The following was submitted by a club director:
"In a notrump contract, Dummy had left the CAK and DK7 (the DK was good). Declarer played a club and said, “I’ll take the three top tricks and give you a diamond.” As everyone was folding up their hands Dummy said, “But if the last two diamonds fall under the king then the D7 is good.”
(The last two diamonds do indeed fall under the king, establishing the D7 as a good trick.)
The questions are:
1. Is dummy allowed to speak? (Law 42 B.3 says “Dummy may draw attention to any irregularity, but only after play of the hand is concluded.”)
2. Should the concession of the last diamond trick be cancelled by the director? (Laws 68, 69 and 70 are a bit fuzzy but Law 71 Concession Cancelled 1. seems to say yes, and Law 79 B.2 adds a bit too.)
What do you think?"
My response is as follows:
1. Yes, dummy may speak. You correctly cited Law 42B3. Law 68D makes it clear that play has ceased. Law 68D also makes it clear that dummy can question (“doubt”) the claim.
2. Since the claim was not agreed, Law 69 does not apply. Director must follow Law 70A and award the last trick to the declaring side if the opponents’ remaining diamonds fell under dummy’s honor because that trick cannot be won by a defender.
Note that even if everyone at the table agreed to the claim, the claim may still be withdrawn within the “correction period” which is 30 minutes after the official scores are available for inspection, unless the tournament organizer specifies otherwise (see Law 79C). In accordance with Law 69B2 the last trick must be awarded to the declaring side. Law 69B2 says, the claim may be withdrawn “if a player has agreed to the loss of a trick that his side would likely have won had the play continued.” Law 69B2 further says “The board is rescored with such trick awarded to his side.”
"In a notrump contract, Dummy had left the CAK and DK7 (the DK was good). Declarer played a club and said, “I’ll take the three top tricks and give you a diamond.” As everyone was folding up their hands Dummy said, “But if the last two diamonds fall under the king then the D7 is good.”
(The last two diamonds do indeed fall under the king, establishing the D7 as a good trick.)
The questions are:
1. Is dummy allowed to speak? (Law 42 B.3 says “Dummy may draw attention to any irregularity, but only after play of the hand is concluded.”)
2. Should the concession of the last diamond trick be cancelled by the director? (Laws 68, 69 and 70 are a bit fuzzy but Law 71 Concession Cancelled 1. seems to say yes, and Law 79 B.2 adds a bit too.)
What do you think?"
My response is as follows:
1. Yes, dummy may speak. You correctly cited Law 42B3. Law 68D makes it clear that play has ceased. Law 68D also makes it clear that dummy can question (“doubt”) the claim.
2. Since the claim was not agreed, Law 69 does not apply. Director must follow Law 70A and award the last trick to the declaring side if the opponents’ remaining diamonds fell under dummy’s honor because that trick cannot be won by a defender.
Note that even if everyone at the table agreed to the claim, the claim may still be withdrawn within the “correction period” which is 30 minutes after the official scores are available for inspection, unless the tournament organizer specifies otherwise (see Law 79C). In accordance with Law 69B2 the last trick must be awarded to the declaring side. Law 69B2 says, the claim may be withdrawn “if a player has agreed to the loss of a trick that his side would likely have won had the play continued.” Law 69B2 further says “The board is rescored with such trick awarded to his side.”
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