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Dear Mr. Wolff: Over weak two-bids, we play a change of suit as forcing one round. In a recent club game we had this auction: two diamonds – double – two spades. We had not discussed this particular sequence, and as it turned out, one of us assumed it was forcing, but the other didn’t. Is there a common way to play this? – Average Joe, Houston

Answer: My assumption would be that a new suit was not forcing in competition. The reason is that one could show a powerhouse by redoubling and then bidding. Of course, with some hands responder will not want to redouble, but he always could bid game in his long suit.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Holding ♠ K-J-3-2, ♥-2, ♦ Q-9-2, ♣ A-10-4-3, I heard my RHO open one spade. I passed, my LHO responded one no-trump, my partner doubled, and my RHO bid two diamonds. Was I wrong to bid three clubs? (We ran into a bad split and could not make it.) – Backing Out, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

Answer: My instincts would be to double two diamonds and lead a trump. My partner has suggested an opening bid and at least three diamonds, so I would be happy to defend here. If they run to two spades, I would double again – and probably lead a heart.

Dear Mr. Wolff: My club’s director always has trouble determining the penalty after an opening lead out of turn. Could you please run through all the options that should be made available to declarer? – Law Review, Woodland Hills, Calif.

Answer: Declarer may face his hand and become dummy, letting the trick continue. Declarer may accept the lead and have dummy go down; he will play from his own hand second. He can bar the opening lead. In that case the real opening leader cannot play that suit till he has lost the lead. Conversely, he can demand that the suit of the exposed card be led by the true opening leader – and in both these last two options the exposed card is picked up. Finally, declarer can make the card a penalty card. Opening leader may lead what he likes, but the exposed card must be played at the defender’s first legal turn.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Holding ♠ 7-4-2, ♥ J, ♦ K-J-9-3-2, ♣ K-Q-7-6, I responded one no-trump to my partner’s one-heart opening and raised two clubs to three. Now my partner bid three hearts. Can you tell me what I should have done now? – Missing Lynx, Bellingham

Answer: I’d expect my partner to have five very good hearts or, more likely, six of them. Given my absence of aces, I’d expect four hearts to have more play than five clubs, so I might risk raising partner with my singleton honor.

Dear Mr. Wolff: When an overcaller doubles at his next turn, what sort of hand might he have? Over one spade my partner overcalled two clubs. Then, when dealer reopened with two spades, my partner doubled. Is this takeout, penalties, or something else? – Clued Out, Holland, Mich.

Answer: This sequence is takeout. Almost all low-level doubles facing passing partners are for takeout. I’d expect a shape like 1-3-3-6 with extra values, maybe 14-17 in high cards.