Mid-Chart Convention Information

Although the information below has appeared in both the ACBL "The Bridge Bulletin" and other places there still appears to be either misinformation or lack of information concerning the use of Mid-Chart Conventions. Here is a reprint of the information concerning mid-chart conventions so that it will be known to all players who wish to use these conventions and those players whose opponents use them will know their rights:

Attention Players playing Mid-Chart methods

Effective July 1, 2001, players using Mid-Chart methods that require suggested defenses for the opponents must download these defenses from the ACBL web page and have them available for the opponents.

We have a short message for players who wish to play certain Mid-Chart methods: there are no more yellow books.

What does this mean? In case you don't know about the yellow book, it was the publication that contained the defenses to Mid-Chart methods such as the Multi 2D. Players could pick up yellow books and carry them around
for the benefit of their opponents.

Repeat: there are no more yellow books.

Instead, a player who wishes to use certain Mid-Chart methods must go to the ACBL web site on the Internet (http://www.acbl.org ) and check the Mid-Chart section under "Conventions" to determine if the method is permitted. If it is, the player is obliged to print out the defense to the method and take it with him to the table.

Players who do not do this will not be permitted to play Mid-Chart methods that are covered by this regulation. Mid-Chart methods marked with an asterisk do not require written defenses.