ACES ON BRIDGE

LITTLE ROCK — DEAR MR. WOLFF: Are you familiar with a convention called “stolen bid”?

What are the pluses and minuses of the convention, in which a double and all low-level calls act as transfers? - Gunsmith, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

DEAR READER: “Stolen Bid” permits you to keep transfers in play when the opponents come in over your no-trump, an undeniable plus. You can, however, no longer use a takeout double - one of the more important hand-types.

While responder at his first turn to speak can bid all the suits efficiently in either scenario, to my mind being able to transfer declarership is worth less than being able to make a negative double.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: When you hold a balanced hand such as K-Q-3, K-10-8, J-6-3-2, A-8-5, do you think there is any argument to be made for opening one club as opposed to one diamond, reserving the one-diamond opening for less balanced hands? - Jumbotron, Rockford, Ill.

DEAR READER: What you suggest requires a conventional agreement with your partner (and would make your one club and one diamond bids alertable).

That said, yes, if you open one club with all minimum balanced hands, you get much more confidence in the one-diamond opening.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: What exactly is a trial bid?

When should you use it and how does it work?

• Hoppity Bunny, Portland, Ore.

DEAR READER: After you agree to a suit in nonforcing fashion via a raise of opener’s or responder’s suit, a call in a new suit shows length and asks for help - typically with a three- or four-card suit to one top honor. It asks the hand that has raised to evaluate whether it is maximum or minimum for the auction thus far. You sign off with a minimum or an unsuitableholding, and move to game with a maximum, or suitable holding in the critical suit.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: My LHO opened one club, and my partner doubled at favorable vulnerability.

While I was wondering what to respond with K-J-9, J-2, Q-10-8-7, K-Q-6-4, my RHO bid one heart. There seemed to be a lot of high cards in the deck, but what would you recommend for me to do? Should I invite game, or settle for a partscore in either diamonds or spades? - Lindy Hop, Grenada, Miss.

DEAR READER: I agree that this looks like a partscore deal - since in situations where both opponents are bidding, partner probably has shape, not high cards. I’d bid either one no-trump or two diamonds - the former at pairs, the latter at teams.

DEAR MR. WOLFF: Should you change your responses to Blackwood when the opponents intervene or double a four-no-trump call or the response to it? If so, what scheme do you use?

• All Change, Durham, N.C.

DEAR READER: When a four-no-trump call is doubled, I recommend you ignore it. With any other intervention below the trump suit, use double to show no key-cards (or aces if playing regular Blackwood) and pass with one, then step responses thereafter. With higher intervention use double to show zero or two key-cards,pass for one key-card, and step responses with three or four cards.

If you would like to contact Bobby Wolff, e-mail him at bobbywolff@ mindspring.com