THE ACES ON BRIDGE

Dear Mr. wolff:

How do you proceed with the following hand: ♠ J-8, ♥ K-9-4, ♦ Q-7, ♣ A-J-7-6-5-2, assuming that you overcalled two clubs over one heart and heard your partner bid two diamonds? What would you do next -- if anything?

Taking steps, Fort walton Beach, Fla.

AnswEr: A call of two diamonds should be played as forcing; new suits by unpassed hands in response to two-level overcalls should be forcing if the auction remains uncompetitive. I’d guess to raise to three diamonds now, but make my hand slightly stronger (with a better spade honor or the club king instead of the jack) and I’d bid two no-trump.

Dear Mr. wolff:

Do you have a page-a-day bridge calendar? Or do you know of one you would recommend?

-- Daily news, Bay city, Mich.

AnswEr: Bridge calendars are not so easy to find these days, though there used to be plenty... and I used to do one too! My choice would be to look at the calendar produced by Andrew Robson, who is a very thoughtful writer. You can Google his name and find a calendar on his website.

Dear Mr. wolff:

What would you open with ♠ K-J-9-2, ♥ J-3, ♦ K-8, ♣ AK-J-5-4? Do you prefer one club to one no-trump? -- weighing In,

raleigh, n.c.

AnswEr: I know I’m out of touch with the younger generation here, but I loathe and detest opening one no-trump with a five-card minor and four spades, especially two suits as good as these. My plan is to bid each suit in order, then probably to make a try for game if partner puts on the brakes in one no-trump or two clubs. If that makes me old-fashioned, then I’ve been called worse.

Dear Mr. wolff:

My partner and I found the following hand difficult to bid. Please give us your opinion on how the bidding should have gone. I held ♠ K-9-7-3, ♥ K6-3-2, ♦ Q-J-7-3-2, ♣ ---. My partner opened one club and the next hand bid one heart. I doubled and heard him bid two diamonds. I jumped to four diamonds -- and found him with a 3-3-3-4 pattern, including three good diamonds. The contract was unsuccessful. What did we do wrong?

-- Force Majeure, wichita Falls, Texas

AnswEr: At his second turn, opener can bid one spade with only three trumps if nothing else appeals. A call of one no-trump suggests a balanced hand, not heart stoppers. With any 2-3-4-4 pattern, responder can rebid one no-trump. With four spades and slightly better than a minimum, opener can rebid two spades. Thus a call of one spade suggests three and an unbalanced hand, or four in a dead-minimum hand. A twodiamond bid by opener is typically 4-5 and a minimum.