[nige1]

Some contemporaries disagree but, AFAIR, weak-twos were once illegal in England. My vague memory is that, about half a century ago, systems rather than conventions were licensed. Some top players disliked weak-twos, so they weren't allowed. Please comment.

More generally, do you have an archive of Bridge-law? And have you considered collating it for posterity?

[pran]

nige1, on 2016-May-15, 08:42, said:

Some contemporaries disagree but, AFAIR, weak-twos were once illegal in England. My vague memory is that, about half a century ago, systems rather than conventions were licensed. Some top players disliked weak-twos, so they weren't allowed. Please comment.

More generally, do you have an archive of Bridge-law? And have you considered collating it for posterity?

I have various (not complete) Law books back to about 1930 and I doubt that this ever has been a matter of Law.

However I also have an (incomplete) archive of the American Bridge World magazine since 1932 (interrupted by the WW2 periode). There I remember reading about an intriguing conflict between English and American authorities:

The early laws defined as "Exposed Card" (among other criteria) "any card held by a player if he has said anything indicating that he holds it".

England wasn't entirely happy about the in America ongoing development of more precise bidding conventions for the purpose of reaching good slam contracts. Culbertson had created his asking bids which in fact often resulted in one or more specific cards to be accurately located, and such auctions were deemed illegal in England.

It took some arguing from both sides before England eventually accepted Culbertson's view: "said anything" does not apply to otherwise legal calls.

The English strongly argued for as natural auctions as possible, and another suggestion I think I remember seeing was to introduce a new call "Challenge". This call could be made immediately following an opponent's bid at the 4-level or higher and the effect should be that the auction is immediately terminated with the challenged bid being played for a redoubled score.

That of course would mean the end of all artificial bids above the 3-level (including for instance Blackwood) so it is probably a fortune that this suggestion never had a chance.

[barmar]

The book "Bumblepuppy Days", which describes the history of bridge, includes some description of how the laws changed over time, but I don't think it goes into this level of detail. Mostly it's about which bridge organizations took the lead in producing each of the early versions of the Laws.

[pran]

barmar, on 2016-May-16, 08:43, said:

The book "Bumblepuppy Days", which describes the history of bridge, includes some description of how the laws changed over time, but I don't think it goes into this level of detail. Mostly it's about which bridge organizations took the lead in producing each of the early versions of the Laws.

Before or after 1935?

[Lovera]

I have the complete law of bridge of 1948 (it is in the text by E. Culbertson).

[pran]

Lovera, on 2016-May-16, 09:50, said:

I have the complete law of bridge of 1948 (it is in the text by E. Culbertson).

And that was (according to my library) the first International Duplicate Contract Bridge Code.

It was a joint venture agreed upon and promulgated by:
The Portland Club
The European Bridge League
The National Laws Commission of America.

[Lovera]

pran, on 2016-May-16, 11:31, said:

And that was (according to my library) the first International Duplicate Contract Bridge Code.

It was a joint venture agreed upon and promulgated by:
The Portland Club
The European Bridge League
The National Laws Commission of America.

Yes and not this one only, there is the name of De Nexton too.

[Lovera]

pran, on 2016-May-16, 11:31, said:

And that was (according to my library) the first International Duplicate Contract Bridge Code.

It was a joint venture agreed upon and promulgated by:
The Portland Club
The European Bridge League
The National Laws Commission of America.

Yes and not this one only, there is the name of De Nexton too. CARDCOMMITTEEOFTHEPORTLANDCLUBSIRA.NOELMOBBS,K.C.V.O.,O.B.E.,ChairmanLT.-COL.J.C.CRAIGIE,M.C.H.H.RENSHAWDR.N.WOODHILLJ.O.HASTIEARNOLDWARDF.E.PERRYK.HURST-BROWNGEOFFREYBUTLERSIRGUYDOMVILLE,BT.COL.G.G.J.WALSHEBARONR.DENEXON