November 2022 - 40

RULING THE Game
Q
Our opponents had a complicated
auction, and I could
not remember whether it was
my lead, so I asked for a review of the
bidding. The opponents objected;
as it turned out, it was my partner's
turn to lead. They said I was giving
information to partner by asking for
a review of the bidding at her turn
to play. How was I supposed to keep
from leading out of turn if the opponents
don't have to review the bidding
for me?
A
I can imagine your frustration.
Law 20C1 gives defenders
the right to ask whether it
was their lead, and Law 47E1 allows
a lead of out turn to be retracted
without penalty if the opponents misinform
a player that it is their lead.
Technically, the law does not require
your opponents to answer your question
about whose lead it is. If you cannot
get a satisfactory answer, call the
director before leading. The TD will
make sure everyone knows whose
lead it is. Your opponents are correct
that you can only ask for a review at
your own turn. Law 20C2 says that
a player may receive a review of the
bidding until they play to the first
trick. Declarer's play from dummy is
considered their first play. Asking for
a review of the bidding might suggest
there is something in the bidding
(such as your overcalled suit) that you
would like to draw partner's attention
to before they select a lead. It's good
to follow correct procedure whenever
possible to avoid any appearance of
impropriety, even when the deviation
from correct procedure is completely
innocent.
Q
When I revoke, it always
seems to cost a trick, but when
my opponent revokes, the director
gives me back a trick I was always
going to win anyway. I wish the
penalty was still the old one where it
40 | Bridge Bulletin | November 2022
was almost always two tricks. What
is the rule now, and why does it seem
so inconsistent?
A
Older versions of the revoke
law were quite punitive.
The provision you refer to is
one where a second trick was transferred
when the revoking side won at
least two tricks beginning with the
revoke trick and a trick was won by
the revoking player with a card that
could legally have been played to the
revoke trick. For instance, you might
hold Q-x of diamonds. You follow to
the ace but do not play your queen
under the king. The next time diamonds
are played, your " hold up " play
has created a winner for your side.
Beginning with the 2007 revision to
the Laws (which did not take effect
in ACBL until 2008), Law 64A2 says
this revoke now costs one trick rather
than two. As you suggest, this revoke
effectively comes with no penalty.
The diamond winner you created
illegally is the trick which is transferred
to the opponents. Under the
old code, if your side scored any trick
- including the trick on which you
revoked - that trick would be transferred
as well. This two-trick transfer
typically resulted in an extra trick
for the non-offending side, whereas
the current one-trick transfer often
simply transfers a trick the non-ofMODERATOR:
MATT KOLTNOW
NATIONAL TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
rulings@acbl.org
fenders would have won if there had
been no revoke.
Here's another case: On the run of
the opponent's long club suit, you fail
to follow with a low club, and you play
your low club on the next round of the
suit. Law 64A2 says that, provided
your side wins any trick after this
point, one trick will be transferred
to the opponents. This revoke likely
did not affect the play, although it
might have confused the declarer.
Remember that Law 63A1 says that
your revoke is not established until
your side plays to the next trick. It is
still correctable until you or partner
plays a card to the next trick. In fact,
Law 62 says you must correct your revoke
if attention has been drawn to it
before it becomes established. When
that next club is led, it is not too late
to call for the director and explain
that you need to correct your play
to the previous trick. The card you
played becomes a penalty card, and
the club you had to play gets played on
the previous trick. Declarer might no
longer choose to keep playing clubs,
as Law 47D says a player is legally
allowed to change their play after an
opponent corrects an illegal play.
In sum, you might not gain anything
when your opponents revoke,
but sometimes you do. You cannot
gain from your own revoke, but sometimes
you do not lose either.
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November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2022
