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guggie, on Aug 17 2005, 02:21 AM, said:
Once upon a time alerts were invented to alert opponents that a bid meaned something different than the opponent would expect.
I still think the use of alerts is to call the opps' attention to a bid with unexpected properties.
I think it is utter nonsense to alert transfers for the majors. An alert for stayman might be usefull if a 4c major is not obligatory. Alerts are meant to be helpful, not to be a goal per se and means to get un undeserved plus score if some opp forgot to alert an xfer.
If these riules: "alert all unnatural bids" will prevail, the only safe way is to alert all yr bids. The explaining will take a lot of time away from the bridge ("may be off shape and off agreements" maybe handy as universal explication). It is one sure way to chase people away from bridge.
I would strongly advocate to go back to: "alert if you think yr opps should know about this bid".
I still think the use of alerts is to call the opps' attention to a bid with unexpected properties.
I think it is utter nonsense to alert transfers for the majors. An alert for stayman might be usefull if a 4c major is not obligatory. Alerts are meant to be helpful, not to be a goal per se and means to get un undeserved plus score if some opp forgot to alert an xfer.
If these riules: "alert all unnatural bids" will prevail, the only safe way is to alert all yr bids. The explaining will take a lot of time away from the bridge ("may be off shape and off agreements" maybe handy as universal explication). It is one sure way to chase people away from bridge.
I would strongly advocate to go back to: "alert if you think yr opps should know about this bid".
Utter nonsense to alert transfers? Does that imply that you would want natural stop bids alerted? OMG, where is the world coming to?
Many of the succesful czech pairs play ACOL written by Ota Svoboda, which includes two staymans and natural stop bids (weak NT). It is absolutely AGAINST any sense to alert a natural bid!
You don't get an undeserved plus if some opp forgot to alert a transfer, UNLESS the lack of alert causes damage (lead-director double etc).
These alerting guidelines are meant to protect the innocent and save their time. I certainly don't want to waste my mental energy when playing online bridge or playing while travelling abroad by thinking:
- oh, I should really learn what do they play here. Do I get a penalty if I fail to alert some natural bid?
- oh, this double of my diamond stopper must be a takeout, so if the other opponent passed, they're in a bad fix...
I readily agree that you should "alert if you think yr opps should know about this bid." - but use this rule only AFTER the rule "alert ALL artifical bids".