ACES ON BRIDGE

DEAR MR. WOLFF: My partner and I do not agree about the significance of following with an honor on partner’s ace lead; similarly, what is the meaning of the discard of an honor (or the unblock of an honor under declarer’s or dummy’s play of a higher card)? — Message Bearer, Little Rock

DEAR READER: My view is that if you drop an honor on partner’s lead, it suggests either a doubleton or a suit solid down from that card, denying a higher honor. Similarly, discarding a queen suggests the jack and 10, without the king. A play of this sort might be suit-preference, or even a wake-up call to find an unusual play, but that would surely be the exception here, not the rule.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I opened one diamond with ♠ A-Q-3, ♥ 6-5, ♦ Q-10-9-6-5-2, ♣ K-4. I heard my partner respond one spade and RHO overcall two clubs. How do you rate the merits of passing, repeating diamonds or bidding two spades? — Calling Card, Eau Claire, Wis.

DEAR READER: I’d hate to pass with extra shape. Bidding two spades seems right — we’ve told partner about our diamonds but not our spade support so far. And the diamonds are not so impressive that we need to draw attention to them. Of course, a support double to show three-card trump support would be just fine — assuming you play this method.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: With only one entry to dummy, what is the best way to play a holding of three to the nine in dummy facing A-J-10-8-3-2 in hand for one loser? Does your play depend on the caliber of your opponents? — Bobby Shafto, Summit, N.J.

DEAR READER: Finessing, then playing for the drop on the next round, loses to a singleton honor on your left. Cashing the ace loses to a small singleton on your left. It looks like even money, but in abstract, the finesse is better, since that way you pick up the 4-0 trump break on your right. But if you lead the nine from dummy, you might, I suppose, elicit a twitch from a weak opponent who has both honors.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: From your earlier comments, you have made it clear that you like to get into auctions as quickly as possible. Would you therefore make a takeout double of one club (or even of one diamond or one spade), holding ♠ Q-10-5, ♥ A-K-7-5, ♦ 9-7-5, ♣ A-8-3? — Picking the Spot, Augusta, Ga.

DEAR READER: I’d advocate doubling one club or one diamond when nonvulnerable. If vulnerable facing a passed hand, I would probably still double, though not like it as much. And I would double one spade, too, if nonvulnerable or facing an unpassed partner. I think direct action much safer than passing and then balancing. And my view is shared by more and more players who prefer winning to style points.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: I held ♠ Q-7-3-2, ♥ Q-6-5, ♦ A-Q6-5, ♣ 10-4. I responded one spade to one club, and my partner raised to two spades. Because we were playing teams, I tried three diamonds, getting us to a poor, though makable, four-spade contract. My partner said I needed a fifth trump to make a try with these values. What do you think? — Risk and Reward, Walnut Creek, Calif.

DEAR READER: Assuming that your partner has 12-14 points with four spades (if you are lucky), you do not rate to have enough points for game. So to make a try with these values, you need a real fit for his first suit (imagine he had opened one diamond instead of one club) or extra shape in the form of trump length. Turn your club four into a spade, and you would be worth a try for game with a call of three diamonds.