to meanings of the first type.
> After experience consider further developments.

This is correct in theory but not necessarily in practice.  The theoretical 
advantage of announcements is that they avoid routine alerts, and thus save time 
and avoid UI when the opponents must regularly ask, and allow the alert to call 
attention to the unusual call.  In particular, if you play forcing Stayman, 
1NT-2D is alerted, not announced, and the opponents are more likely to check the 
CC or ask, because a Jacoby transfer would be announced.

The problem in practice is that announcements are misused.  1NT-2S is often 
announced as "Transfer" or even "Transfer to clubs", and many players who 
announce it don't actually use it as a transfer to clubs, but as a sign-off in 
either minor.  Once the auction goes 1NT-2S-3C-3D, you know you have been 
misinformed, but it is too late to bid 3C over 2S, and unlikely (although 
legally possible) that the TD will be called if the player wanted to double 3C 
for the lead against a likely diamond contract.  And if the auction goes 
(1NT)-(2S)-3H, you may not know about the MI until you play the hand and find 
that opener has five clubs and responder three.

Players also use announcements on unclear auctions, generalizing the principles; 
this may create a UI problem.  (1H)-P-(P)-1NT is sometimes announced as "11-14" 
(there is a space for this sequence on the ACBL CC but many players haven't 
agreed on it).  If the announcement replaces an alert, there is not normally a 
UI problem; 1NT-(2C)-2H when bid with hearts causes the same UI whether 2H is 
alerted or announced as "Transfer".