[blml] A Psyche Classification

[John Probst]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Gampas at aol.com>
To: <blml at amsterdamned.org>
Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 4:41 AM
Subject: Re: [blml] A Psyche Classification


> Dealer North - Love All
> North
> Scoring:
> Hybrid
>
> K 9 7  3
> 6 4
> K 10  5
> K Q 9 7
> .
> J 6 4  2             A  5
> K J 10 7 5 3     Q 9 8 2
> 9                     Q  8 6 3 2
> 6  3                 10  4
>
> Q 10  8
> A
> A J 7  4
> A J 8 5 2
>
> West North East South
> Pass Pass Pass 1C
> 2H Dble* 2S 3D
> Pass 4C 4H 5C
> Pass Pass Pass
>
> 2H was weak; *alerted, 'likely' to have four spades
> Result: 5C - 1 by  South = -50
>
> Tournament Director's comments: I feel this is close to being Amber -
> although pass may be the advisable action, many players would have raised 
> spades,
> and West must have been aware that this is a potential psyche situation. 
> I
> ruled the psyche GREEN.
>
> The above was a psyche in the Pachabo in England, originally ruled green 
> by
> the TD and reclassified by the L&E as red. It would seem from  later 
> minutes
> that East-West produced the opinion of three Grandmasters who  would all 
> have
> passed on the West hand. East-West submitted arguments that 2S  implied a 
> heart
> fit (it is clearly fit non jump to any average plus player), and  pass
> therefore showed a minimum. I would tend to agree with them - West knows 
> that it is
> not their hand, and raising spades will only help North-South  diagnose a
> double fit, when East-West may have to save at the five (or even six) 
> level.
>
> I can understand that antipathy towards "nasty, dirty, horrible" psyches
> generates this type of verdict. I would however, have reclassified it as 
> amber,
> rather than green. It is a common psyche situation, and the benefit of the
> doubt  has to be given to the opponents of the pair who psyched. After the 
> red
> classification there should have been a score adjustment when South  had 
> gone
> off in a cold game, although I did not see this adjustment in the  L&E 
> minutes.
> How would others have classified it?
>
Why should West, when he knows opponents have game values assist the 
opponents to diagnose a 4-1 spade fit and thus assess game as more likely? 
Why should West when he knows his side are seriously outgunned, try a 4-4 
spade fit when he knows spades are breaking badly?  Why should West want to 
commit unassisted suicide? suicide is also an infraction of law in England. 
ye gods, Pass is obvious. and DALB is (and I know him well enough to say it) 
being ridiculous here. Were the West hand better, a 2S call (against a known 
4-1 break) is still crazy, but I might rule an amber.  What do I know; I'm 
not a Grandmaster.?   John
>
>
>
>
>
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