Aces on Bridge
Dear Mr. Wolff: One of my opponents responded slowly to a key-card ask, and his partner bid on to a making slam. The responder had four aces and showed one or four key-cards with a fivediamond call. Diamonds was the agreed trump suit. Should we have called the director?
— Legal Eagle, Honolulu, Hawaii
Answer: The hesitation might make it safer for the ace-asker to bid on. If responder was considering a different call, it makes it less likely that he had a normal hand with one key-card. Of course, if responder had already shown enough high cards such that a hand with one key-card was impossible, I think the continuation would be allowed.
Dear Mr. Wolff: I play a lot against partnerships who use “second and fourth” leads, but I can never seem to work out just what that means. Can you explain?
— No Honor, Elkhart, Indiana
Answer: This is a matter of style. Polish players lead second from any threecard holding with at most one honor, whether it be three-small or honor-third. In many other countries, they lead fourth from an honor and second from no honor, so they would choose the middle card from three-small, but the bottom from honor-third. It is best to ask your opponents for clarification whenever playing against these methods.
Dear Mr. Wolff: I have noticed the growing popularity of transfer responses to a one-club opening. How would you recommend we defend against them?
— Transfer the Blame, Springfield, Massachusetts
Answer: The standard treatment is to double the artificial response to show that suit, while completing the transfer is the equivalent of a takeout double. So if they bid one heart showing spades, you can double to show the values for a one-heart overcall, while bidding one spade shows a takeout of spades. All other calls should be natural, including a twolevel bid in your right-hand opponent’s suit.
Dear Mr. Wolff: You hold
♠ A-Q-J-9, ♥ 10-4, ♦ 5, ♣ J-9-8-7-6-4 at game all. You deal and pass, then hear one diamond to your left and one heart on your right. Would you act?
— Sandwich Shop, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Answer: I would double. I am limited by my initial pass, so partner will not take me for a great deal. There is little danger of going for a penalty, so the only real downside is giving away the distribution if we end up defending, but too dangerous is no excuse. Partner could still have a good hand, after all.
Dear Mr. Wolff: My partner and I missed a slam on this deal. How would you have bid these two hands: ♠ J-10-9, ♥ 7-2, ♦ A-104, ♣ K-q-10-5-2facing ♠ K-Q-7-2, ♥ A-K-9-3, ♦ K-2, ♣ A-7-4 in an uncontested auction with the 10-count as dealer?
— Results Merchant,
Elmira, New York
Answer: As dealer, whether I responded one no-trump or an inverted two-club call to a one club opener, I doubt I would reach slam here. Even if third hand has a 19-21 two-no-trump opener, reaching slam seems difficult. The two hands are a perfect fit — difficult to diagnose at the best of times.