After all that we played bridge and congratulations to the winners, probably listed elsewhere in this edition. (Well, if you say so. Ed.) We all owe a round of applause to everyone who helped out on and at the holiday party. Great job you all and especially Lynn Yokel who not only organized everything and everybody, she also cooked the turkey that I bought. Also, Phyllis Vierra for getting the bid boxes and tables, and waiting around for them to be delivered and picked up, Will Watson for directing, and everyone who brought all the food and deserts. And all of you who helped set up, decorate, etc. It was great!
By the way, in the future, if we go over 19 tables on a Unit game we will try to rent the larger room (assuming it’s available) to accommodate everyone, so in the future keep signing up, and do it early so we have time to rent the other room. Having the large crowd is lots of fun, especially if you’re into schmoozing or want a lot of points for winning!
Our next Unit games are scheduled for January 14, 2001, and February 4, 2001. Look for signup sheets at the club with more info about each game.
Our book exchange at the club is going great, however we are a little low on books currently, so clean out the cupboard or bookcase, or bring that box down out of the garage. Our avid readers would appreciate a larger library, and you would probably appreciate more space in your life.
Our next board meeting will be January 10, 2001 at 5:30 p.m. Feel free to stop by for a slice of pizza.
Happy Holidays to you all, and I hope to see you at the tables soon.
Monday 11 a.m. San Jose Bridge Center (SJBC)
11/6 Virginia English - Beverly Wright (A) 66.45%
Malcolm Stewart - Alan Becker (A)
Andrew Wulfhorst - Jim Wulfhorst (B/C)
Ray Lubow - Maxine Lubow (B/C)
11/13 Art Fonda - Dan Turkus (A/B) 65.1%
Raja Smadi - Malcolm Stewart (A/B/C)
11/20 Helen Mitchell - Kenneth Kenfield (A) 77.22%
Alan Becker - Bev Rennie (A) 69.47%
Lee Tsai - David Chang (B/C)
11/27 Virginia English - Alan Becker (A) 66.06%
Mostafa Hafezi - Bill Yetter (A)
Madie Horton - Billee Giansiracusa (B)
Monday 7:30 p.m. SJBC
11/6 Mike Sullivan - Hiram Shen
11/13 Lynn Yokel - Steve Chen 67.5%
H Zoellner - John Swindlehurst
11/20 R Randolph - Judy Namanny
Graham Burrows - Susan Dinga
11/27 Irv Wentzien - Marion Wentzien
Bob Elliott - Bruce Bajema
Tuesday 10:30 a.m. SJBC
11/7 Tania Moalem - Barbara Harkleroad (A)
Norma Black - Stanford Field (A)
Billee Giansiracusa - Victor Rivkin (B) (tie)
Raja Smadi - Malcolm Stewart (C) (tie)
11/14 Olive Tangney - Barbara Farmer (A)
Missy Coy - Bill Yetter (A/B)
11/21 Norma Black - Stanford Field (A) 69.55%
Bill Yetter - Missy Coy (B)
11/28 Norma Black - Stanford Field (A)
Tania Moalem - Kit Humphrey (A/B)
Tuesday 7:30 p.m. SJBC
11/7 Don Nemiro - Jeanne Becht (A)
George Humphrey - Dan Turkus (A/B)
Douglas Hong - Hamid Navid (B)
George Pledger - Melinda Foos (C)
11/14 Alan Becker - Gigi Spinazze (A) 70.63%
Gary Porter - Leila Sink (A) 69.65%
Walid Baroudi - Z Kadah (B/C)
Hamid Navid - Alan Gengenbach (B/C)
11/21 Paul Nelson - Josephine Cooley (A/B) 65.06%
Derek Fiero - Teddi Fiero (A/B/C)
Nelson Lu - Tony Staw (C)
11/28 Ray Yuenger - Kah Toa Yeung (A/B)
Tania Moalem - J Harpootlian (A/B)
Michael Abrams - June McCullough (C)
Z Kadah - Michael Chu (C)
Wednesday 10:30 a.m. SJBC
11/1 Lee Tsai - Melody Chao (A/B)
11/8 Tania Moalem - Mostafa Hafezi
11/15 Tania Moalem - Art Fonda
11/29 Mostafa Hafezi - Victor Rivkin 67.13%
Wednesday 7:00 p.m. SJBC
11/1 Gigi Spinazze - Shih-Ming Shih (A/B/C) 65.51%
Bob Bates - E Hansen (A/B)
11/8 Robert Madalena - John Schoenbrun (A)
Gary Soules - Jan Soules (A)
Z Kadah - Walid Baroudi (B/C)
11/15 Ruth Froeberg - John Harley (A/B) 65.05%
Harriel Shea - Bonnie Beardsley (A)
Mansoor Gowani - Uma Reddi (B)
11/22 Marshall Yancey - Jack Verson (A)
Alex Stagner - John Rollin (A)
Lynn Yokel - Ray Yuenger (B)
11/29 Annette Powers - Lynn Yokel (A/B) 65.64%
Ruth Froeberg - John Harley (A/B)
Wednesday 7:30 p.m. Oakwood
11/1 David Gambelin - Helen Mitchell
Abby Aldecoa - Larry Miller
11/8 Tina Pearson - Glenda Cichon
Bill Renick - Cathy Stahler
11/15 David Gambelin - Helen Mitchell
Anne Struthers - Elaine Erickson
11/22 David Gambelin - Helen Mitchell
Abby Aldecoa - Larry Miller
11/29 Don Hayden - Ruthann Critchfield
George Humphrey - Susan Zimmerman
Thursday 10:30 a.m. SJBC
11/2 Gary Yang - David Chang 66.05%
Barbara Farmer - Kenneth Kenfield
11/9 Mary Randolph - Tom Randolph
Kathleen Keener - N Hatfield
11/16 Barbara Harkleroad - Judy Fisher 66.2%
Anne Boboricken - Charlie Dorn
11/30 Richard Sarsfield - Jim Hayashi
Anne Boboricken - Charlie Dorn
Thursday 7:30 p.m. SJBC
11/2 Hiram Shen - Phyllis Vierra (A)
Chuck Walters - Joy Walters (A/B)
Billie Untiedt - Kim Kennedy (B)
11/9 Phyllis Vierra - Hiram Shen
Judy Moak - Julie Joyce (A/B)
11/16 Hiram Shen - Phyllis Vierra (A)
Billie Untiedt - Kim Kennedy (A/B)
11/30 Joan Rouse - Robert Rouse (A) 69.05%
Judy Moak - Julie Joyce (A/B)
Friday 11 a.m. SJBC
11/3 Ron Laffen - Judith Clark
Richard Jacobs - Phyllis Vierra
11/10 Hiram Shen - Stan Batiste 68.33%
Irv Wentzien - Marion Wentzien
11/17 Julie Joyce - Bill Traver
Lynn Brown - Graham Burrows
11/24 Hiram Shen - Stan Batiste
H Zoellner - Ron Laffen
Friday 7:30 p.m. SJBC
11/3 Andrea James - Charley James (A)
Hiram Shen - John Prior (A/B/C)
11/10 Srinivasan Ravindran - Dana Brown (A/B) 67.56%
George Humphrey - Mike Roney (A)
Gigi Spinazze - Steve Chen (C)
11/17 Hamid Navid - Walt Hoffman (A/B/C)
Andrea James - Charley James (A)
Tom Snouse - Vibeke Gilbreath (B)
11/24 P Kamas - Susan Zimmerman (A)
Gary Porter - Walt Hoffman (A)
Hiram Shen - Jewel Schimke (B)
Saturday 12:45 p.m. SJBC
11/4 Irv Wentzien - Marion Wentzien 68.33%
Florence Switzer - Virginia Raphael
11/11 Wesley Woo - L. W. Lee
David Gambelin - Robert Ujifusa
11/18 Richard Jacobs - Hiram Shen
Bernard Brown - Mildred Brown
11/25 Gigi Spinazze - Albert Lyew
Judy Moak - Julie Joyce
The article by Al Becker in the November Di-Rek’Tor makes some valid
points.
It isn’t proper to ask questions on partner’s behalf, or to alert partner that something strange is happening, and no one is entitled to a bridge lesson in the middle of the event. In some aspects, however, the article is off the mark.
First is the recommended response to a wide class of questions: "The bid you ask about was not alerted, so why are you asking?" Most people raised west of the Delaware River would find this a bit waspish.
Also, the article takes alerts/announcements as the litmus test for the propriety of a question. Before discussing this, let’s look at the relevant laws of duplicate bridge, viz., 20F and 75C:
"20F. Explanation of Calls
"1. During the Auction
During the auction and before the final pass, any player, at his own
turn to call, may request a full explanation of the opponents’ auction
(questions may be asked about calls actually made or about relevant calls
available but not made); replies should normally be given by the partner
of a player who made a call in question (see Law 75C).
"2. During the Play Period
After the final pass and throughout the play period, either defender
at his own turn to play may request an explanation of opposing auction.
At his or dummy’s turn to play, the declarer may request an explanation
of a defender’s call or card play conventions."
(Note from Bill: law 20F contains footnotes and a parenthetical remark
that Law 16, Unauthorized Information, may apply: what this translates
to is that you’re not allowed to ask questions with the purpose of alerting
partner that something unusual is going on.)
"Law75C. Answering Questions on Partnership Agreements.
When explaining the significance of partner’s call or play in reply to an opponent’s inquiry (see Law 20), a player shall disclose all special information conveyed to him through partnership agreement or partnership experience; but he need not disclose inferences drawn from his general knowledge and experience."
Note that none of this says anything about alerts, and for good reason: a bid that’s neither alerted nor announced may still admit of many meanings, and the partnership may have decided on one of them. To cite one of many possible examples, is their first seat weak two bid disciplined or wide ranged?
One case cited in the article is really a counterexample to the author’s thesis: "An opening bid of 1NT is assumed to be normal range (15-17 or 15-18)." The opponents are entitled to know which it is. The difference between 17 and 18 could determine whether or not to play partner for a missing ace. I’ve found that I take more tricks on defense if I count the hands. This information can, in principle, be found by looking at the opponent’s convention card, but if that’s buried under a purse it’s smoother for all concerned if you simply ask.
Finally, how should you respond if a question seems improper under Law 75C? Not the way the article recommends. Simply say, "We haven’t discussed it," if that’s the case. If you have discussed a bid, and have chosen to stick with the standard meaning, e.g., a balancing jump overcall to show a sound opening bid with a six-card suit, you can say, "We’ve agreed to the standard meaning."
If the opponent persists with what you feel is an improper inquiry,
call the director. (By the same token, if your question receives a rude
or insufficient answer, call the director. Ed.)