ACES ON BRIDGE
DEAR MR. WOLFF: Are you aware of an initiative in New York called “Chess at 3”? I read about this in the papers and online and wondered whether bridge had anything similar, or it was lagging behind.
— Green Eyes, Worcester, Mass.
DEAR READER: I think bridge still has a way to go to make the same impact as chess. It may be something to do with the idea of cardplay equaling gambling. But Debbie Rosenberg in Silicon Valley and Patty Tucker in Atlanta have shown it can be done. The American Contract Bridge League in general is trying hard — bit.ly/2jio95T has details.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: In third chair, I wondered how you would feel about opening Q-10-7-5, A-K-4-2, 9, J-9-4-3. Would the vulnerability affect your decision? If you did decide to open, would you open a major or a minor? — Cowardly Lion, Miami
DEAR READER: There is certainly a case to open slightly weaker hands in third seat, especially when you have a suit with lead-directing values like the hearts here. Having said that, I wouldn’t particularly mind if the deal were passed out, would you? And given that 4-4-4-1 is the ideal shape on which to defend, since I already know that three suits will not be splitting for the opponents, I would pass.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: I was recently defending a diamond contract, and in a fourcard ending I had the master trump, two small clubs and one small heart. Dummy had the master club, which was the eight, and three small hearts. When West led her top spade, she said to dummy that she could play anything. I could trump in, but could I ask for the club eight to be played now? — Sharp Shooter,
Augusta, Ga. DEAR READER: If declarer asks dummy to play any card, the defenders can select any card — rational or irrational, or just plain inferior. So in this case, yes, the club must be discarded if you ask dummy to do so. Declarer cannot argue that he knew the position, or he would never have said what he did.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: I’m told there are some good records of the recent cheating scandals. Are there any good ways to watch them online?
— Goggle Box, Fayetteville, N.C. DEAR READER: The answer to your question can best be summarized by your looking at the following videos: youtu.be/TKe7gLTfaF8, youtu.be/831tJ4EHLBY, and youtu.be/1xVj1EQ_vSI. To me, these seem expertly created and absolutely convincing. The pairs involved are all now banned from the game, so I guess the authorities agree with me.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: I held J-4, A-Q-4, K-J-43, J-10-8-2 and opened one diamond rather than one club in second seat. Do you agree? What was I supposed to do when my LHO bid one spade and my partner doubled? I can see a case for rebidding one no-trump because the hand is balanced, but a call of two hearts or two clubs also had some appeal at the time. — Split Ends, Portland, Ore. DEAR READER: I like the one-diamond opener, but as to the rebid, an expert panel might be split among three rational actions. The 4-3 heart fit might play well here, but I’d rather not make that call if anything else appealed. Since I have a little something in spades and the opponents have not yet repeated or raised spades, I think a call of one notrump is acceptable. Even so, a call of two clubs does at least have me bidding a real suit. That would be my choice.