The EBU has introduced several new regulations for the running of EBU events from 1 August,2006. The club committee has decided to adopt these changes as we need to have conformity with other clubs and competitions.
The
changes are intended to help players understand their opponents’ bidding
without having to ask. Previously,
asking about a bid when you did not expect to bid yourself was frowned upon as
it could pass information to your partner.
But please note – conventions cards are still needed.
The club will introduce one new idea at a time. For those who want to know more there are articles in bridge magazines and a summary is also available on the club notice board.
In each section the rules which apply to most of us are in black. You only need to study the rules in red if you have a complicated system.
A.
ANNOUNCING.
1.One
no trump opening bid and subsequent bids
Your
partner bids 1 NT. All you have to do
is announce its strength! E.g. “twelve
to fourteen”. You announce this as soon
as your partner bids, before the opponents make their next call. If you don’t announce it, the opponents are
entitled to ask you what the strength is.
If your 1 NT opening may
include a singleton you should also announce this: “twelve to fourteen, may
include a singleton”. You do not need
to explain any other details.
2.
Stayman where there has been no intervention by the opposition.
After you open 1NT, your partner responds 2 clubs. If this is Stayman you should announce “Stayman” instead of alerting. Your partner does not need to alert your 2 diamond response.
If your partnership agreement has responses to Stayman which
are not the usual ones, Stayman should be alerted and details should be on your
convention card.
If
there is no announcement or alert, this would mean that 2 clubs is
natural.
If your partner responds 2 diamonds or 2 hearts to your 1 NT opening bid, requiring you to transfer to hearts or spades, you should announce “hearts” or “spades” respectively.
If you have an agreement
whereby the transfer bid does not guarantee 5 cards in the intended suit, then
the transfer should be alerted.
If 2
diamonds or 2 hearts are not announced or alerted, they are assumed to be weak
take-outs.
4. 2 level opening bids
When
partner makes a natural opening bid at the 2 level:
You
should announce the strength of his bid:
1.
“Strong,
forcing”
2.
“Strong,
not forcing”
3.
“Intermediate”
i.e. normal opening strength
4.
“Weak”
Bids
which are not natural should be alerted: e.g. the Acol 2 clubs.
B. ALERTING
1. Doubles
The
following doubles do not need to be alerted:
of natural bids
(assumed to be for take-out)
of 1 NT
(assumed to be for penalties)
of artificial
bids (assumed to be for penalties i.e. to indicate a
holding in the artificial suit)
All other doubles need alerting.
2. Short minor suit opening bids – only alertable if they may contain less than 3
cards in the suit.
3. Calls above 3 NT:
Most
bids over 3 NT no longer need alerting – this includes Gerber and the responses
to it.
Bids over 3 NT which
need to be alerted:
1.
Opening bids if they
show a different suit to the one being bid.
2.
Doubles and redoubles if they show a different
suit to the one being doubled (or redoubled).