N...................E....................S......................W
1♣*.......... 1NT**................?
* Artificial 16+
** Two suits of the same shape (either ♣&♥ or ♦&♠) and point range UNKNOWN
Is Easts bid legitimate? Is he allowed to make a bid that is not only ambiguous in terms of suits but also in terms of values?
(As it happened N-S missed a fairly straightforward slam, giving them a bad score.)
(2) Next, is it acceptable to open 1NT (or natural 2NT) with values slightly less or more (by 1 point) than the specified range, after downgrading or upgrading the hand? For example: