Bridge
Dear Mr. Wolff: When is the right time to clear up a misexplanation given by your partner during the bidding? — Jumping Jehoshaphat, Galveston, Texas
Answer: As a defender you can never correct a misexplanation till the play is fully over. Otherwise, you will risk giving unauthorized information to your partner. Tell the opponents at the end of the play. If declarer or dummy, you must tell your opponents as soon as the bidding is over. However, if you realize that you have simply misbid and the explanation given is correct, you are not obliged to tell the opponents that, though you may do so if you want.
Dear Mr. Wolff: What is your opinion of a fourth-position opening with a minimum 11-12, but lacking any length in spades? One of the better players I know tells me he will open almost any 12-count, despite spade shortness. — Passing Fancy, North Bay, Ontario
Answer: I tend to agree with that approach. You may be more reluctant to open questionable hands if you are short in spades or if you are at favorable vulnerability. Both opponents might have passed moderate hands. However, if you are vulnerable, partner might have passed in second seat with a marginal opening bid because of the vulnerability.
Dear Mr. Wolff: I held •A-3, •J-4-2, •A-8-6-4, •A-Q-10-5 and heard my RHO open one heart in second chair. Was I right to double, or is one no-trump a better call, even with no real heart stop? — Bad Actor, Laredo, Texas
Answer: Double is unacceptable with only two cards in the other major. A takeout double should always deliver at least three cards in each of the unbid suits, unless you have real extra high-cards. Since one no-trump is unattractive without a heart stop, I guess I’d pass and await developments. You can always judge to bid again later.
Dear Mr. Wolff: Holding nine or 10 points and four-card support for a major-suit opening bid, when should one raise to two, and when to three? — Doubtful Dave, Pottsville, Pa.
Answer: Like the famous definition by Judge Felix Frankfurter, you will know a raise to three of a major when you see one. Take this hand: •A-10-8-3, •10-9-2, •8-5-4, •K-Q-5. That is a raise of one spade to two spades. However, if you change the diamond eight to the heart eight, the addition of the ruffing value and the creation of a sequence make it a dead minimum raise to three. With a respectable 10 HCP and four trumps, raising to three is probably the norm rather than the exception.
Dear Mr. Wolff: In rubber bridge, is one obliged to give the same information to one’s opponents as is required in duplicate bridge (system, conventions, leads, alerts, etc.)? Quite frankly, I enjoy a friendly, relaxed game of rubber bridge much better without being asked for all this information. — Sea Lawyer, Spartanburg, S.C.
Answer: The problem here is that the rules require that all partnership agreements must be properly disclosed if you are asked. The alert procedure is there to protect you against your missing the inferences available to your opponents. Your rubber club may sensibly bar conventions and mandate a simple system, but if you can use conventions, you must be strict in alerting your opponents to those agreements.