ACES ON BRIDGE
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Please give me a quick synopsis of the Michaels Cue-bid. Does it interact with the unusual notrump?
— Having a Fit, Galveston, Texas DEAR READER: The two conventions mesh well. A jump in no-trump always shows the two lower unbid suits, while a Michaels Cue-bid of a minor suggests both majors, and a cue-bid of a major shows the unbid major and one minor. Responder can ask for the minor with a call of two no-trump. With a powerhouse (the hand that would have been suitable for an old-fashioned cue-bid), start by doubling, then take further strong action.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: I have always been a fan of penalty doubles when the opponents overcall, but my partner tells me they are outdated. Are there still positions where penalty doubles are appropriate?
— Lost Boy, West Palm Beach, Fla. DEAR READER: Clearly in the middle or at the end of the auction one often wants to double the opponents for penalty. Equally clearly, at your first turn to speak or when the opponents bid and raise a suit, double is normally takeout. Here are some exceptions: double of a no-trump opening or overcall, or any double when your partner has opened or overcalled with a pre-emptive action and thus defined his hand very precisely, should be for penalty.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: My partner accused me of cowardice here. Was he right? I held ♠ Q-10-4, ♥ A-K-Q-10-7-3, ♦ Q- -4, ♣ J-4, and when my partner responded with a forcing one no-trump to my one-heart opening bid, I tried two hearts. He raised to three hearts — were my solid hearts enough reason to bid more? I passed and made 10 tricks when hearts split 3-3.
— Out of Steam, Londonderry, N.H. DEARREADER: Myview is that you do have enough to continue. However, I would seriously consider bidding three no-trump now, rather than four hearts. After all, my hand is likely to play well enough in no-trump, given my source of quick tricks and soft values outside. Partner can always put us back to four hearts if he thinks it wise.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Many of the experts at my club play a convention referred to as Smolensk in response to an opening bid of one no-trump. I tried to find any details of it, but was unable to locate it. Please explain how it works.
— Tattooed Lady, Vancouver, British Columbia DEAR READER: It is Smolen, not Smolensk — and the convention handles game-forcing hands with 5-4 in the majors, in response to a one- or two-no-trump opening, transferring declarership to the strong hand. With this pattern, you bid Stayman, then jump in your shorter major over a two-diamond response. This allows your partner to play three no-trump with no fit, or declare the 5-3 major fit from the stronger side, while keeping declarer’s hand shape unknown.