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Double Trouble!

We always bemoan missed opportunities when a contract escapes a penalty double and goes several down. Comments like “I was afraid they would run to a better spot” are common. So often, even if they have a better spot, they do not know it and are not feeling like exploring. It is rare for a pair to move from one suit to another when doubled especially at a highish level.

So, with that in mind, what do you make of this auction?

 

 You have shown your strong 1NT overcall and have plenty of aces including the trump ace. Your partner has shown nothing other than transferring to a heart suit (2) but the opponents kept on bidding. You must be tempted to double. On a good day, it might be +500 while on a bad one, there should not be many overtricks! So, are you a doubler?

Well, roughly a quarter of the South players did double 4 and while about the same number failed in this contract, all the doublers were writing down -590.

 

Some auctions may have been different in that East might have opened 1  driving West to game somewhat quicker…and North may have not got a heart bid in. The more hearts that North showed the less useful in defence is South’s K. The bidding given above showed South as having three useful aces but they alone may not and were not enough to beat a 4 contract.

What was crucial was that East- West bid freely to 4 despite knowing the strength of the South hand and despite only possessing one ace. To give the auction credence, at least one opponent must have extreme shape…and that may well be a time to put away the “red card” and just hope to beat the contract by one trick.

Most Souths were thus disappointed. It looks like A followed by A and a second spade would give South the best chance of a plus score. However, East has the luxury of winning the second round of spades with J in dummy and playing a diamond to the 10, not caring if they lose to J (not today) as they surely then play K when they regain the lead, fully confident that South has A. This time, after A takes the first diamond trick, East has a certain claim for 10 tricks. “Double trouble”, trouble for the doubler!

The same can be the situation when an opponent intervenes over a strong 2NT opening. They do not do so with a flat hand.

A while ago, South, a passed hand, bid 3 after West’s 20-22 2NT had been passed around to them. They took a very unwise option of doubling for penalties. This was very wrong. Once again, an opponent had extreme shape:

 

Why had South not bid earlier? Evidentially, they had no opening bid with a weak hand with both majors. Certainly, South picked a good dummy but West’s penalty double saved North the bother of raising to game. Even a club partial at the 4-level is too high for East-West. Arguably, double from West should be for take-out.

So, strength should not to be the only defining factor in deciding whether to double for penalties. It can be sometimes. The most recent overcall of a strong 2NT cost the opponents 500 in 3 when 8 tricks was the limit in no trumps. Yet, be careful as to where one’s honours are before doubling especially when an opponent is bidding on extreme shape.

Richard Solomon

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