Aces on Bridge
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Under what circumstances should a response of four clubs to an opening bid be asking for aces? Otherwise, what does it show?
— Back in Lack
ANSWER: Most experts will not use a jump to four clubs as an ace-asking bid in any sequences except those where one player has opened or rebid one or two no-trump at his previous turn. In almost every other sequence, the call will be natural or a cue-bid. On the first round of the auction, the call would be a splinterjump after a suit opening, showing fit for partner and shortage in the suit bid.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: When I opened one club with a shapely minimum, I heard one heart to my left and two diamonds from my partner. Holding SPADES Q-9-6-4, HEARTS Q-4, DIAMONDS A-8, CLUBS K-J-10-9-8, what should I rebid if a call of two spades would be a reverse, showing an excellent hand? — At a Loss
ANSWER: Simply bidding clubs then spades does not make your bid a strengthshowing one. If your partner had bid one diamond and you had bid one spade, that would have shown only your two-suiter without promising extras. This is a parallel auction to that: Two spades is natural — and while it may contain extras, it does not promise them.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: What is the best approach to defending against a possibly short club or a precision one-diamond opener? For example, if you have a minimum balanced hand, such as SPADES A-Q-3, HEARTS A-10-8-3, DIAMONDS Q-7-3, CLUBS J-3-2, would you double a short minor opening?
— Hit or Stick
ANSWER: Don’t wait for the perfect shape, especially of loose opening bids, with opening values and at least three cards in each major. When short in one major, you cannot double, but you may be able to overcall in a solid four-card suit. An alternative, when shortage in a major makes the hand unsuitable for a double, is to pass, then double for takeout at your next turn. In a live auction where neither opponent has limited themselves, this guarantees full values.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: You had a hand in which the key suit at trick one at no-trump was the doubleton queen in dummy and king-third in hand. I would not have played the queen at trick one as you recommended. Since I have only one trick in spades, I’d duck in both hands. I still win one spade, but it will likely be the third one. Now I can safely play to keep West off lead and make my contract.
— Beyond Our Ken
ANSWER: With the doubleton queen facing king-third, you want to put up the queen. If you duck the first trick, the defenders win it cheaply and duck the second trick. Now whichever defender gets in, they are ready to take a total of four tricks in this suit. Conversely, if the queen holds the first trick, the upside is that you are probably in decent shape as long as you can keep East off lead.