August 2014 - 47

Newer Players

Upgrading Your Game
BY LYNN BERG



lberg@cfl.rr.com

Doubling and redoubling to show support
SPECIAL DOUBLES
After Overcall: Penalty __________
4H
Negative X thru_______________
Responsive : thru _____ Maximal
Support: Dbl. X thru _____
2H Redbl X
Card-showing
Min. Offshape T/O
________________________________

support, you double. These bids are
Alertable.
West
1♣
?

North
Pass

East
1♠

South
2♦

With:
♠K J 8 3 ♥A 9 6 ♦8 ♣A Q 9 7 5,

Some years ago, I attended a wonderful series of lectures by the late Alan
Cokin all about doubles - a week of
lectures just on this topic. He stressed
that the obvious message of partner's
double is always, "Do something intelligent!" You need to think about your
subsequent action, however - that isn't
always so obvious.
If I had to describe a theme for the
development of conventions and treatments in recent years, I'd say it was
uncovering eight-card and nine-card
major-suit fits. The knowledge that a
partnership has nine trumps rather
than just eight can be the deciding
factor in competing further when the
opponents are in the bidding, or striving for game as opposed to relaxing in a
partscore contract.
Support doubles and redoubles
have become popular as a way to show
support for responder's major in a
competitive auction. Playing support
doubles and redoubles, a direct raise
of partner's one-level bid shows fourcard support while, with three-card

you would bid 2♠ directly. Holding:
♠K J 8 ♥A 9 6 ♦8 3 ♣A Q 9 7 5,
you would double.
The same principle operates if the
opponent has doubled: A direct raise
shows four-card support, while redouble shows three.
How high should you go? I suggest
limiting support doubles to the 2♥
level - where partner can safely rebid
two of his suit if his suit is spades.
Let's say you open 1♣, partner bids
1♥, and your RHO bids 2♠ or 2NT or
3♦. A support double now would force
partner, who could have responded
with four hearts and as few as 6 points,
to the three level. Partner's hand could
look like:
♠6 4 3 ♥A 8 7 5 ♦K 6 2 ♣6 5 2.
Imagine how unhappy he will be if
you double 2♠ to indicate three-card
heart support.
Must you always use support doubles
and redoubles just because you have

three-card support? This is an area of
some controversy, and it's a discussion you will want to have with your
partner. Some pairs play that a failure
to make a support double uncategorically denies three-card support. Others
allow for bridge judgment.
One reason to eschew a support
double (or redouble) might be when
there is a more descriptive bid of your
hand.
Suppose you hold:
♠6 4 2 ♥A K J 10 3 ♦K Q 10 9 8 ♣-
and the auction proceeds:
West

North

East

Pass

1♠

2♣

South (you)
1♥
?

You could make a support double
to show three spades. But isn't 2♦ a
much better description of your hand,
especially when partner could have bid
1♠ holding something like ♠J 8 6 4?
Another reason not to make a support double is if you opened light opposite a passed-hand partner. With a
minimum, you may elect not to compete, waiting instead for partner to bid
again if his hand warrants another call.
A good way to show that you've opened
light is to quit bidding.
◾

August 2014 Bridge Bulletin

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2014