Re: great idea -- explain own bids

The law on this seems pretty vague to me. Law 20 just says the opps
can ask for an explanation. It has the critical phrase "Replies should
normally be given by the partner of a player who made a call in
question."

Online bridge breaks this rule, unless the online situation itself is
not normal. My proposal would not. Online bridge has no trouble with
the new rule: "Except on the instruction of the Director replies
should be given by the partner of the player who made the call in
question."

I will stick with the old rules, just so this isn't so long. Law 75C:
"When explaining the significance of partner's call...a player shall
disclose all special information conveyed to him through partner****p
agreement or partner****p experience, but he need not disclose
inferences drawn from his general knowledge and experience."

"significance" seems vague to me. I have to say that when I read this,
I think I can describe partner's 2D opening as "no agreement". I know
it won't be a Roman or Multi 2D, but the opps might not. I know it
might be a Flannery 2D and the opps might have no idea of that. But I
get that from my general knowledge and experience. That gives me a
substantial advantage over inexperienced opps, if that is the way it
really works. I don't want that advantage, and it would not be good
for bridge.

Everyone seems to agree that "agreements" includes meta-agreements
like "keep it simple". Everyone seems to agree that agreements include
implicit agreements formed by past auctions. This makes it very
difficult to give a full re****t of agreements in a long-standing
partner****p.

But if the opps think they are damaged and the director is called, the
rules change. Law 40C: "If the director decides that a side has been
damaged through its opponents failure to explain the full meaning of a
call or play, he may award an adjusted score."

This is, as far as I can see, the first mention of "meaning" in the
process. In other words, as I read the rules, there is no requirement
for you to explain the meaning of your bids, but the opps will be
protected if you don't.

I don't find "meaning" as troublesome a word as "significance". To me,
"11-15 HCP, 5 hearts and 4 spades" is the meaning of a bid. Or "12-15
HCP and 2 or more diamonds and as many as 5 clubs" is a meaning even
if the complete verbal agreement is "opening hand and no other opening
bid".