♠

Spring 2023
North Grenville Duplicate
Bridge Club ♠
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Greetings from the North Grenville Duplicate Bridge Club! We have been play-
ing bridge in Kemptville for many years and have grown our membership to
70. This is definitely an accomplishment!
We offer games on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. at the
Mount Zion Masonic Lodge, located at 311 Van Buren Street, Kemptville.
When you come to play, please arrive by 12:15 p.m. (or earlier) to help set up.
On-line games are available on Thursday evenings at 7:15 p.m. If you are in-
terested, please contact our club manager, Anne Rahm, at 613-806-4495 or
email her at: ngdbridge@gmail.com and she will assist you on the procedure.
We offer partner assistance for our afternoon games. If you need help finding
a partner, please contact Jo-Anne Earl at 613-795-7155 or email her at
joannedawn.earl@gmail.com she will send out a request to the membership.
In addition to bridge, our club provides opportunities for fellowship and com-
radery with our social events held throughout the year. Make sure we have
your current email on file to ensure you are notified of the club events! Con-
tact our secretary, Jo-Anne Earl to update your contact information.
Since we live and work in this community, our members are invested in the
welfare of this fine town. One example of this is our recent donation to the
Kemptville District Hospital Foundation for their CT Scanner. Your fees to play
bridge at our club enable us to support our community! Thank you.
As you can see we are an active club and encourage new people. Please visit
our web page: https://kemptvillebridgeclub.weebly.com and don’t forget to
NGDBC follow-us on Facebook.
Hope to see you at the bridge table!

Life is a game Liz Robinson

Bridge is Serious
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR CURRENT NON ACBL MEMBERS!
 CORNER
DIRECTOR’S NEWCOMER BRIDGE ANYONE?

• Once the defender on lead has placed the

lead card face down on the table, that card
is deemed played and cannot be returned to
the defender’s hand except on the
instruction of the director (law 41).
ACBL has just announced that it has raised the
point level for a newcomer game from 0-20 to 0-
50 masterpoints.
Do you have fewer than 50 masterpoints?

• Declarer or either defender may ask to the Would you welcome the opportunity to play in a
see the cards played to the current trick, as game where all players have fewer than 50
long as he has not turned his own card face masterpoints?
down. Once his card is face down, he cannot Would you welcome a bit of guidance with your
ask to see the cards played (law 66). bidding?
If there is enough interest in holding a
• As an act of consideration, when on lead,
newcomer game we will do our best to get one
make your lead before writing down the
going at our club. If you are interested or know
contract and/or entering it in the
of anyone who might be interested please
Bridgemate. Declarer is anxiously waiting to
contact Anne Rahm at ngdbridge@gmail.com.
see the dummy to make his plan.
Dummy should also face their hand
prior to writing the contract
information.

• Please don t wear use scented

products as some members are
allergic to scents.

One advantage of bad

bidding is that you get
practice at playing atrocious
At a recent game, our players gathered to present a
contracts. cheque for $1000.00 to the Kemptville District
Alfred Sheinwold Hospital Foundation to support fundraising for a new
CT scanner.
 ALERTS
BY RICK DARLING
During Covid, ACBL updated the alert procedure. Since the
update, many people have been confused as to what to
alert and what not to alert. Below is an outline of this new
procedure.
PLEASE NOTE: This document is a SUMMARY of the
ACBL Alert Procedure Effective Date: April 4, 2022. This
procedure has all of the Alert requirements and can be
found at the following web address: https://
web2.acbl.org/documentLibrary/play/Alert-
Procedures.pdf
Why Alert
The objective of an Alert is to indicate to
the opponents that the meaning of a call
is unexpected. In an ideal world we would
just Alert “what the opponents don’t
know.” In the real world, we don’t know
what the opponents know, so we must
use a set of rules instead. Alerts are not
the only mechanism that provides the
opponents access to information. Upon
the request of an opponent, a player
must fully explain the meaning of any of
their partner’s calls including any
inferences from related auctions and
from partnership experience (DO NOT give the name of
the convention, explain what the bid means).
How to Alert
Alerts must be made verbally by saying the word “Alert”
and visually by tapping the “Alert” strip or showing the
“Alert” card in the bidding box. When a call has been
alerted, an opponent, at THEIR turn to call, may ask about
its meaning. The preferred form of the question is a
simple “Please Explain”. (DO NOT say what you think the
bid means for example “is that weak”. NOTE: DO NOT
provide an explanation for the alert unless you are asked.
Avoiding Penalties
Penalties for failing to Alert are not automatic. However, a
player will be protected, who is misinformed by an
opponent’s failure to Alert, or given the incorrect
explanation as per partnership agreement. A player who
does not ask about an Alerted call will not be protected,
even if the meaning of the call is not what they expect.
Common Alertable Bids
Below are Alertable situations (NOTE: NOT ALL Alerts are
listed below only those that would be common.)
Alertable Opening Bids:
A Natural 2 club Opening, i.e. not strong.
A Natural Opening suit bid at the 2 or 3 level that may
contain 12 or more HCP except fourth seat.
An Opening No Trump bid that is Natural but
always based on a long suit. NOTE: Announce
your opening 1NT range.
Alertable Direct Overcalls:
After a Natural 1-level suit bid, a Natural 2-level
Cuebid, i.e. 1 heart by opponents -> 2 hearts
by partner meaning they have hearts.
After a Natural 1-level suit bid, a Natural jump
overcall that shows at least Average strength,
i.e. not weak.
Alertable Responses to Opening Bids:
By an unpassed hand, and after an Opening
suit bid and an opponent’s pass, overcall, or
double a Non-Forcing new suit bid at the
cheapest level (unless that bid is at the level of game or
higher).
After a Natural 1-level Opening bid, a single raise that is
Forcing. i.e. 1 heart, partners 2 hearts is forcing.
After a Natural 1-level Opening suit bid and an opponent’s
pass, a double raise that does not show Invitational
values.
By an unpassed hand, and after a Partner’s Pre-empt, a
Natural response in a new suit that is below game and not
Forcing or a 2NT response that is not Forcing.
Alertable Rebids By Opener:
Unless the Opening bid showed a Strong hand, a 1NT
rebid or a raise of a 1-level major suit response to 2 of
that major that may contain hands of 16 or more HCP.
After an Opening No Trump Sequence or a Natural No After a 1NT or 2NT Opening bid and an overcall at the two
Trump Direct Overcall and a 2C or 3C bid asking for major or three level, Negative Doubles, penalty doubles and card
suit length, a rebid that shows 5 cards in a major, i.e. -showing doubles by Responder.
puppet Stayman.
Delayed Alerts
Alertable passes:
In any case where a bid is Alertable, but the bid is 3NT or
A pass that is Forcing. higher, and the auction is at or beyond opener’s rebid,
Alertable Doubles: delay the Alert until the end of the auction. Additionally,
Control bids should be Alerted at the end of the auction
Alert a double of an Artificial bid that asks for the doubled even if they are below 3NT. Alerts of passes, doubles, and
suit to not be led, or that asks for a specific suit to be led redoubles are not delayed regardless of the level of the
that is not the doubled suit. Otherwise do not alert a auction. At the end of the auction both defenders should
double of 3NT or higher. Alert a double below 3NT except Alert any Alertable bids by their partners with a Delayed
as listed below. Alert. The declaring side should explain any Alertable bids
Non-Alertable Bids where Alerts were delayed. When behind screens or
online, do not delay any Alerts.
Direct Overcalls NOT to be Alerted:
Pre-Alerts
Michaels Cue-bid
Before the auction begins on the first board of a match or
After a Natural 1-level Opening bid, a 2NT Overcall
round, you must inform the opponents if you have any of
showing the lowest two unbid suits.
these agreements:
After a Semi-Natural or Artificial Opening bid, a 2NT
Pre-alert that 1C is artificial and could be as short as 1.
Overcall that shows two suits (known or unknown).
A canape system. A bidding treatment where opener and
Any Cue-bid that is a jump.
responder bid short suits before disclosing their long suit,
Responses to Opening Bids and Overcalls NOT to be when both hands are strong enough to bid two suits.
Alerted: Opener's bid may be a short suit with as few as 3 cards,
either a minor or major
After an Opening No Trump Sequence or a Natural No
Trump Direct Overcall, a 2C bid over 1NT or a 3C bid over Playing different systems depending on seat or
2NT that asks about the No Trump bidder’s major suit vulnerability. It is not considered a different system if the
holdings. Alert any follow-up bid that reveals that the 2C or only change is No Trump Range (and responses) or
3C bidder may not (or did not) hold a major suit for the Opening bid strength.
bid.
Additionally, you must inform the opponents about any
Other Artificial Bids not to be Alerted: Artificial Opening Pre-empts below 3NT.
After an Opening Suit bid and an Overcall, a Cuebid by
either side that shows a raise, or an Average Strength or
stronger hand, or either possibility.
DOUBLES:
DO NOT Alert the following doubles:
After an Opening Bid not to be Alerted:
A Takeout Double.
After a No Trump Opening bid, a penalty or card-showing
double.
After an Opening Bid and an Overcall not to be Alerted:
After a 1-level suit Opening bid and a Natural suit overcall,
a Negative Double by Responder.
After a 2-level or higher suit Opening bid and a Natural
suit overcall, a penalty double by Responder.