A featured article in The New Yorker's March 7 issue begins, "In 2010, Lotan Fisher and Ron Schwartz -- Israeli bridge players in their early twenties -- were members of the team that won the World Junior Teams Championship." The fascinating, well-crafted story that follows details and analyzes the 2015 cheating scandals and the history of cheating in bridge.

The article will entertain and enlighten all readers, from those missed the 2015 scandal completely to junkies who followed every post about it on bridgewinners.com. Who wouldn't want to read a story that includes a physicist named Maaijke Mevius and a number so small that it starts with a decimal point and 18 zeros?

Non-Life Masters with 0-500 masterpoints will enjoy a March 7 Swiss Teams I/N Sectional at Bala. Lunch is included with the registration fee and help can be given to make teams. This event is a great opportunity to learn about or practice the Teams format in a relaxed atmosphere.

Click here for more information. Contact Bruce Lang at [email protected] or 267-312-6221 with questions. Pre-registration is required and must be made at this time by phone by calling Bruce. 

Mark you calendars. This year's Unit 141 Brunch, Annual Meeting, and Sonny Jaspan Memorial Game will take place on May 1, at Bala.

WHEN: This year's tournament will run June 27 to July 3.

WHERE: It will take place at the Doubletree Hotel (same location as last year). The address is 301 W. DeKalb Pike, King of Prussia -- 800-222-TREE or 610-337-1200. The hotel bridge rate is $125, the same as last year!

WHAT: The schedule includes 199er events, Gold Rush (0-750) events, and new knockouts every day. Golden Mid-Flight (0-3000) events happen on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. A two-session Dupli-Swiss (pre-duplicated boards with hand records) will happen on Thursday and Sunday. There will also be a special two-session Dupli-Swiss with a free lunch just for 299ers on Friday. Monday includes a free lesson and game for players with 0-20 MPs. Free breakfast will be served each day (Tuesday to Sunday) and there will be a free lunch on Thursday and Sunday.

WHO: Have questions? Click here for the tournament website, including the contact information for the Tournament Chair (Meyer Kotkin), I/N Chair (Bruce Lang) and Partnership Chair (Elaine Weintraub) on the event flyer.

This month, Assistant Chief Director for the European Bridge League and World Bridge Federation (and part-time Unit 141 resident) continues his series on bridge rulings and table irregularities.

Have a question or topic for Rui? Send your ideas to [email protected] for Rui's response in a future newsletter.

 

Director, I have 12 cards!

A player finds he or she was dealt only 12 cards (or less). The director should be called immediately. If nobody else has more than 13, the quick conclusion is that one or more cards is missing. Often a missing card is just lying on the floor, near the previous table, but it can be anywhere. I've found missing cards inside or under bidding boxes, in the pockets of other boards, inside handbags, and between personal score sheets. There is more to the director's job, though, than just finding the card.

Law 14 deals with this situation. Depending on whether the missing card is found before or after the opening lead is faced, Law 14A or 14B applies, respectively.

If the card is discovered before the opening lead is faced (14A), the director searches for any missing card. If found, the card is restored to the deficient hand. Otherwise, the director reconstitutes the deal with a substitute pack. After the hand is corrected, the auction and play continue normally. Calls made cannot be changed, and the restored hand is deemed to have contained all of its cards throughout.

If a deficiency is found after the opening lead is faced (14B), once again the director searches for the missing card. If the card is found among the played cards, most often it will be because a player contributed two cards to one trick, producing a "defective" trick (Law 67). The director identifies the missing card among the played cards and restores it to the player's hand. If the card is not among the played cards, the deal is reconstituted and play continues.

A restored card is deemed to have belonged to the deficient hand since the start. Sometimes it becomes a penalty card, for example when a player -- trying to be helpful -- finds and exposes it. (Even if not explicitly mentioned in the Laws, this can also happen under 14A). Because directors have to consider that the card "was always there," failure to have previously played a restored card may constitute a revoke.

Note that the information that a player had one or more missing cards is always unauthorized for his partner.

There cannot be a score adjustment based on the argument that the deficient hand gained or lost for acting or not acting differently from "normal" during the bidding or play because of the missing card(s). For example, a player holds (12 cards): KQ75 QT