ACES ON BRIDGE
Dear Mr. Wolff:Not vulnerable against vulnerable opponents, you examine this collection: SPADES 9-8-7-4-3, HEARTS K-8, DIAMONDS 9, CLUBS K-Q-9-6-2. Your partner opens one heart, and the next player overcalls two clubs. What is your plan?
— Penalty Pass, Raleigh, N.C. ANSWER: I would pass, intending to convert partner’s reopening double for penalty. Especially at this vulnerability, defending against two clubs doubled should yield a handsome penalty. I plan to lead my singleton diamond to score as many ruffs as possible so I cannot be endplayed in the trump suit. We could be making game in spades or hearts, but neither would be as good as the likely 500 or 800 I expect from two clubs doubled.
Dear Mr. Wolff:The bidding starts: one club from you, three spades on your left, double from your partner, passed to you. What would you do with SPADES A-Q-8, HEARTS Q-7-5-4, DIAMONDS A-5-2, CLUBS 10-5-3?
— Not Negative, Augusta, Ga.
ANSWER: At such a high level, partner’s double is just for takeout. It does not promise four hearts. Even if it did, I would be hesitant about bidding four hearts with a minimum opener and no shape. Three notrump is the most likely game, and while passing could be right, that action may backfire if partner has a singleton or void in spades. I would try three no-trump with the hand given. Change the diamond ace into a club ace, and I might bid four hearts.
Dear Mr. Wolff:Say you open one heart, your partner responds one spade and you rebid three diamonds. If partner bids three hearts next, what does that show? — Preference, Jackson, Miss.
ANSWER: Three diamonds is gameforcing, so my partner must find a bid. He cannot try three no-trump without a full club stopper. Moreover, I could still have six hearts. With so little space, my partner’s three-heart bid should be assumed to show preference with a doubleton. If he has
three hearts, he can act again later, perhaps cue-bidding or reverting to four hearts over three no-trump.
Dear Mr. Wolff:Do you think it is worthwhile to claim in defense, generally speaking?
— Known Ending, Dover, Del.
ANSWER: I do this only when I am completely sure of the position and my partner has no further part to play in the defense. For practical purposes, I would save this for when my hand is high. Then there can be no debates and no raised eyebrows!
Dear Mr. Wolff:When defending, what should our spot-card switches in the middle of the hand signify? Are there any circumstances where this changes?
— Low for Like, Detroit, Mich.
ANSWER: Most play attitude leads in the middle of the hand. During the play, you often have to switch to suits, in which you do not have great length or strength, so it is important to be able to tell partner not to continue them when he gets in. Playing count-based switches or second-and-fourth, this might be difficult to communicate. With attitude leads, you simply switch to the highest intermediate you can afford with no interest in the suit.
If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at bobbywolff@mindspring.com. Copyright 2023, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS