All News

You have been warned!

Double Danger.

Really, any South who was not doubled in the popular contract on the deal below, is unlikely to make their contract while anyone doubled should. Naturally, reality was far from the above:

 

The game was Pairs and overtricks do count. So, two questions for you.

How would you play 4 to make when you are not doubled?

What is your line in 4 doubled?

In both cases, West leads A followed by K and you ruff the second heart low in the South hand. What next?

With no double, it does seem tempting to play one top spade as occasionally, the computer deals West the singleton Q. (There are also limited entries to dummy to perhaps take 2 diamond and 2 trump finesses.) Unfortunately, if you do that, you should soon be recording a minus score. Take a look at the four hands:

 

5 spades in the West hand would come as a shock as they had already shown 5+ hearts for their overcall. South can play a club to dummy to run Q (better than a low diamond when West has a small singleton). East will cover and you return to dummy with a second club.

By now, South should know West’s shape is 5512. So, a second “successful” diamond finesse with West ruffing. However, the news is not good. West can give declarer a very unhelpful ruff and discard with a third round of hearts.

Declarer has to ruff in dummy or else will have less trumps than West. This then is the position:

The defence has already taken 2 tricks. When declarer plays a card from dummy, West will come to 2 more tricks. If a diamond, it is automatic. If a club, South must ruff and then West discards. Once more, West will score two of their trumps.

So, 10 tricks should not be made. Yet, say West does double. The overtrick becomes irrelevant. Making 10 tricks is the aim and a bad trump break becomes an unwelcome probability.

So, ruff at trick 1, cross to dummy and play that Q. In theory, declarer may have only 3 losers, a heart, a diamond and a trump. When the Q is covered, the situation improves. Cross back to dummy with a second club and repeat the diamond finesse. West ruffs and as before, West continues with a third round of hearts. Again, declarer should ruff in dummy, preserving their trump length in hand.

However, there is one subtle difference. Declarer can now play dummy’s second trump and when East discards, they can play AK. At that point, West has Q6 left and South JT9.  So, declarer can play J taken by West’s Q, ruff the heart return, draw trump and claim 10 tricks, doubled.

What a warning that double should be.

Of course, South might retreat to 5 after being doubled, not a good move if West starts with a low spade. Two ruffs and a heart trick should see the defence take the first three tricks.

A highly competitive auction might see East start with a 2-suited 2 opener and when South bids 4, either immediately or after West bids 4, it will be hard for West not to double or for East to then pull the double to 5. As you can see 4 is unbeatable as indeed is 4, at least when it is doubled!

Richard Solomon

Thanks to the X Club team for providing the deal and analysis of results at the 100+ tables around the country. 4x doubled made 5 times and failed at 12 more tables. 4 undoubled made at 11 and failed at 11 more tables.

 

Go Back View All News Items