Aces on Bridge
Dear Mr. Wolff: You are vulnerable versus non-vulnerable opponents, with ♠ K-9-6, ♥ 7-4-3, ♦ A-Q-83-2, ♣ A-J. You open one diamond in second chair, your left-hand opponent overcalls one heart and your partner raises to five diamonds. What would you do when your righthand opponent bids five hearts? Should pass be forcing?
— Kiss Kiss, Pueblo, Colo.
Answer: The jump to five diamonds does not show values and therefore does not set up a forcing pass. Partner could have cue-bid to show a good hand, after all. I would pass five hearts. Bidding on is unattractive here, and I can reasonably imagine taking three tricks against a heart contract. Doubling seems unnecessary.
Dear Mr. Wolff: We were cue-bidding toward slam, with spades agreed, when I bid four diamonds rather than four clubs, thereby denying a club control. My partner now thought his four-heart advance said nothing about hearts but merely confirmed a club control. Is that right?
— Last Train, Anchorage, Alaska
Answer: Yes. Signing off would typically deny a club control, so partner must do more when he has that control if he cannot afford to use Blackwood. If there is only one bid below game, that can (by partnership agreement) be used to say that slam is still in the picture. With two cue-bids available below game, each would promise a control in the bypassed suit and a control in the suit bid, but only because the extra space affords such luxury.
Dear Mr. Wolff:
With everyone vulnerable, your left-hand opponent’s one-diamond opening is passed to you. After your double, you hear one heart on your left and one spade from your partner. What would you do with ♠ K-J3-2, ♥ 9-8-4-3, ♦ A, ♣ A-K-Q-7?
— Voluntary Action, Hamilton, Ontario
Answer: I have much more than I might have for a protective double, and partner bid one spade without any prompting. He must have either a decent hand with four spades or a five-card suit, so I’d just raise to game. It does not pay to stop on a dime when you have a fit and some shape. Since your balancing double starts at about a 10-count, you have a lot in hand!
Dear Mr. Wolff: Do you subscribe to the theory that one should lead passively against one no-trump?
— In Context, Jackson, Tenn.
Answer: I do. The play in part-scores is rarely a race, and you often have time to establish tricks later. Attacking at trick one could give away a trick, perhaps a vital one. I would of course lead any five-card suit if I had one, or a four-card suit headed by a strong sequence. I would tend to avoid opening suits from broken four-card suits if I had a decent alternative.
Dear Mr. Wolff: Is it acceptable to take a break in the middle of a set, perhaps to calm yourself, grab some water or use the restroom? — Esteemed Etiquette,
Bristol, Va.
Answer: This sort of thing is all right in long sets, say a 16-board teams session, as long as everyone agrees. In short sets, the schedule is often tight, and you should try to avoid leaving the table for anything but the shortest of breaks unless you are dummy.
Contact Bobby Wolff at bobbywolff@mindspring. com.