Story 2

by Potter OrrThere must have been something in the water one day recently when I was the director at the Bridge Center.  There were at least 3 director calls for claims that were not agreed to by the opponents. While each one of these claims were “deficient”, not all of them required the reassignment of tricks.  The director’s job is to resolve claims as equitably as possible.There is nothing inherently evil about claims and they can save time when properly done.  Keep in mind that there is no requirement that a player make a claim.  If you are not comfortable claiming, don’t.

A claim is made when a player (usually declarer) announces that he will win all or a specific number of the remaining tricks and faces his remaining cards.  The companion is a concession where a specific number (but less than all) of the remaining tricks.  For example, declarer tables his cards and says “I will lose 1 trick and take the rest”

If the opponents agree to the claim or concession, the board is scored and life goes on. If either opponent disagrees, the director should be called and play must stop.  There is no such thing as cancelling a claim and asking declarer to “play it out”.  If declarer is making a concession, the dummy may object to the concession and the director should be called.

All claims should be accompanied by a clear statement of the intended line of play.  The director will use this statement in adjudicating the claim. If no clear statement of the line of play is made like declarer saying “They are all mine”, the claimer will have no right to later explain his plan.

There are some simple guidelines for claims that will greatly reduce problems.

·    Don’t claim if the defenders have any trump left, unless your line of play includes the intention to draw them immediately.

·    Don’t claim if you have any losers unless your line of play includes specifics about how those losers will be avoided.  A statement that the remaining cards would be cross-ruffed made at the time of the claim would be sufficient.

·    Be wary of claims that require finesses.

·    Don’t claim unless your side (you or dummy) has the lead.

As noted above, the director’s job is to find equity in a disputed claim.  In doing that doubtful points will decided against the claimer.  For example, if a claim is made with a trump out and it is possible for a defender to use that trump then the defenders will be entitled to a trick.  Claimer would not then be allowed to say that he would have trumped high or that he would have drawn the remaining trump.