ACES ON BRIDGE
DEAR MR. WOLFF: In a recent column, a writer presented a deal where an endplay might have worked, but the column referred to a Chinese Finesse as an unpalatable a l ternative. What is your understanding of this? — Sheriff Sam, Houston
DEAR READER: Leading an unsupported honor for a finesse is what the author meant, and it is not normally a good idea, but a counsel of desperation. Normally, one opponent tends to cover or the other player takes the trick in fourth chair. An endplay is a maneuver that does not require defensive error, so is generally preferable.
DEAR MR. WOLFF:
The problem I encountered today seems to plague me, and I never manage to get it right. Holding J-7-4, Q-10-5, J-9-3, A-K-Q-3, I opened one club, and my LHO overcalled one diamond. When my partner bid one spade, I raised to two, thinking he must have a fivecard suit. Was that wrong? — Looking for Length, Providence, R.I.
DEAR READER: If you play that negative doubles promise both major suits, then a one-spade call only guarantees four spades. That being the case, a oneno-trump rebid is a more descriptive call at your second turn, despite your limited diamond stop, than raising spades with such a flat hand.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: I ran into trouble on a competitive auction. My hand was J-9, Q-8-7-5-4-3, A-4, J-3-2. I heard my partner open one club and my RHO bid one spade. I thought my best chance to get into the auction was to bid two hearts now, but we got too high. Should I have passed?
— Going Too Far, Wichita Falls, Texas DEAR READER: The best plan might be to make a negative double, intending to convert partner’s minimum response to two hearts. This suggests a six-card suit and scattered values — which is what you have. If the opponents raise spades, you may have to sell out, but that is hardly the end of the world if partner can’t introduce hearts on his own account.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Playing in an unfamiliar partnership, our bidding started one heart — two clubs — two spades. When my partner bid four no-trump, should I have treated it as regular Blackwood, key-card for spades or quantitative? — Man Overboard,
Muncie, Ind. DEAR READER: I’m torn here. The right way to set spades is to raise spades then use key-card, while a quantitative sequence is preceded by a two no-trump call here. So logically, a direct four no-trump should be neither of these. But I’d still expect partner to mean four no-trump as key-card for spades, since the last suit bid is normally trump here; not key-card for clubs, I think. (It is best to set declarer’s first suit as trump via Jacoby or an inverted minor, so that in that one specific case, the immediate four-no-trump call is reserved as asking for straight aces, not key-cards.)
DEAR MR. WOLFF: I know you often deal with variations of this issue, but I’m confused when responding to an opening bid as to whether I should show my strength by jumping at my first, second or third turn, and often as to what is forcing and what is invitational. Are there any simple rules?
— Big Ben, Memphis DEAR READER: In all auctions but one, responder’s new suits are forcing; opener can’t pass. So responder’s jump in a new suit at his first turn sends a specific message: a good suit and better than opening values. At responder’s second turn when facing a suit rebid or a new suit, new suits are forcing, with fourth-suit forcing to game. All raises, suit rebids and no-trump calls by responder tend to be nonforcing. Responder’s nonforcing new suit comes only after a no-trump rebid by partner, or a no-trump overcall by the opponents, when you would double with a strong hand.