—  Acting Up, Portland, Ore.

ANSWER: Rosenkranz doubles and redoubles are not my cup of tea. (I like to keep the bid for other purposes — namely, to show good defensively oriented hands.) These doubles are traditionally used only by fourth hand facing an overcall, and I can see the logic in using them by a passed hand — but I would not advocate them in any other sequences.

Dear Mr. Wolff:

Holding ♠ J-2, ♥ A-K-9-7-6, ♦ 9-7-4, ♣ A-Q-10, I opened one heart and heard one spade on my left. When this came back to me, I doubled for takeout. My partner passed and my RHO now rescued himself. Since I have a decent hand, should I have doubled a rescue in either minor, or is it better to pass and await developments?

—  Ax-Wielder, Detroit, Mich.

ANSWER: Despite holding only three clubs, you have just enough in defensive tricks to double a run-out to that suit. But I would never double a diamond call with such weak trumps. Wait for partner to act if he can.

Dear Mr. Wolff:

—  Strong Poison, Worcester, Mass.

ANSWER: You got the distinction absolutely right at your first try. Without the double, the two-diamond bid would have been a reverse. Key here is that when partner asks you to bid a suit and you do so as here without a jump, it just suggests a nonmaximum hand, together with that suit. In an uncontested auction, bidding a lower-ranking suit, then a higher-ranking suit at a higher level, would constitute a reverse and thus show real extras.

I was in fourth seat with ♠ 4-3, ♥ K-8-2, ♦ K-Q-10-7-4, ♣ 6-3-2. LHO had opened with a weak two hearts, doubled by my partner. We play no conventional responses here, so I just bid three diamonds and played there, missing game in no-trump or diamonds. What could I have done?

—  Undercooked, Tupelo, Miss.

ANSWER: If two no-trump was natural, I might have gambled it out, although I realize that this could look very silly. But the simplest way around the problem is to use two no-trump as a transfer to three clubs (to show a weak hand in clubs or diamonds), while a direct call of three diamonds shows an invitational hand. This is an extension of a popular convention called Lebensohl.

Dear Mr. Wolff:

My RHO opened one diamond, and I held ♠ A-K-10-2, ♥ Q-J, ♦ K-Q, ♣ Q-J-6-3-2. All of my choices at this point seemed bad. What call do you think is appropriate?

—  Salvage Job, East Brunswick, N.J.

ANSWER: I would overcall one no-trump. The hand is a little strong but the red-suit honors are emphatically not pulling their weight. Two clubs and one spade are both wrong (though neither is impossible) because of suit length and quality issues. Even a double is not out — although if partner bids hearts, I would have to bid clubs, not no-trump. (The latter would show 18-20 balanced, but a better diamond stop than this.)

Dear Mr. Wolff:

Has the recent decline in the economy affected the major tournaments around the world? Are all the championships still scheduled to take place?

—  Budget Conscious, Bristol, Conn.

ANSWER: There is considerable belt-tightening in the major events, but so far none of them been canceled. However, a few have been rearranged. For example the 2010 event in Saint Petersburg, Russia, may be moved to the United States if adequate funding can be guaranteed.