[Elianna]

The situation:
South holds

Scoring: MP

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The bidding goes:
East...South...West...North
1NT....2♣(1)...2♣(2).....x(3)
2♥......2♠.......pass.....3♣
pass....3♠....all pass

(1) Unalerted, shows a single-suited hand by partnership agreement.
(2) Did not see the 2♣ bid. As director was called to the table, and North chose to accept the bid.
(3) shows clubs.

South admitted that she knew that partner did not remember their agreement, but claimed that they would always want to play in the major fit instead of the minor fit.

Four players of comparable level were consulted, and all would pass 3♣ with the South hand, so I concluded that:
1. There was UI (knowing partner didn't understand your initial bid that you DON'T have clubs necessarily), and
2. Pass was a Logical Alternative and
3. The non-offending side was damaged
So I decided to adjust the score to 3♣ - 2 (after consulting an expert about the play).

This happened in a 299er (for nonACBL people, that's basically code for Beginner/Intermediate) club game, and so the people were not that cognizant of the laws, and I had a very hard time explaining to south (after the end of the session) what had happened.

1) Do you agree with my ruling (did I miss something?)
2) What would you have done if you were the director?
3) How would you have explained it to South?

[Gerben42]

1) Good ruling, also good to ask someone for help on play.

Quote

South admitted that she knew that partner did not remember their agreement, but claimed that they would always want to play in the major fit instead of the minor fit.

Famous last words. Sorry but 3♠ is stubborn.

2) What would you have done if you were the director?

The same.

3) I would have told South that she had already shown her hand with 2♠, and after 3♣ she should assume partner knows what she has and pass. And perhaps that majors and minors pay the same when they go down

[cherdano]

Well if there was no UI, 3♠ would be a horribly bad bid. But I don't think you should try to explain this to South, just explain that passing is an action many player would take, and thus a logical alternative (even if he personally would always bid 3♠).

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