APPEAL no. 11 |

Appeals Committee
Chairman | Rich Colker | USA
Members | Naki Bruni David Stevenson | ITA GBR
Scribe | David Stevenson | GBR

Event
1998 World Championships
Junior Teams | Round 5
Countries
Denmark | v | The Netherlands
Players
NS |  |
EW |  |
Board
Board 13. Dealer North. Game All
| ª | Q 7 3 |
© | 9 6
¨ | A 10 8
§ | K Q 10 6 5
ª | 10 8 |  | ª | A K J 9 4
© | Q J 10 8 | © | A 4
¨ | 9 5 4 3 2 | ¨ | K 6
§ | 7 2 | § | A J 9 4
| ª | 6 5 2 |
© | K 7 5 3 2
¨ | Q J 7
§ | 8 3
West |  | North |  | East |  | South
|  | 1NT¹ |  | Dble² |  | Rdble³
All Pass |  |  |  |  |  |
¹ 12-14 HCP ² Explained: E to N as 4M 5+m or strong; W to S as 14+ HCP ³ Runout: forces 2§
Result
1NT redoubled minus two
Facts
North lost 1000 in 1NT redoubled, and then South called the TD. The double of 1NT was described by East to North as four cards in a major and five cards in a minor, or strong. The double of 1NT was described by West to South as 14+ HCP. West's description was correct. N/S played that if the double of 1NT is for penalties then redouble asks North to bid 2§, prior to signing off in his longest suit; if the double of 1NT is two-suited then redouble is for business, asking North to pass.
TD's Decision
2© doubled minus three, N/S -800

Appellants
N/S
Players' Comments
North/South said that if they were not misinformed then North would have bid 2§, East would have doubled to show clubs (not necessarily extra values), and with only 3 HCP West would be unlikely to find a double. Thus the final contract would probably have been 2ª by East, or 2© undoubled by South. They suggested that in deciding the adjustment they believed the TD had given the benefit of the doubt to the wrong side. East said he gave the wrong explanation because in his country any 1NT opening that is not 15-17 has to be alerted. In the absence of an alert he assumed it was a 15-17 1NT and acted accordingly. West said that a double of 2§ would show extra values (not necessarily long clubs) and a willingness to defend. He said it would be the same if the 1NT opening had been strong: after a double, redouble, taken out to 2§ by opener, double would show extra values (not necessarily long clubs).

Committee's Comments
The Committee decided that, had North bid 2§ and East doubled, West would double South's 2H a majority of the time. So as to do equity under Law 12C3 they decided to assign a weighted score. The Committee pointed out that with screens it is desirable to write down the range of a 1NT opening if there is any possibility at all that it would be misunderstood otherwise.
Committee's Decision
The Committee ruled: North/South would get -800 in 2© doubled two-thirds of the time. North/South would get -110 in 2ª one-third of the time.
Relevant Laws
Law 75A, Law 12C2
Deposit
Returned | X
Forfeited |

Return to Top of page | To main Championship page