[Gerben42]

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2♥ as per system showed a weak raise (0 - 5) with 3-card support but was not alerted. After the opening lead, North called the director because he because he assumed it was a constructive raise (6 - 10) and might have bid differently if he had known the correct meaning. You let them play the board, hear that the result was down 4, NS 800.

North states that he would have made a forcing bid with the correct explanation rather than the more preemptive 4♠, but now he thought slam would be too remote.

How do you rule?

[Cyberyeti]

Result stands, I don't think they are bidding the (lousy on the marked heart lead) slam at the table so there's no damage as they already scored better than 5♠.

[pran]

Gerben42, on 2011-January-23, 13:50, said:

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2♥ as per system showed a weak raise (0 - 5) with 3-card support but was not alerted. After the opening lead, North called the director because he because he assumed it was a constructive raise (6 - 10) and might have bid differently if he had known the correct meaning. You let them play the board, hear that the result was down 4, NS 800.

North states that he would have made a forcing bid with the correct explanation rather than the more preemptive 4♠, but now he thought slam would be too remote.

How do you rule?

Does the German alert regulation require alert in this situation?

I ask primarily because my own general rule when I raise partners opening bid after an intervening double is to bid one step higher (for the preemptive effect) than I would have bid without the double, and it has never occurred to me that an alert is required here.

So I looked up the applicable Norwegian alert regulation and found:

Alert is required for any call that is forcing following RHO's double of partner's opening bid.

In Norway North will have received correct information. As I am going to play at an event in Germany this summer I am anxiouos to know if the German alert regulation differs from the Norwegian on this point?

[FrancesHinden]

I assume this was alertable, or else there's obviously no MI
But even if it is alertable, result stands. I can't believe that a, say, 5-8 HCP 2H bid would need alerting, and I struggle to see why they are going to get to the (poor) slam even after an alert. The slam needs quite a lot of cards right.

[jallerton]

pran, on 2011-January-23, 14:53, said:

So I looked up the applicable Norwegian alert regulation and found:

Alert is required for any call that is forcing following RHO's double of partner's opening bid.

So in Norway, are players supposed to alert a natural and forcing 1♠ bid in the sequence 1♥-(dbl)-1♠?

[Gerben42]

Hello Sven,

Alert rules in Germany are somewhat different than in most countries. Basically, anything that is not part of an old-fashioned standard system is alertable.

We don't alert:
* Pass / Double / Redouble
* Stayman promising 4-card major
* 2♣ as strongest opening
* 2suit as semiforcing.

Transfers are alerted, not announced.

You should alert natural bids with "unexpected" strength, which includes the 2♥ response in the opening post, negative free bids, weak jump overcalls, non-invitational jump raises, etc.

Frances' raise with 5 - 8 HCP is probably just on the border of not being alertable. What tourney are you planning to play?

[pran]

jallerton, on 2011-January-23, 15:42, said:

So in Norway, are players supposed to alert a natural and forcing 1♠ bid in the sequence 1♥-(dbl)-1♠?

Apparently yes.

[pran]

Gerben42, on 2011-January-23, 16:04, said:

Hello Sven,

Alert rules in Germany are somewhat different than in most countries. Basically, anything that is not part of an old-fashioned standard system is alertable.

We don't alert:
* Pass / Double / Redouble
* Stayman promising 4-card major
* 2♣ as strongest opening
* 2suit as semiforcing.

Transfers are alerted, not announced.

You should alert natural bids with "unexpected" strength, which includes the 2♥ response in the opening post, negative free bids, weak jump overcalls, non-invitational jump raises, etc.

Frances' raise with 5 - 8 HCP is probably just on the border of not being alertable. What tourney are you planning to play?

Thanks for this information.

Eurofestival in Hamburg, early June (I don't remember the actual dates)

[mr1303]

Pp of 25% of a top to NS for wasting my time with daft director calls.

[bluejak]

I have some sympathy with mr1303. N/S are not reaching an awful slam anyway. I might offer them +650 instead of +800 - or how about -100?

It appears there was MI. There was no damage.

[Gerben42]

bluejak, on 2011-January-25, 09:15, said:

I have some sympathy with mr1303. N/S are not reaching an awful slam anyway. I might offer them +650 instead of +800 - or how about -100?

It appears there was MI. There was no damage.

No one reached the slam in the tourney. The other table (it was teams), however, was the only one to make 13 tricks. Unfortunately, that counted only 270

[lamford]

Nobody has mentioned that slam will go off in practice, as declarer will still take the spade finesse on the obvious heart lead, even if West's bid is 0-5. Playing for a singleton king of spades is well against the odds, surely. I would like to reduce North-South's score to +650, as well, but cannot find a legal way to do so!

[Cyberyeti]

lamford, on 2011-February-17, 02:41, said:

Nobody has mentioned that slam will go off in practice, as declarer will still take the spade finesse on the obvious heart lead, even if West's bid is 0-5. Playing for a singleton king of spades is well against the odds, surely. I would like to reduce North-South's score to +650, as well, but cannot find a legal way to do so!

You don't think he might play 3 rounds of diamonds before playing the trump ? Or cash A♠ as a preliminary to this ?

[lamford]

Cyberyeti, on 2011-February-17, 06:01, said:

You don't think he might play 3 rounds of diamonds before playing the trump ? Or cash A♠ as a preliminary to this ?

He will fail then if, say, East has a low doubleton spade. However, cashing the ace of spades and then running the ten of diamonds might be better, also succeeding when East has Kx of spades and Qx of diamonds and some of the time he has Kx of spades and Qxx of diamonds. So, I have changed my view and am uncertain whether it would make or not. But I agree with no adjustment, of course.