THE ACES ON BRIDGE by Bobby Wol f f

Dear Mr. wolff:

Recently I had a ruling against us that I did not understand. My expert professional LHO bid one notrump over my one-spade opening. My partner jumped to four spades, and after a long pause my RHO passed. When it came back to my LHO, he bid five clubs and found it to be a good save. Is this legal? The Pause That refreshes, Ketchikan, Alaska

Answer: After a break in tempo, as here, the way the director should consider if the pause pointed to taking the action selected by the player. If it did, was the selected action an automatic one or was there a logical alternative? If the answer to the first question is yes, then the director would adjust the score unless there was no logical alternative to the successful action. I’m guessing the director determined that a slow pass of four spades did not imply that the sacrifice would be successful.

Dear Mr. wolff:

I held K-10-9-4, K-105-3, 10-4-2, A-Q and was faced with the problem of whether to open in third seat and if so whether to open a major or a minor. What would you advise? -- Lost Leader, Pleasanton, calif.

Answer: In any seat but third, I would open one diamond. In third chair my diamonds look too weak for me to open one diamond. With a good four-card major I might select that instead -- but I do not have one! I’ll live with the one-diamond opening and hope my LHO does not overcall one no-trump.

Dear Mr. wolff:

In my bridge club we play the short club or diamond. If my partner bids one club or one diamond, can I pass, or must I bid the next step up? -- Moving on, Great Falls, Mont.

Answer: I assume what you mean is that playing five- card majors, you can open either minor on a threecard suit, not a two-carder. If so, these opening bids are nonforcing, but you may dredge up a response with a shortage in the suit opened. With a four-count and a fivecard major but a singleton in partner’s suit, I would indeed respond. I’d tend to pass one diamond more often than one club, since the former call does tend to deliver a real suit most of the time.