[Cyberyeti]

This is a hypothetical variant of something that happened in a match played privately at the weekend.

RHO deals, pulls 1♣ out of the bidding box, says "Oh sorry" and replaces it with a pass.

I believe I can cause him to bid the 1♣, but since I have a 2N opener, I accept the pass and we bid a slam.

Not only does the 1C bidder have a flat 9 count (all the missing points), but he has the wrong shape to open 1♣ too (4342, and I know he has only 3 hearts so can't have only 2 clubs for a 1♣ opener).

I now misplay the contract due to the inferences in the club suit. Dummy has QJ9x, I have Axx and the Q is covered, which if Kx is not in the frame, is telling me the finesse of the 9 isn't working.

I presume there is no way of seeking redress for this. RHO has benefitted significantly from the infraction, as I would make the contract if he hadn't done it, but I've already had the option to make him replace the bid.

[gordontd]

L23

[iviehoff]

Cyberyeti, on Apr 26 2010, 09:11 AM, said:

This is a hypothetical variant of something that happened in a match played privately at the weekend.

RHO deals, pulls 1♣ out of the bidding box, says "Oh sorry" and replaces it with a pass.

I believe I can cause him to bid the 1♣, but since I have a 2N opener, I accept the pass and we bid a slam.

Not only does the 1C bidder have a flat 9 count (all the missing points), but he has the wrong shape to open 1♣ too (4342, and I know he has only 3 hearts so can't have only 2 clubs for a 1♣ opener).

I now misplay the contract due to the inferences in the club suit. Dummy has QJ9x, I have Axx and the Q is covered, which if Kx is not in the frame, is telling me the finesse of the 9 isn't working.

I presume there is no way of seeking redress for this. RHO has benefitted significantly from the infraction, as I would make the contract if he hadn't done it, but I've already had the option to make him replace the bid.

There are two possibilities. One is that 1C was genuninely inadvertent - somehow his fingers pulled out 1C instead of pass. In which case you wouldn't be able to force him to bid 1C even if you wanted to. There really no inference in relation to clubs in the case of a genuine inadvertency.

The second possibility, which is what you seem to believe, is that this was an illegal change of call, which, as you say perfectly correctly, you can accept if you choose, in which case there is no penalty to the opposition.

I realise that this is a privately played match, but if you had called a director you might have got a decision that this was an inadvertency, and then perhaps realised that there was no inference to be drawn and not misled yourself later.

You do have the right of relief for irregularities that might damage you, even without intent by the opposition, under L23. But an inadvertency, identified as such, should not damage you. I realise 1C is an uncommon inadvertency for pass. But a change of mind over a bizarre psyche, or deliberate operating, both seem at least as unlikely.