Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff: You recently asked what one should bid with a six-count including three clubs and two diamonds after an unopposed sequence your way: one diamond – one heart – two clubs. You advocate passing, which I can understand. But isn’t a new suit forcing here? – Shazam, Palm Springs, Calif.

Answer: We need to define what’s forcing and what is not. New suits by responder are indeed forcing (except by a passed hand). New suits by opener are not forcing, unless a force has already been set up, so an opening bid or a simple change of suit is not forcing. Jumps and reverses by opener are forcing – the former to game, the latter for one round.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I held ♠ K-3, ♥ A-J, ♦ 9-6-4-2, ♣ Q-10-7-4-2. My partner opened one spade, and I responded one no-trump. Over his two-heart rebid I gave preference to two spades. This went down because trumps broke 5-1, but two no-trump, or perhaps even three no-trump, might have been makable. Where did we go wrong? – Culpability Brown, Phoenix

Answer: I’m not sure you did anything bad here. Your hand looks more suitable for play in spades than no-trump, with so little in the minors. I’d do exactly what you did and then blame bad luck.

Dear Mr. Wolff: At my club many players use a second negative after a two-club opening. I always thought that the way to do this after first bidding two diamonds was to bid two no-trump. But I’m told that the lower minor is now the “in” bid for the double negative. Where do you stand? – Twice Weakly, Boise

Answer: It is now more fashionable for the lower minor (three clubs over opener’s rebid of two hearts or two spades, three diamonds over a three-club rebid) to be used for a really weak hand. If opener rebids three diamonds at his first turn, there is no second negative. The idea of using the lower minor is to get no-trump declared by the strong hand, an obvious advantage.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Holding ♠ K-9-8-6-3, ♥ A-Q-4, ♦ Q-2, ♣ J-10-3, I made a one-spade overcall one spade over one diamond. My partner said that a takeout double would be better since I had close to an opening plus support for the other three suits. What is current thinking here? – Unsuitable, Panama City, Fla.

Answer: I believe you would get heavy support for the idea that when you have a five-card major and limited values, you would bid the suit rather than double. Perhaps with 4-5 in the majors a case could be made for the double but not here. After the overcall, you should still find a fit in another suit, if appropriate, whenever partner has values.