ALTRINCHAM BRIDGE CLUB Home page Directors diary
QUIZ ON THE LAWS
Try your hand at the following questions, answering True or False. The questions are repeated at the end with the answer underneath each question.
These are reproduced as an extract from a larger set of questions by Morris Jones and Gary Porter.
1. After making an insufficient bid, the first option is for the offending player to correct the bid to a sufficient bid in the same denomination (suit or no trump) with no penalty.
2. When the dummy is faced, it is too late for any player to ask for a review of the bidding.
3. During the play, declarer or either defender may ask for an explanation of an opponent’s bid.
4. During the play, dummy may not look at an opponent’s convention card.
5. During the play, it is improper for declarer to ask what the contract is.
6. The auction proceeds 2NT — pass — 2 Clubs (insufficient bid). If the 2C bid is not accepted, the director should now allow openers partner to correct his bid to 3C without penalty.
7. As a defender, I should call attention to my partners failure to alert my alertable bid before he makes the opening lead.
8. Until a card is led to the next trick, declarer or either defender may inspect, but not expose, his own last card played.
9. If dummy notices that declarer has a quitted trick turned wrongly, he should call it to his attention as soon as possible.
10. When any player at the table notices an irregularity during the play, he should call the director immediately.
11. Dummy is allowed to attempt to prevent an irregularity by declarer.
12. If declarer leads from the wrong hand, then either defender may accept this lead.
13. By Law, you must count the cards in your hand before examining them.
14. By Law, you must count the cards in your hand before putting them back in the board
15. A defenders card is considered as played when held in a position such that his partner could see it, even if partner is not looking.
16. If a defender accidentally drops a small card face up, it becomes a minor penalty card.
17. If a player revokes to a trick, then the opposition must get at least a one-trick penalty.
18. After declarer claims the remaining tricks, if a defender disagrees with the claim, he should ask
declarer to continue to play the hand.
The questions are now repeated, with the answer given in each case.
Peter Dawson May 2001
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1. After making an insufficient bid, the first option is for the offending player to correct the bid to a sufficient bid in the same denomination (suit or no trump) with no penalty.
FALSE
2. When the dummy is faced, it is too late for any player to ask for a review of the bidding.
FALSE - declarer’s right hand opponent may ask for a review of the bidding before playing to the first trick. Declarer can also get a review before calling for the first card from dummy. (Law 20C2.)
3. During the play, declarer or either defender may ask for an explanation of an opponent’s bid.
TRUE - in addition, explanation of defender’s signals can also be obtained at any time during the play. (Law 20F2.)
4.
During the play, dummy may not look at an opponent’s convention card.TRUE - it is possible that dummy might call attention to something of interest on the opponent’s card, and affect declarer’s line of play. Dummy may not, in general, take any action which might affect declarer’s play of the hand. (Law 43A1c.)
5. During the play, it is improper for declarer to ask what the contract is.
FALSE - you may always ask what the contract is, but you may not ask for a review of the auction. You can also find out if the contract is doubled or redoubled, but not which player did the doubling. (Law 41C.)
6. The auction proceeds 2NT – pass - 2Clubs (Insufficient). The director should allow opener’s partner to correct his bid to 3 Clubs without penalty, unless the 2 Club bid is accepted.
FALSE - if the director determines that the insufficient bid may have been a conventional call (as in this example), and it is not accepted by the next player, the call must be substituted with any legal call (other than double), and his partner must pass for the remainder of the auction. Not all cases are as clear-cut as this one, so always consult with the director. This is an important rule to know! (Law 27B2.)
7. As a defender, I should call attention to my partner’s failure to alert my alertable bid before he makes the opening lead.
FALSE - as a defender you must wait until the end of the play to call attention to a failure to alert. Otherwise, your announcement could affect your partner’s defensive play, and that is not allowed. If your side is declaring, you must call attention to a failure to alert before the opening lead is faced. (Law 75D2.) (On the other hand, if you suddenly realize that you should have alerted a bid, you should say so immediately, even if it isn’t your turn to call or play.)
8. Until a card is led to the next trick, declarer or either defender may inspect, but not expose, his own last card played.
TRUE
(Law 66B.)9. If dummy notices that declarer has a quitted trick turned wrong, he should call it to his attention as soon as possible.
FALSE - dummy may not help declarer play the hand. Correcting the trick record could well affect declarer’s line of play. (Law 43A1c.)
10.
When any player at the table notices an irregularity during the play, he should call the director immediately.FALSE -dummy must not initiate a call to the director. Doing so forfeits any right to a penalty. If dummy notices an irregularity during the play, he should call the director only after the last trick is played. (Law 43A1 a.) (This limitation does not apply to any of the other players.)
11. Dummy is allowed to attempt to prevent an irregularity by declarer.
TRUE
12. If declarer leads from the wrong hand, the lead must be corrected unless either defender accepts.
TRUE
13. By law, you must count the cards in your hand before examining them.
TRUE
- Count your cards before looking at them. (Law 7B1.)FALSE
15. A defender’s card is considered ‘played" when held in a position such that his partner could see it.
TRUE
a position such that he could have seen it, it is considered ‘played "(Law 45C 1.)
(Declarer has a different rule!)
16. If a defender accidentally drops a small card face up, it is a minor penalty card.
TRUE
EDITOR
- However, the possession of the card is unauthorised information for partner.17. If a player revokes to a trick, then the opposition must get at least a one-trick penalty.
FALSE
- The revoke rule is complicated, and the penalty depends on the situation. The penalty could be two tricks, one trick, no tricks, or more than two tricks, depending on who won the revoke trick, and what happened afterward. Always ask a director. (Law 64.)18. After declarer claims the remaining tricks, If a defender disagrees with the claim, he should ask declarer to continue playing.
FALSE