ACES ON BRIDGE
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Please comment on the term “masterminding.” I’m assuming that this is a bad thing. — Florida Sunfish, Naples, Fla.
DEAR READER: The term is used when the non captain of the hand overrules his partner without a good reason. Typically, it arises when you make a limit raise or pre-empt, or even open or rebid in no-trump, but then bid again. Sometimes your partner will make a call that allows you to act again in such auctions, but more commonly when you define your range, you transfer the final decision to your partner. DEAR MR. WOLFF: In an unopposed auction, opener had a strong hand with four hearts and a stiff diamond, so he opened one club and jumped to four diamonds over a one-heart response. I always thought that a splinter in this case would be a jump to three diamonds, since a call of two diamonds would be a reverse and therefore forcing. Similarly, if four diamonds is the splinter, then what would a three-diamond bid mean?
— Jump to It, Wilmington, N.C.
DEAR READER: Your question opens a can of worms. Yes, you should not play three diamonds as natural, but even in sophisticated partnerships, a jump to three diamonds may remain undefined. Some play it as a splinter that is only forcing as far as three of the major — as good a use as any. So four diamonds guarantees more values.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: What should I consider on opening lead if my RHO opens either with a pre-empt or with a one-level call, and it is passed out? I’m assuming you don’t have an obvious sequence or shortage to lead. — Point of Attack,
Dodge City, Kan. DEAR READER: There are two separate questions here. After a pre-empt is passed out, dummy is likely strong, and partner probably doesn’t have too much in the unbid major(s). There is little to choose between leading from honor-third or honor-fifth, for example. After a one-level opening is passed out, dummy should be weak, and declarer strong. So now leading from a king is less attractive than from a queen or jack, everything else being equal. Side-suit shortage, such as a doubleton, will be attractive unless looking at natural trump tricks.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Last week I passed in second seat, holding SPADES Q-4, HEARTS A-Q-10-3-2, DIAMONDS 8-4-3-2, CLUBS K-3. Do you agree? When my partner opened one diamond in third seat and the next hand overcalled one spade, I seemed to have an embarrassment of choices. What would you recommend? — Catching Up, Wheaton, Ill. DEAR READER: Your initial pass was fine (but move the spade queen into the diamonds, and I might act). Now your first choice might be to bid two hearts, expecting to come again even at the four-level. The problem is that if the opponents pre-empt in spades, you may have to guess what to do, when you haven’t yet shown diamond support. Perhaps a fit jump to three hearts (promising four diamonds) might be worth the risk. I wouldn’t let the opponents play undoubled if they competed to three or four spades.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Please explain the correct procedure to follow with announcements as opposed to alerts — are the latter now out of date? If not, what are the sequences where you are supposed to speak?
— Talk Soup, Waterbury,
Conn. DEAR READER: The majority of alertable calls below the level of three notrump still do require an alert, not an announcement. With a forcing or semi-forcing no-trump response, a transfer response to one no-trump or an opening notrump, the partner of the bidder should announce what the call means, rather than simply alerting. The idea is simply to save time; but failing to follow the precise requirements won’t cause a problem. Failure to alert a conventional call promptly may cause far more inconvenience, though.