Aces on Bridge
Dear Mr. Wolff: I had this hand: ♠ A-5, ♥ 8-4, ♦ K-5, ♣ K-Q-10-8-5-4-2 at love all. I opened one club, my left-hand opponent overcalled one heart, my partner cue-bid two hearts to show a good club raise, and my right-hand opponent jumped to four hearts. What now?
— Fit the Bill, Nashville, Tennessee
Answer: This is a good hand for slam. A call of five clubs would be purely competitive, so partner would no doubt pass. Your partner would surely interpret four no-trump as key-card, and a pass would not be forcing. You would like to make a slam try here; would a cue-bid of four spades be an overbid? Maybe, but I would do it!
Dear Mr. Wolff: What do you think this bid means? You open one diamond, your left-hand opponent overcalls two clubs, your partner doubles, you bid two diamonds and your partner now bids two hearts.
— Negative Attitude, Tucson, Arizona
Answer: I think that shows six hearts and four spades and is not really invitational. If a direct two-heart bid is forcing, as most play, then a negative double followed by a new suit is non-forcing. With a gameforcing hand, you would bid your hearts and plan to back into spades. I’d expect 7-10 high-card points and maybe 4-6 shape.
Dear Mr. Wolff: I have seen some pairs playing a direct raise of one of a major to two as constructive, showing 7 to 9 points. What do you think of this method? — Demolition Job, Duluth, Minnesota
Answer: When you narrow the constraints for the raise, you lose the ability to raise directly with a weak hand and three-card support. But the forcing no-trump allows you to show that hand indirectly, and using the raise as constructive in this way helps game and slam bidding. With four-card support, unless playing Bergen raises, you are probably best off raising immediately, even with a weak hand.
Dear Mr. Wolff: Please give me some pointers as to when to lead passively and when to go active.
— On the Offensive, Elmira, New York
Answer: When the opponents seem to be at full value for their bidding, perhaps after a failed slam try, it feels right to attack. After a quantitative sequence, it is often best to lead safely, trying to give nothing away. If declarer’s suits appear to be breaking, with the key honors onside, defend actively. If things are sitting badly for declarer, defend passively. When you are in doubt, I suspect more contracts are let through by giving up a trick on the opening lead than are beaten through aggression.
Dear Mr. Wolff: When partner transfers to a major over your no-trump opening then bids three no-trump, do you have any rules about when to convert to four of a major and when to pass? — Choice of Games,
Hamilton, Ontario
Answer: I always convert when I have four-card support (I do not always make a super-accept), or with three-card support plus a small doubleton. With 4-33-3 distribution, I often pass unless I have aces and kings, or values that are better suited to trump contracts, or occasionally with three small in a side suit and a maximum.