False Claims

[zielona]

Tournament: unclocked Indy, 6 rounds, 6 boards.

 

In round 3, after few errors from opposition, my partner has the chance of making an un-makeable contract of 2♠. Declarer: E. Vul E/W.

 

Here is the ending:

              North: ♠ - ♥ - ♦ 9 8 ♣ 10 8 3

 

West: ♠ - ♥ 9 7 ♦ - ♣ A K 9 (....) East: ♠ 10 5 2 ♥ - ♦ - ♣ 6 4

 

             South: ♠ - ♥ J ♦ - ♣ Q J 7 5

 

 

Tricks taken: East (declarer): 3, N/S: 5

South took the last trick and leads ♣Q.

 

Declarer claims -1. Both oppenents quickly accept. Dummy contacts non-playing TD. TD rules that "claim/score stand". In further discussion, he states that "if both opps/declarer agree, there is little I can do".

 

Your opinion?

[inquiry]

First off, the director is wrong to say "if both opps/declarer agree, there is little I can do."

 

A director has the right and responsibility to make a ruling on a contested claim.

 

Now, on this hand, it is unlikely that east could go down. But if he thought he had only 4 of the remaining tricks, it is possible he might duck the club Queen is allowed and if your partner had ducked, down one surely would have been the result. Give dummy AK doubleton of clubs so he could not duck it then the director probably should never over turn the claim.

 

But be aware that many "directors" on the BBO are just people trying to help run free and fun tournaments. If you want to have good directors, either choose to play in fee-based tournament like ACBL or find free-tournament directors who know the rules of bridge, and seek their free ones out.

[mink]

If I was defender in this hand I would not accept the claim, an I would be very astonished if declarer ducked after that.

 

This is a case where knowledge of defenders hand is not required to get it right. So even a player who had just lost hist memory would play this correctly.

 

Consequently, I would adjust according to law 71.C if I was director, provided I was called by the dummy in time.

 

Karl