ACES ON BRIDGE
DEAR MR. WOLFF:
I have come across some partnerships who preempt very aggressively in a minor. For example, one opened three diamonds in first seat at favorable vulnerability, with a 5-count and 2=3=6=2 distribution. How should we defend against this style?
— Action Stations,
Huntington, W.Va. DEAR READER: I would not do anything differently. Their openings will harm their partner just as much as they will obstruct you. Contesting too aggressively could easily incur a penalty when the preemptor’s partner has the balance of high cards. These openings are aggressive gambits that make everyone guess. Try not to be the one who makes the last guess.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: What should a jump raise of partner’s minor suggest in competition? Say partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and the next hand overcalls one spade, raised to two on your right. What sort of hand would you bid four diamonds on? — Shape Suitable,
Willoughby, Ohio DEAR READER: You have a cue-bid available to show a strong hand, so I think four diamonds is a non-forcing, distributional raise, a call that you might make holding five cards in each red suit and less than a game force. Whenever a cue-bid is available, jumps tend to invite rather than force.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Say your side has been silent in the auction thus far. When is a double of a natural bid for takeout, and when is it lead-directing or for penalty?
— Blanket Rule, Honolulu, Hawaii DEAR READER: A double of a natural bid tends to be for takeout at either of your first two turns, but after that, it should be either for penalty or lead-directing. However, say your right-hand opponent opens one heart, your lefthand responds two diamonds, and righty rebids three clubs. Double here should ask for a club lead; who would make a takeout double when the opponents have the values for game and have already bid three suits?
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Do you think people generally play better online or face-toface? — Modern Age,
Torrance, Calif. DEAR READER: Some players find it easier to concentrate in front of a computer screen, while others prefer to have the cards in their hands. Bridge is best played at the card table in my book, where table presence comes into its own. One cannot garner the same inferences when in front of a computer screen.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: I had Q-7, A-10, A-109-8-2, 10-5-3-2. I dealt and passed, my left-hand opponent opened one club, my partner overcalled one heart and the next hand passed. I bid two diamonds, catching an 8-count with 3=5=1=4 shape in dummy to go three down, while two hearts was making. What went wrong?
— Wibbly Wobbly,
Kansas City, Mo. DEAR READER: I’d try to avoid advancing an overcall to the two-level with a mediocre five-card suit. You should usually have six or a strong five-card holding that is playable opposite shortness, such as kingqueen-jack-fifth. Even playing a weak two-diamond opening, you could still have had six diamonds for your initial pass, so I would prefer a one-no-trump advance or an equally sensible raise to two hearts.