RMB1, on 2012-April-16, 09:57, said:
Was South's double for takeout?
If not was it alerted?
It was alerted, as stated under the hand diagram. If "any distribution" really means what it says I don't see how North is supposed to know what to do opposite, i.e. on what basis he decides whether or not take it out. I imagine he didn't have a difficult decision with this hand, though.
RMB1, on 2012-April-16, 09:57, said:
Is North's hand a permitted opening?
Alan thinks not. OB11C9 states that the minimum strength for opening one of a suit at levels 3 and 4 is rule of 18, with the proviso that it must have more than 7 hcp. Under the heading "level 4 only" there is no mention of minimum strength, but OB11C15 states that:
Quote
An opening bid of 1♥ or 1♠ is only permitted if it shows at least four cards in the suit bid, forcing or not.
I wondered whether this supercedes the requirement for minimum strength set out in OB11C9 and opening bids in the majors are permitted to be any strength provided they show at least four cards in the suit, but the Tangerine Book (the idiots' guide to EBU regulations) makes it clear that the minimum strength requirement still applies at level 4. So perhaps OB11C15 is just reducing the restriction on permitted distribution at level 4, but how exactly it differs from the distributional requirements already given for levels 2, 3 and 4 in OB11C6 I don't know:
Quote
1♥ and 1♠ openings
These may be played as any one of the following:
(a) natural, 4+ cards, forcing or not
(b) canapé, 4+ cards, forcing or not
© possible canapé, 4+ cards, forcing or not
(d) natural, 5+ cards, forcing or not
I suppose it allows you to open a major on a four-card suit only if it promises another longer suit, but a five(+)-card suit otherwise.
I think I agree with Alan.
I asked North whether level 4 systems were allowed in the club, and he said he thought it allowed level 3 systems only, so that solved that problem.
I asked North and South separately whether they would routinely open the North hand one of a suit, and they both said they might pass but didn't think it was abnormal to open it 1
♥, so I ruled they had an illegal agreement.
Where does that leave us with the ruling?