Aces on Bridge
Dear Mr. Wolff: You hold
♠ A-K-8-4-3-2, 9-4, ♦ Q-2, ♣ A-10-9, with no one vulnerable. Your right-hand opponent deals and opens one heart. You overcall one spade and hear a raise to three hearts on your left. Your partner competes to three spades. Would you bid one more for the road?
— Bad Omen, Midland, Michigan
Answer: The small doubleton in the enemy suit does not bode well for offense. You might then struggle to limit your minor-suit losers to one, given that you have no reason to expect a source of tricks in dummy. Passing is the prudent course, especially when you consider that partner might have stretched to bid game on this sequence if he had a full invitation with a singleton heart.
Dear Mr. Wolff: My partner and I have taken up transfers after our major-suit opening is doubled. In these methods, what sort of hand-type would you expect for a one-no-trump transfer to clubs?
— Confused Conventions, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Answer: A lot of people transfer with balanced hands and five-card suits here, but that is not the best strategy. You should either pass or redouble with those. A transfer should typically be based on the sort of hand you would open a weak two with, so 5-9 points and a six-card suit, or unbalanced stronger hands with at least a five-card suit, when you can transfer and then bid again or raise partner.
Dear Mr. Wolff: Do you think serious top-level bridge events should be played online?
— Inherent Downsides,
Laredo, Texas
Answer: It is somewhat easier to cheat at online bridge. The spate of unethical behavior exhibited over the pandemic was alarming and detrimental to our game. The risk is smaller in a live game, so I would say that the big tournaments should be played face-toface whenever possible, even if that is less convenient.
Dear Mr. Wolff: Which card would you recommend we lead from ace-king doubleton against suit contracts?
— Reversed Order, Nashville, Tennessee
Answer: I would tend to lead the one that is contrary to my usual ace-king agreements. This way, I can wake partner up to the possibility of a ruff. I do the same when planning to shift to a singleton.
Dear Mr. Wolff: We had a disaster on this board when I doubled a one-diamond opener with ♠ A-Q-10-2, ♥ A-4-3, ♦ Q-10, ♣ Q-J-9-3 at unfavorable vulnerability. My left-hand opponent redoubled, and I had to run to one spade, doubled for minus 800. Partner had nothing but six small diamonds, so one diamond would have gone down. Should I have passed that out?
— Neutral Pass, Levittown, Pennsylvania
Answer: Partner’s pass is not for penalty here. Instead, it denies a good bid. He will not have a four-card major, but he may have four clubs. Imagine if he held a 3=3=3=4 distribution. He might pass, with the aim of getting out into your four-card major, rather than bid and guess which major you have length in. Therefore, I think you have to bid, and one spade is as good as anything.