Bridge

Dear Mr. Wolff: My RHO opened one spade, I doubled, and now everybody passed. After one spade doubled made with two overtricks, how should this be scored? I protested that my double was not for penalties, but to no avail. What should the score have been? – Ruby Slippers, Bellingham

Answer: The correct score for a doubled contract is not affected by whether the double was for takeout or penalties. That you meant a double as takeout should only lead to (polite) recriminations with your partner and does not constitute grounds for score adjustment. Your opponents get 60 below the line, 50 above the line for the insult, and 100 for each nonvulnerable overtrick (or 200 for a vulnerable overtrick). It’s almost as expensive as doubling them into game!

Dear Mr. Wolff: With ♠ 7-2, ♥ A-2, ♦ A-J-9-6-4, ♣ Q-10-3-2, would you open one diamond in first seat? Would it matter if you had four hearts instead of four clubs? – Merry Andrew, Wichita Falls, Texas

Answer: Your query focuses indirectly on the critical reason for opening one diamond with your hand: the ease of rebid when you have both minors. Conversely, with four hearts and five diamonds, I would pass, since if I open one diamond, I would hate my rebid over one spade.

Dear Mr. Wolff: With ♠ A-7-3-2, ♥ K-2, ♦ J-9-6-5-4-3, ♣ 2, what should I respond to one club? Would your answer differ if the diamond three were the heart three? In other words, should I bid a four-card major or the longer minor? And should the relative quality of the two suits be a factor in my decision? – Major-Leaguer, Ketchikan, Alaska

Answer: You raise a good question. With 6-4, bid the six-card suit, regardless of suit quality, I think. With 5-4 and a hand worth one bid (say with 6-10 points), bid the major unless the suit is poor and the diamonds are good. That is an oversimplification but not an unreasonable rule.

Dear Mr. Wolff: Is there any restriction on methods that my opponents can use at a local bridge club? I’ve recently come across players using forcing-club bids, and I do not understand their methods. – Code Breaker, Orlando, Fla.

Answer: You should not think that unusual methods (if they are designed to be constructive) should be barred just because you do not use them yourself.

Your opponents are obligated to pre-alert you to nonstandard methods and also to alert their special bids and explain them to you properly.

That said, they should be free to do pretty much what they like.