ACES ON BRIDGE
DEAR MR. WOLFF:
Non-vulnerable and in first seat, I held ♠ Q-6, ♥ 6-3, ♦ A-Q-10-75-4-3, ♣ 9-2. I opened three diamonds, my left-hand opponent passed and my partner bid three no-trump on his balanced 18 points. He made that for a top board, others playing in a diamond partscore. Later, he advised me that my three-diamond bid was a poor choice and I should have passed. Is what I did all right? — Harry and the Hendersons,
Macon, Ga. DEAR READER: This hand would be the classic template for a three-diamond call. When you have a good six- or seven-card suit, never pass. You may open two diamonds with seven if they look like six, and the only time you would open three diamonds with six is when you have extra offense, typically in the other minor, with low defense.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: When is a double of the final contract for penalty, and when is it asking for an unusual lead? — Theodore’s Theory,
Bremerton, Wash. DEAR READER: When the double by the hand not on lead is out of the blue, or is by a preempter, the doubler often has an unexpected void or wants dummy’s first-bid suit. At the game level, double of a suit contract may just be based on long trumps, of course. If someone doubles an invitational auction, they probably think it is going off on bad breaks. However, when three no-trump has been bid confidently, a double may be lead-directing. When one no-trump has been raised to three, double asks partner to lead his weaker major. Some even assign a specific suit to the double.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: How would you evaluate this hand: ♠ K-10-8-6, ♥ A-9-3-2,
♦ 8-5-4, ♣ A-10, after your left-hand opponent opens one heart, your partner doubles and your right-hand opponent raises to two hearts?
— Suitable Shape, Huntington, W.Va. DEAR READER: It looks like all of these high cards are working facing the likely singleton heart. The black-suit 10s might come in handy as well. I would bid four spades.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: How does one agree opener’s major after a Stayman response to one no-trump? Is four no-trump a key-card ask? — Impossible Bid,
Casper, Wyo. DEAR READER: On a sequence such as one no-trump - two clubs - two hearts, responder can bid three spades to agree hearts as trump and set the scene for slam investigation. (It works similarly for a three-heart continuation after opener shows spades.)
This call cannot be natural, as responder would have started with a transfer if he had five cards in the other major. Thus, a direct four no-trump is still natural and invitational. Other jumps can be played as splinters.
DEAR MR. WOLFF: How much information should I be volunteering to the opponents about our methods?
— Full Disclosure,
Duluth, Minn. DEAR READER: In faceto-face bridge, anything that is relevant to the current deal should be divulged, but only after the auction and only if you are the declaring side. Do not go out of your way to volunteer superfluous information. Conversely, if playing with screens, since your partner cannot hear you, volunteer any relevant agreements during the bidding.