Late Alert and UI

[McBruce]

East: Pass

South: Pass

West: 1♥

North: 1♠

East: 2♣

South: 2♠

 

At this point, West remembers that their side has agreed to play Drury even in competition and alerts East's 2♣ call. TD is called and allows South to ask about the alert and optionally change the 2♠ call to something else (Law 21B1a). South hears the explanation (3-card support, limit raise values) and chooses to change the 2♠ call to Pass.

 

Is the original 2♠ raise UI to North?

 

Before you decide that this should be put into the "too simple, even for McBruce" forum :D , note that the Laws definition of "withdrawn" includes actions that are 'canceled' but not actions that are 'changed,' which is the phrasing of 21B1a.

 

Perhaps in error (and letting the players know that I wasn't sure), I told North (who asked) that I thought it UI. I'm still not sure. 21B1a also says that the change of call can be made "without other rectification for his side" but I think that just keeps 25B out of this situation. I see nothing in 16A that indicates that the original call is AI, but maybe I'm missing something.

 

West predictably continued with 2♥ and North chose to bid 3♠ anyhow, with:

 

♠ J98652

♥ AQ6

♦ Q765

♣ void

 

East bid 4♥ and they made it.

 

South's hand:

 

♠ AQ3

♥ 85

♦ J9432

♣ T52

[campboy]

Before you decide that this should be put into the "too simple, even for McBruce" forum :) , note that the Laws definition of "withdrawn" includes actions that are 'canceled' but not actions that are 'changed,' which is the phrasing of 21B1a.

Well, the definition actually says:

actions said to be ‘withdrawn’ include actions that are ‘cancelled’ and cards that are ‘retracted’.

Because of the word "include", while the definition says that "cancelled" calls are "withdrawn" it does not say that "changed" calls are not also "withdrawn"; indeed, there is a clear implication that actions considered withdrawn are not limited to the two types given. I would certainly consider that the call in question has been withdrawn.

 

[it is if anything less obvious in normal English that a cancelled call has been withdrawn than that a changed call has been, since "withdrawn" would normally imply a deliberate decision by the player who made the call whereas a cancelled call will normally have been cancelled by the TD applying a law. Perhaps that is why the definition is worded as it is.]

[bluejak]

While I understand the wording is not unambiguous, I believe our interpretation has always been that a call that is changed is withdrawn first, then another call made.

[blackshoe]

Take a look at Law 21B2. It starts out referring to "changed" calls, and later calls them "withdrawn".