Acting on Unauthorized Information

A bidding situation.

Your hand:
♠A962
♥KQ82
♦J73
♣K5

You open the bidding 1♦, your LHO passes and partner bids 2NT. You play this as 11 or 12 HCP. Your RHO passes. What is your bid?

Pass would be the correct bid. You have nothing more than your opening bid and your partner is not showing an opening hand. If they had an opening hand they wouldn't make a bid you can pass.

No problems, correct?

Now let's say the following takes place. After your partner's 2NT bid your RHO turns to you and asks you how many points 2NT shows. "11 or 12 points" you proudly answer (you are very excited you actually remembered that!)

Partner shakes their head. "No, no. This shows 13-15 points." Oooops! Correcting your partner's explanations is something you need to do AFTER the bidding is over OR (if you are defending) AFTER the hand is over.

But no one notices the infraction (or they choose not to complain) and it is now your bid.

Again your hand is:
♠A962
♥KQ82
♦J73
♣K5

And the bidding has gone 1♦ by you, 2NT by partner whom we now know has 13-15 HCP. What is your bid?

Well, if you bid anything other than what you did originally you are acting on unauthorized information. The authorized information was the 2NT bid by partner showing 11 or 12 points. From that information you have a pass. The unauthorized information was partner telling everyone they have an opening hand and thus you need to bid game. You have to IGNORE that information. This can be very difficult sometimes.

There are all sorts of ways partner can communicate to you:
They frown or look puzzled when you make your explanation.
They give a little gasp and cover their mouth with their hand.
They say "I made a mistake."
They look suspiciously guilty.
They sigh and shake their head.

You have to IGNORE all these signals. The only information you can act on legally is the information communicated in the auction. In this case the bid. 2NT in your system shows 11 or 12. That's all you are allowed to act upon.

Now what happens if partner is right and YOU forgot. You were thinking it showed 11 or 12 but then when partner said 13 to 15 you suddenly remembered that you had, in fact, agreed to that. 2NT IS a forcing bid so you should now be allowed to raise to 3NT.

Sorry, not allowed. Nothing in that auction reminded you, partner reminded you. If you bid now you are acting on unauthorized information which is not allowed in bridge.

What about this situation? Partner bid 2NT. You thought it was 11 or 12. RHO passes. You think. Then you suddenly remember that it was 13 to 15. Are you allowed to bid now?

Of course you are! No one tipped you off. You remembered by yourself. You are good to raise to 3NT.

Let's say the opponents ask and you explain that the bid shows 11 or 12 points. Partner remains poker faced and does nothing. The opponents pass. You decide to think. Now you remember. At this point you can say "I changed my mind. I think the bid shows 13 to 15 points." At this point I let them take back their bid if they want and make a new bid. They probably won't want to in this auction. But again in this situation nothing tipped you off. Partner didn't make a peep. You are free to change your mind and raise partner to game.

Here's what should have happened in this situation:

The 2NT bidder should NOT have said anything. Once the bidding was over but before the opening lead they should now say "My partner made a mistake. My bid shows 13 to 15 points."

What happens if the 2NT bidder made the mistake? The bid is supposed to show 11 or 12 but they have 13 to 15?

If the bid is supposed to show 11 or 12 the 2NT bidder does not have to say anything. When they put their dummy down they will probably say something like "I forgot and I have 14 points, sorry partner" but there is no need to alert the opponents before the opening lead is made.

What happens if you are not sure who made the mistake?

I always think it is good to tell the opponents as soon as the bidding is over and either you or your partner are declarer. It's the fairest thing to do and it's probably not going to give them any sort of advantage.

If you and your partner are defending things are different -- now you can tip partner off that someone has messed up. You now have to wait until the hand is over and then talk to declarer. They can now call the director if they feel they were damaged.