Recently I had a ruling against us which I did not understand. My expert professional LHO overcalled one no-trump over my one-spade opening. My partner jumped to four spades, and after a long pause my RHO passed. When it came back to my LHO, he bid five clubs and found it to be a good save. Is this legal?

Hot Under the Collar, Ketchikan, Alaska

After a break in tempo, as here, the way the director should consider if the pause pointed to taking the action selected by the player. If it did, was the selected action an automatic one or was there a logical alternative? If the answer to the first question is yes, then the director would adjust the score unless there was no logical alternative to the successful action. I'm guessing the director determined that a slow pass of four spades did not imply that the sacrifice would be successful.

I held ♠ K-10-9-4, ♥ K-10-5-3, ♦ 10-4-2, ♣ A-Q and was faced with the problem of whether to open in third seat and if so whether to open a major or a minor. What do you advise?

Lost Leader, Pleasanton, Calif.

In any seat but third seat I would open one diamond. In third chair my diamonds look too weak for me toopen one diamond. With a good four-card major I might select that instead –but I do not have one! I'll live with the one-diamond opening and hope my LHO does not overcall one no-trump.

In my bridge club we play the short club or diamond. If my partner bids one club or one diamond, can I pass, or must I bid the next step up?

Moving On, Great Falls, Mont.

I assume what you mean is that playing five-card majors, you can open either minor on a three-card suit, not a two-carder. If so, these opening bids are nonforcing, but you may dredge up a response with a shortage in the suit opened. With a four-count and a five-card major but a singleton in partner's suit, I would indeed respond. I'd tend to pass one diamond more often than one club, since the former call does tend to deliver a real suit most of the time.

How would you raise your partner when the auction proceeds around the table one diamond – one spade – two clubs, to you, holding ♠ Q-10-3, ♥ K-10-3, ♦ K-10-5-3, ♣ K-10-4? At the table I thought that a gentle cue-bid of two diamonds would suffice, since both opponents were bidding strongly. But it turned out that we missed a game.

Undercooked, Lorain, Ohio

You have not provided me with the responding hand, but I'd say you did just fine here. As a general rule the higher cue-bid (especially if it takes the auction up a level, as here) shows at least an opening bid. Your choice of the lower cue-bid suggested a sound raise to the two-level, and it is not clear that you have any more than that.

Last week I held one of the strongest hands I ever held. My RHO opened two diamonds and I was looking at ♠ A-K-10-8-7-5-3, ♥ A-K-Q-J-4, ♦ —, ♣ Q. Should I double and then bid spades, ignoring the hearts, should I jump in spades, or is there a better approach? As the cards lie, partner has both minor-suit aces and a spade void, but seven hearts is cold.

Upward Bound, Harrisburg, Pa.

Cue-bidding to show a two-suiter with the majors seems a good way to start. The cue-bid (or even a call of four diamonds, showing the majors and a better hand) to be followed with five spades to show a hand with longer spades than hearts and 11 tricks in your own hand, might let partner bid seven hearts. Incidentally, jumping in spades should be strong, while doubling, then bidding or jumping in spades, is even stronger. But you can't ignore the hearts here.