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“Run, Rabbit, Run”  especially for new players.

On Easter or any other day. While one usually passes with none or very few high-card points, there are times when one just has to bid.

You are South and your partner has just opened 1NT, 12-14 hcp. How are you feeling holding the following 13 cards when East, your right-hand opponent, doubles?

 

The answer, I suppose, would depend on what you thought the double meant. If you thought that the double asked their partner to bid, you would not feel too bad…but that is not the meaning of double this time.

The double of a 1NT opening says the doubler has at least 15 hcp and is looking to penalise 1NT. West does not have to pass but with at least 5 hcp, they should….and surely here with 26-28 hcp in the East-West hands, that will be the case.

South did not bid and neither did West. Let the nightmare begin!

 

East led 4 won by West’s K and West played back J. There was no joy for North as the defence took 5 spade tricks as West encouraged a switch to clubs by throwing 2 (low even card asking for lower suit). The defence then took 5 club tricks and 2 heart tricks. North made their only trick with A at trick 13…down 6, -1700. Ouch!

Without the double, South would have bid 2, or playing transfers, 2. The double made this move even more imperative. 2x would have been an unpleasant contract, too, but certainly less expensive, perhaps only down 2….and there was the real possibility that East would have bid spades and then South would have quietly and with much relief, have defended as East made 11 tricks in 4.

You can never be too weak to run from a penalty double. Make your 5-card or longer suit trumps…and hope!

 

Oh, it's OK! South then awoke from their nightmare! They realised their partner had made the very sensible decision to bid 2 after the penalty double was passed back to them. Well bid by North….and then East did bid 2 and West jumped to 4. All was well!

 

Next time, South will not be so lucky.

Richard Solomon

The next article will appear on Tuesday. Have a lovely Easter.

 

 

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