Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff: My partner and I play fit-jumps after one of us overcalls. I also believe in playing fit-jumps over interference, and by a passed hand. I know that it is a matter of partnership agreement, but would you recommend playing fit-jumps, weak jumps or splinters in the following situation? Partner opens one heart, the next hand bids two diamonds, and you jump to four clubs. – Bouncer, Bristol, Va.

Answer: I agree with you that jumps by passed hand or facing an overcall might sensibly be played as natural but promising a fit. On the auction you quote, I think you are too high for the jump to be weak. The advantage of playing all jumps in these sequences as fit (except for those in the opponents’ suit) is that there is no room for disagreement!

Dear Mr. Wolff: Do you play a second negative in responding to a two-club opening bid? And if so, does that relieve the partnership of the obligation of getting to game? – Twice Weakly, Staten Island, N.Y.

Answer: After a two-diamond response to a two-club opening, opener’s two no-trump is of course nonforcing. But what if opener bids a suit, and then responder bids the lower minor as a second negative? Some people play that opener’s repeating his suit would now be nonforcing. That is quite sensible, but it requires partnership agreement. All other auctions should be game-forcing.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I am never sure how much you need for a takeout double when both opponents are bidding. For example, with •8-3, •A-Q-6-2, •K-J-8-6-4, •10-5, would you come in with a double after your LHO opens one club and your RHO bids one spade? – Sandwich Lover, Lakeland, Fla.

Answer: If you were a passed hand, a double would be acceptable. To bid as an unpassed hand, I’d rather have something closer to a full opening bid. But you could argue that now is the safest moment to bid, before both opponents have limited their hands and while the auction is low.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I have only just started playing bridge, and one of the maxims I seem to hear all the time is “Cover an honor with an honor.” I know what it means, but I don’t really understand why I should do this. And should I always do it? – Rubber Tyro, Hartford, Conn.

Answer: The philosophy here is that when declarer leads an unsupported honor, you should generally cover it. Imagine declarer with queen-third facing ace-jack-fourth. If he leads the queen and you do not cover, he takes more tricks than he would do had you covered the queen with your king. Alas, this rule has more exceptions than you could shake a stick at. I would look at a book on basic defense to see the bigger picture.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I notice that a number of experts have responses to weak-twos marked as RONF on their convention cards. What does that mean – and is it a good idea? – Two in the Bush, Little Rock, Ark.

Answer: The idea here is that in response to a weak two, the Raise of partner’s suit is the Only Non-Forcing bid. So new suits are forcing for one round if not to game, and two no-trump acts as a forcing relay. This set of responses is both logical and efficient and is very widely played.