Dear Mr. Rigal: When at a live tournament, should you ask permission to watch a table in action?

— Given Thing, Muncie, Ind.

Answer: Yes, the proper etiquette is for a kibitzer to ask if they can join. Most players say yes, but some prefer not to have the added pressure. Of course, one should follow the players’ wishes in such situations.

Dear Mr. Rigal: What would you rebid with ? J-8-7, ? A-K-J, ? Q-J-10-9-8-3, ? 2 after partner responds one spade to your one-diamond opening?

— Best Partial, Tucson, Ariz.

Answer: I tend to raise on three more often than most, but I admit I would rebid two diamonds here. Internally, the suit is extraordinarily strong, so diamonds is clearly the right spot on a part-score deal. Also, my spades are weak and I have a minimum opening, so it is not as though I am desperate to evoke a positive move from partner. I would hate to watch partner struggle in two spades with a trump suit of queen-fourth or worse, facing my jack-third.

Dear Mr. Rigal: I led the king from king-queen-low against a suit contract, and dummy presented with three small cards. When partner encouraged, I continued with the queen, only to see partner overtake and return a low card, declarer’s jack scoring. I was horrified, but partner insists the fault was mine. What is your opinion?

— Classic Case, Selma, Ala.

Answer: Partner presumably thought you had king-queen-doubleton and was trying to overcome the blockage by giving you a ruff. It would have been kinder for you to continue with a small card, removing partner’s losing option. Note, though, that on rare occasions when you want partner to win the third round of the suit, you do have to play the queen on the second round.

Dear Mr. Rigal: Is it acceptable to mastermind the bidding or defense when partnering an inexperienced player?

— Smooth Operator, Huntington, W.Va.

Answer: I see it this way: If you take the decisions away from your partner, how can you expect them to get any better? Not to mention, you will inevitably have some bad boards via such guesswork. However, if your partner is just after some good results, this may be the best approach.

Dear Mr. Rigal: You hold ? A-K-J, ? 10-6-2, ? A-Q-J-9-7-6, ? A and hear partner open one heart. You respond two diamonds, game-forcing, and then raise his two-heart rebid to three. When he cue-bids four clubs, you choose to ask for key cards, whereupon he shows two without the heart queen. What now?

— Blackwood Pause, Greenville, S.C.

Answer: The obvious call is six hearts, but maybe I can do better by bidding six diamonds here? That should be an offer to play, given that diamonds is my primary suit, so partner will know to pass with something like 10-doubleton. Then I can discard my heart loser on the club king and hopefully lose only one diamond trick. Playing in hearts, though, the trump loser will not be going anywhere. If partner has a small singleton in diamonds or something similar, he can always convert back to hearts.

Contact Barry Rigal, email him at barryrigal@hotmail.com