[blml] ACBL LC Detroit minutes [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[David Burn]

[HvS]

3. [law 40] Robb Gordon will circulate a proposal to address misinformation
and misbid concerns of forgetting one's methods in instances where the
confusion caused by forgetting causes more damage to non-forgetters rather
than the forgetters.

[DALB]

I am not sure what progress is likely to be made here. Suppose one proposed
to address misbidding and misplaying concerns in instances where the
confusion caused by mangling the auction and the play caused more damage to
the non-manglers than to the manglers.

For example, North-South cannot remember how (or cannot be bothered) to ask
for the queen of trumps, so they reach a grand slam with this by way of a
trump suit:

A943

KJ62

North cashes the ace, finesses the jack, and makes his grand slam when East
has Q105. Of course, North ought to have led low towards the jack in case
East had the singleton queen, but...

Now, is this damage caused to East-West by North-South forgetting their
methods and being generally clueless? Yes, of course it is (arguments about
the Battle of Waterloo notwithstanding). What does Robb Gordon propose to do
about it? Nothing, I most sincerely hope.

If on the other hand Mr Gordon proposes to do something about situations in
which (a) a pair forgets its methods and (b) it thereby tells the opponents
lies about what its methods actually are, and perhaps (c) it appears to
weasel out of the consequences of having forgotten by taking some
pusillanimous action, then more power to Mr Gordon's elbow. There was a case
not long ago (it might even have been Hans van Staveren who raised it) where
some chap opened 2H to "show" both majors on a 2=5=4=2 shape. Apparently he
had "forgotten", and luckily his partner did not bid 4S and go nine down
doubled; instead, the opponents could have made more spades (six) than they
actually bid (four).

Well, if the chap could substantiate that the "actual partnership agreement"
was that 2H showed hearts and spades, fair enough - just about, though it
still stinks. If he opened 2H intending this as Muiderberg and then connived
at some pretence that it showed hearts and spades, I would... well, I would
see Robb Gordon's point if what he wanted to do was have the man executed.
If you're going to play complicated stuff, you should know what it is you're
playing; there really isn't much of an excuse for making the wrong opening
bid.

David Burn
London, England