ruling q.

[haver]

East playing 3NT West is dummy. At the 7th trick South calls a club and none follows suit, 8th trick South plays a diamond. Now, before covering from dummy, East calls the Tour. Director as he realizes that he has a club.

Question:

Can the Director take back the last, played trick already won by South to replay it, winning by East who is clearly to be blamed for the situation?

[JRG]

You posted this is two different places.

 

This is a question of the Laws.

 

I'm not a director, but I believe when a card is played to the next trick, the revoke becomes established; however, I'm not sure whether the offending side has to play to the next trick or, as in this case, anyone playing to the next trick establishes the revoke.

[easy]

East playing 3NT West is dummy. At the 7th trick South calls a club and none follows suit, 8th trick South plays a diamond. Now, before covering from dummy, East calls the Tour. Director as he realizes that he has a club.

Question:

Can the Director take back the last, played trick already won by South to replay it, winning by East who is clearly to be blamed for the situation?

 

 

Let me make sure i understand what has taken place. East the declarer did not follow suit to a club. On the subsequent trick south leads a diamond and before east calls a card from the dummy he indicates that he has a club that should have been played on the preceding trick.

 

If this is the scenario the revoke has not been established. (law 63A1)" A revoke becomes established when the offender or his partner leads or plays to the following trick. "

 

Now that we have determined that the revoke is not established we need to look at Law 62 " Correction of a revoke"

62A states "A player must correct his revoke if he becomes aware of the regularity before it becomes established.

 

How is the revoke corrected is the next question. Law62B States "To correct a revoke the offender withdraws the card he played in revoking and follows suit with any card."

 

So the answer to your question is yes the director should go back to the preceding trick and allow the declarer to win the trick! The card lead by south is returned to his hand with no penalty. The fact that the declarer caused the problem does not negate his right to win the trick.

 

Remember the goals of the laws of bridge when infractions occur are to restore equity to an injured party not to assign blame and then punish the offender......even though on occasions that seems to be what is happening at the table