International Bridge Laws Forum https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/index.php Tue, 23 Dec 2025 21:55:18 +0000 0 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91501-alerts-and-announcements-over-3nt-level/
For ACBL land, does anyone know what I should alert or announce over 3nt during an auction?


I understand a few years ago the rules changed.

One specific auction is:

1NT=(2s)=4d(heart trf by partner)]]> Tue, 23 Dec 2025 21:55:18 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91501-alerts-and-announcements-over-3nt-level/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91460-when-it-is-ok-to-think/

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(it is not especially relevant, but 1♣ was polish club and 1♠ is 4+, 7+HCP)



Against 3♠ doubled S leads ♦A, everybody plays quickly.
S switches to ♣Q and E goes into a tank (it was described as "for a minute" which may or may not be fully accurate, but the fact is not disputed).
Later S plays for ♣J being with N.

S summons TD claiming that thinking so long before playing ♣K from the dummy W was trying to deceive him into thinking that he does not hold ♣J, because with that card it is obvious to play the king. He claims that the declarer should have played ♣K and thought about the further play afterwards.

E very emphatically claims that he is not playing anything until he figures out what's going on.

Both S and E are players of the highest international level.


What is your opinion?]]> Thu, 11 Dec 2025 06:48:50 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91460-when-it-is-ok-to-think/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91458-acbl-limits-on-1nt-opening-bids/ I know our national regulations intimately and find the EBU regulations clear, but ACBL is more of a mystery and its web site does not help.
I found the convention charts which clarified which NT agreements are legal at Basic/Open levels (essentially at least 10 HCP minimum and at most 5 HCP range) but unless I missed something say nothing about which deviations are disallowed / allowed and psychic / allowed and non-psychic.
How is it considered if we document 15-17 and intentionally deviate with 14 or 18, or with 12 or 21?]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:11:01 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91458-acbl-limits-on-1nt-opening-bids/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91425-false-claim/ Fri, 28 Nov 2025 23:27:06 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91425-false-claim/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91423-timeliness/
Further apologies for appearing smug, but just wanted to mention (given another thread about late arrivals) that yesterday evening I managed something unheard of in Italy: a regional pairs final that started exactly on time (despite many people arriving from 100-200km distance) and played 13 rounds of 2 boards in exactly 3h 15m (with only a couple of time penalties to show I meant business), with everyone happy and on their way home well before midnight.

I was also pleased that the FIGB system did its job, so I was able to impose that players could enter the results on their phone and see how they had scored on a given board, but not see the classification until the end. Still waiting to be able to hide the diagram and scores until they have finished the last board in the round, but that will come.]]> Thu, 27 Nov 2025 22:03:40 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91423-timeliness/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91351-is-3rd-or-5th-encryption/ See WBF systems policy 2.6b.

Is there an equivalent prohibition in ACBL?]]> Fri, 31 Oct 2025 18:05:38 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91351-is-3rd-or-5th-encryption/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91308-please-remind-me-about-alerts/ Fri, 17 Oct 2025 11:07:43 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91308-please-remind-me-about-alerts/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91302-insufficient-bid-1c-1s-1s/
After 1♣ - (1♠) - 1♠

not accepted, responder has few options.

Assuming nothing much is comparable, responder may choose to bid 2♠ in an attempt to keep opener in the game.
That's okay if 2♠ "specifies the same denomination".

Since 2♠ does not specify spades, responder is on his own. Is that right?

After 1♣ - (1♠) - 1♥

responder can presumably make a negative double, since "all" hands that are worth double would have bid 1♥.

Not quite "all". ♠xxx ♥Axx ♦KQx ♣Axxx
looks like a double to me. Is "nearly all" good enough?]]> Thu, 16 Oct 2025 07:46:43 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91302-insufficient-bid-1c-1s-1s/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91295-insufficient-bid-27b1b/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/65161-understanding-law-27b1b/ but there are so many double and triple negatives that I am totally confused - not an uncommon situation.

Its a very simple (and I suspect not uncommon) situation as follows (playing basic Acol with 4cd majors)
N - 1N (12-14)
E - 2H
S - 2C (Stayman) failing to notice the 2H bid!

TD called and
Advises W they may accept the bid. W not interested
Advises S they must make a sufficient 'comparable' (not the actual word but similar) bid and suggests that the only comparable bid would be 2S (Why not 2N?)

S - 2S
W - P
N starts to bid but is advised by TD they must pass for the rest of the auction.

My questions
1. Why is 2N not also allowable? 2N does not deny the presence of a 4 card major
2. Why is N banned from bidding after S had made the recommended 'comparable' bid?]]> Wed, 15 Oct 2025 08:41:05 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91295-insufficient-bid-27b1b/ https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91272-no-trump-range/ Is it true that the allowable HCP range for opening 1NT is now 5 HCP ?s eg 11-15 is legal ? ACBL land Sat, 04 Oct 2025 14:00:27 +0000 https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/91272-no-trump-range/