Aces on Bridge
Dear Mr. Wolff:
What is the right way to signal from length when your partner leads a king (presumably from aceking) and dummy has the guarded queen in that suit?
— Rawhide Rick, Salina, Kansas
ANSWER: In a suit contract, if you might hold a doubleton, you echo with two; that way you never lose your ruff. I suggest play lowest from three, and second-lowest from four. This minimizes ambiguity, though nothing will cover every base. If you cannot have as few as two cards, give count, with a high card suggesting an even number, a low card suggesting an odd number. In no-trump, simply give count — your attitude is implicitly defined by the sight of dummy.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
What would you do with ♠ K-10-5-2, ♥ A-Q-8-6-2, ♦ 10-4, ♣ Q-9when your partner opens one club and rebids one no-trump over your one-heart response? Would you drive to game, settle for part-score or issue an invitation?
— Straitjacket, Vancouver, British Columbia
ANSWER: Your hand does not look strong enough to drive to game when you have at best an eight-card fit in either major and no more than 24high-card points between you. I’d start with two diamonds, the new minor, looking for a heart fit and be prepared to give up if I do not find one. If partner bids two spades, showing 4=3=3=3 precisely, I’ll raise to three.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
What do opener’s jumps at his second turn mean after his partner’s negative double of a one-level overcall? Are jumps forcing in the original suit or in a new suit — and if not, what about a double jump?
— Head for Heights, Grenada, Mississippi
ANSWER: Let’s consider a one-spade overcall of a minor-suit opening, and a negative double from your partner. Now your two-heart call suggests four and a minimum balanced or semi-balanced hand. A jump to three hearts suggests four trumps and 14-15points, potentially unbalanced. A jump in any other new suit or your firstbid suit shows extras but is not forcing. Use the cue-bid to set up a game force.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
In fourth seat, how should I have developed the following hand: ♠ A-Q-3, ♥ Q-7-64, ♦ K-9, ♣ K-9-4-2, when my left-hand opponent opened two spades and my partner doubled? This was a pairs event with both sides vulnerable.
— Nosy Rosie, Orlando, Florida
ANSWER: The choice is between bidding game in hearts or three no-trump, and passing for penalties. You rate to set two spades 500 or more — but declarer can surely take four spade tricks and may scramble a couple more out of dummy’s collection. With these spade honors taking tricks on offense, I would try three no-trump. Four hearts could easily run into ruffs or trump troubles.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
Is there any real advantage to playing the version of Key-card Blackwood currently recommended by Eddie Kantar, where a five club response shows one or four key-cards (counting the trump king as a keycard) and five diamonds shows none or three? What do you usually play?
— 20th Century Blues, Selma, Alabama
ANSWER: Any system accident more than outweighs the benefits of playing the best possible methods. “The perfect is the enemy of the good,” they say. If I use Roman Key-card Blackwood, I play 3041responses, though I do see a shift toward the methods you outline. When in Rome ...