What is the right way to signal from length when your partner leads a king (presumably from ace-king) and dummy has the guarded queen in that suit?

Rawhide Rick, Salina, Kan.

In a suit contract, if you might hold a doubleton, you echo with two; that way you never lose your ruff. I suggest play lowest from three, and second-lowest from four. This minimizes ambiguity, though nothing will cover every base. If you cannot have as few as two cards, give count, with a high card suggesting an even number, a low card suggesting an odd number. In no-trump, simply give count — your attitude is implicitly defined by the sight of dummy.

What would you do with ♠ K-10-5-2, ♥ A-Q-8-6-2, ♦ 10-4, ♣ Q-9 when your partner opens one club and rebids one no-trump over your one-heart response? Would you drive to game, settle for part-score or issue an invitation?

Straitjacket, Vancouver, British Columbia

Your hand does not look strong enough to drive to game, when you have at best an eight-card fit in either major and no more than 24 high-card points between you. I’d start with two diamonds, the new minor, looking for a heart fit, and be prepared to give up if I do not find one. If partner bids two spades, showing 4=3=3=3 precisely, I’ll raise to three.

Can you comment on the meaning of jump rebids by opener after a suit opening, when his partner makes a negative double of an overcall by the left-hand opponent? Are jumps forcing in the original suit or in a new suit — and if not, what about a double jump?

Head for Heights, Grenada, Miss.

Let’s consider a onespade overcall of a minor-suit opening, and a negative double from your partner. Now your two-heart call suggests four and a minimum balanced or semibalanced hand. A jump to three hearts suggests four trumps and 14-15 points, potentially unbalanced. A jump in any other new suit or your first-bid suit shows extras but is not forcing. Use the cue-bid to set up a game force.

In fourth seat, how should I have developed the following hand: ♠ A-Q-3, ♥ Q-7-6-4, ♦ K-9, ♣ K-9-4-2, when my left-hand opponent opened two spades and my partner doubled? This was a pairs event with both sides vulnerable.

Nosy Rosie, Orlando, Fla.

The choice is between bidding game in hearts or three no-trump, and passing for penalties. You rate to set two spades 500 or more — but declarer can surely take four spade tricks and may scramble a couple more out of dummy’s collection. With these spade honors taking tricks on offense, I would try three no-trump. Four hearts could easily run into ruffs or trump troubles.

Is there any real advantage to playing the version of Key-card Blackwood currently recommended by Eddie Kantar, where a five club response shows one or four key-cards (counting the trump king as a key-card) and five diamonds shows none or three? What do you usually play?

20th Century Blues, Selma, Ala.

Any system accident more than outweighs the benefits of playing the best possible methods. “The perfect is the enemy of the good,” they say. If I use Roman Key-card Blackwood, I play 30/41 responses, though I do see a shift toward the methods you outline. When in Rome …