THE ACES ON BRIDGE

Dear Mr. wolff:

My partner and I have a bet on your answer here, and a lot of personal pride rides on this. You are in fourth seat and the auction goes three clubs on your left, three spades from partner, and five clubs on your right. You hold 3-2,

A-Q-7-4-3, A-Q-9-7-3, A. What would you bid? One of us believes you would double; the other that you would bid six spades -- but did we miss another possibility? searching for solomon, Honolulu,

Hawaii

AnswEr: I might double at unfavorable vulnerability. especially if my opponents were known lunatics, but I’d actually drive to slam by bid- ding five no-trump. In contested auctions this is not a grand slam force, but says, “Pick a slam.” Since partner could easily be 6-4, I’d expect him to bid a second suit if he had one, while he could temporize with six clubs, or emphasize his spades by repeating them.

Dear Mr. wolff:

Is there a simple rule for when to respond in the higher or lower of suits of the same length, be it four or five cards, and when to bid a major rather than a minor? I get confused when I read contradictory advice. -- Dueling Teachers, Miami,

Fla.

AnswEr: The simple answer is always to bid your longer suit first with gameforcing values and always to bid the higher of five-card suits first. Bid the lower of four-card suits first with the following exception: In a hand with less than solid invitational values, either with two four- card suits, one a major and one diamonds, or a four-card major and a fivecard minor suit, bid the major before the minor.

Dear Mr. wolff:

Say you were responding to an opening bid of one club after your RHO overcalled two hearts. You hold K8-3-2, A-4, A-Q-9-7-3,

J- 10. Would you make a negative double, or bid three diamonds to set up the game-force? -- Tough choice, Albuquerque,

n.M.

AnswEr: You might lose the spades completely unless you double now. By contrast, over a one- heart overcall I would have no problem with a response of two diamonds, expecting to get spades in later and not lose the opportunity to bid diamonds cheaply.