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A “Double” Whammy.

Well, nearly. It was not quite catastrophic to produce the red card as an answer to both our problems from yesterday…at least not just yet and as long as one has a thinking partner, then you could be saved from one disaster.

We can only assume that you all have such a partner. So, let’s relive two highly escalating auctions. What they have in common is that they took place on successive boards. Let’s look at the first:

 

 

 

The bidding was all natural. That was the position West was in at the 5 level. Their partner had lots of clubs, an opening hand and probably not a very strong one. That was the evidence given to our experts as well and this is what they produced:

Michael Cornell:Double.  It is a real guess but partner figures to have less diamonds than hearts. So I double a little nervously.

Obviously 6 is close but partner does need perfect cards ( Ax  and  AKxxxxxxx will usually do it) but down 1 is surely more likely.”

I am not quite sure how many “x”s Michael produced in his example. “Plenty” would be the answer if you cannot count…or did his keyboard jam?!

Matthew Brown: Double. I don’t believe we have slam on. Nor do I believe they are making since we have all of the other suits covered.

Peter Newell: 6 “somewhat reluctantly. However, partner’s pass encourages me and it looks like partner has good clubs and a heart card which is probably enough….6 may encourage an intemperate bid by the opponents too….”

Nothing very certain about their actions and when they see their partner’s hand below, I am sure I will be receiving at least two lawyers’ letters saying that their partner would not have bid like that. So, let’s reveal all:

 

Whoever said that the 5-level belonged to one’s opponents! North had, this time, a very comfortable raise to 5, safe in the knowledge that if their partner did not hold the K (we can all hope) that this card was with the West hand which made the negative double. The sight of dummy made West pray that this card was with East…but not this day and a very relieved South had no trouble in making 11 tricks in spades, even better when they were doubled.

Had West known a little more about their partner’s shape, they would certainly have not doubled and probably have not passed 5. 6 of either minor is just 1 down and as Peter Newell suggested might have induced a nervous North to take insurance in 6.

So, how could East have done better?

Had East held 6 diamonds and 5 clubs and the same point-count, they could have opened 1 and when the bidding came back to them at 4, bid their shorter minor comfortably. However, you can see East’s problem after opening 1. 5 would force the partnership to the 6 level if they belonged in clubs.

• So, the first solution is to tell a little white lie. Open 1 and when you bid at your second turn, bid clubs. This is not perfect. Partner will never know your true shape..but they will know close enough.
• A second approach is to pass initially. You can then enter the bidding, normally with 2NT but with an even higher no trump bid to show at least 5-5 in the minors. Partner will not then expect you to have an opening hand: indeed, much more like what you do hold.
• Thirdly, after opening 1, you could bid 4NT rather than 5 as long as that it is not an ace ask. What you are showing is long clubs but with length (4+ cards) in the other minor as well. You would normally show just 4 diamonds as with 5-6 shape, you would have opened 1.
• Also, some are able to open 2NT with this shape (5+5+ in minors) and point-count.

All of these are preferable to what happened at the table. On then to our second problem:

 

 

2 showed both majors, Michaels style, the strength left open to you…either always constructive (9+) or “weak or strong.”

North was not to be put off with this bid. Have you, West, done enough? All three answers below said “no” but their approach was slightly different.

Cornell “5: It only needs one (high ) card (from partner) to be virtually cold. 6 has a good play opposite many hands.”

Newell: “Double at Teams and Pairs. I have a good offensive and defensive hand which double shows….with a good offensive hand only, I would bid (e.g. 6-6 with small singleton club)

5 will not play well if opposite something like 2236 shape….if partner fits, he will bid now I have confirmed extra values by doubling.”

Brown: “Double. I don’t think it’s so much penalties since my hand is pretty well defined, more just showing extras and wanting partner to do something. If they have a decent major and few points, I would expect them to pull."

So, Michael Cornell emphasizes the extra heart while the other two are happy to leave it to their partner to decide what to do. When you see the four hands below, East would certainly pull the double to a major though would they do so after North bid 6? Could West resist doubling that contract?

 

The par result is 6x down 3 with 6 as cold a slam as you will ever see! It really is purely random whether North’s one major card is a spade making the diamond slam cold or a heart where this contract could be beaten by a trick.

However, South, who must have observed goings on with some interest, will be hard-pressed not to lead a diamond against a heart contract, thus reducing the opposition’s losers to a maximum three.

Doubling 5 would thus be a good idea but not doubling 6 unless your partner will rescue your side with 6.

None of our three experts saw much difference in their action on the 2 boards at Teams or Pairs though Michael Cornell did say that his decision to double the first hand at Teams was nearly 50-50, though “double” still just got his vote.

I suppose one old adage is still true: " if you have not doubled the occasional making contract, you are not doubling enough." The key word there is “occasional”.

In a smallish Pairs field, 8 of the 13 tables played in 6, half the time doubled. Only two played in 6x, down one and two.

And now on to tomorrow:

 

 

You open at the 5 level and are left to play there doubled. West leads 3.

You are pretty pleased by the look of dummy and can count 11 tricks.

Plan the play. East will win the first trick with A.

See you tomorrow…

Richard Solomon

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