You and Partner play Jacoby Transfers over 1NT, and you also have an agreement
that 1NT-P-2♠ asks Opener to bid 3♣, which may be passed or
corrected to 3♦. So, you open 1NT and Partner, holding 6 spades
and very few points, forgets your agreement and bids 2♠. You
say “Alert!” and dutifully bid 3♣.
Partner jerks, grimaces, studies his hand, studies the ceiling, sighs and bids 3♠. You know what has happened. The opponents know. You are in trouble. Can you pass?
Absolutely not! In the first place, you would be responding to Partner’s body language, not to his bid, and his bidding sequence is absolutely forcing. Experts disagree about what you should hold to bid in that sequence. Some say he holds a powerhouse with probably 6+♣, 5+♠ and has slam interest! Others have different interpretations but agree it is absolutely forcing. After all, if he had transferred you into spades and then bid clubs, wouldn’t it be forcing to game? Well, transferring to clubs and then bidding spades shows more power.
This bidding sequence has been reported several times recently. Sometimes, the Opener has said, “I’m taking that as a transfer to clubs.” And then, when responder re-bid spades, Opener announced, “I guess it wasn’t a transfer, after all.” Both statements are flagrant violations.
So what happens? First, someone has to call the director. The director will tell you the auction must continue to its logical conclusion. So, what is that? At least at the 5-level. Whatever contract becomes final, it will probably be doubled.
Lesson for Opener: You must assume that Partner knows what he is doing and that his bid represents his holding. If you detect, from his manner, that he has made a mistake, you must respond to the bid, not to the manner.
Lesson for Responder: The minute Partner said 3♣, you knew you had forgotten your agreement. The damage is done; don’t make it worse. If you re-bid spades, you compound the problem and force the auction at least to the 5-level. You have three reasonable calls available to you: PASS, leaving the contract in 3♣, correct to 3♦ (which Opener is supposed to pass), or bid 3NT. You might not get doubled. Take your medicine. However, before the opening lead, tell your opponents that you did not psych a conventional call (which is prohibited) but intended to show spades and forgot your agreement.
VCC Bridge Ethics Newsletter #2 (May 2004)