Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff: My partner opened one club, not vulnerable. I had seven diamonds to the jack for a total of one point (four if you include distribution), so I passed. The opponents went on to make two no-trump. But my partner claims that I should not have passed. Was I being too conservative? – Steady Eddie, Sunbury, Pa.

Answer: I tend to respond light (not necessarily that light) when partner opens a minor, and I do not fit that suit. The reason is that we might play in a huge misfit if I pass, which does not apply facing a major-suit opening. If nonvulnerable, and especially if the opponents are vulnerable, I would respond here. The bottom line, though, is that passing is not wrong, and bidding might work out very badly. Be happy they bid and made only two no-trump, not three.

Dear Mr. Wolff: With ♠ A-7-2, ♥ 2, ♦ A-J-7-6-4, ♣ Q-10-8-3, would you open one diamond? Would it matter what position you were in and what the vulnerability was? – Doubting Thomas, Elmira, N.Y.

Answer: With marginal hands like this, a lot depends on how easy you expect your rebid to be. Whenever you have 5-4 shape and a guaranteed easy rebid – as here – you should open on an 11-count if your controls are respectable. With two aces, I would always open this hand.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Partner opened two no-trump. If I use Stayman and follow with four of a minor over a response in a major, what does that mean? Is it natural, or a cuebid for partner’s suit? – Slamming Sammy, Seneca, S.C.

Answer: The best way to play is that the call is natural and a slam-try, suggesting four cards in the other major. To set partner’s suit as trump after Stayman, bid the other major, which logically should not be natural since you denied five cards there by not bidding the suit at your first turn. After Stayman, a jump to four no-trump is natural and quantitative.

Dear Mr. Wolff: I recently played with someone who told me that in responding to a one-club opener and lacking a five-card major, I should bid one diamond, even if I held only a doubleton. This would guarantee that I did not hold five cards in a major. Subsequently, with six diamonds and five hearts, she responded one diamond and then bid hearts, leaving me very confused. I always was under the impression that you would introduce a five-card major before a six-card minor. Please tell us how the bidding should have gone. – Weeping Willow, Bay City, Mich.

Answer: Your partner’s suggestion is neither sound nor standard. There are plenty of people who play this way, but that does not make it right. Major responses show four-plus cards, not five. Having said that, if I had agreed to this method, I would have bid my hearts before diamonds. At least I’d make it easy for partner to know approximately what I had.