play bridge Keeping Up With Conventions Handling Opponents’ Doubles & — by David Lindop ߜ This series of articles looks at how The Redouble Responder’s New Suit to fill out the standard convention The standard agreement is that a What call do you ♠ J 8 5 card. Previous articles can be found redouble shows about 10 or more make with this hand ♥ 9 4 by visiting the Better Bridge News high-card points. It essentially says, if partner opens 1♦ ♦ 7 3 section at www.Audrey Grant.com. “This is our hand, partner.” You and the next player ♣ KQJ 7 5 3 might redouble with the intention of doubles? e’re getting near the end of doubling the opponents for penalty If your right-hand opponent had this series of articles. This in whichever contract they choose; passed, you would have to respond Wmonth we’ll take a look at you might be planning to show a 1NT since you don’t have enough a variety of topics on the back (left) good suit of your own; or you might strength to bid a new suit at the two side of the . be planning to support partner. level. A new suit response would be When an Opponent Doubles With this agreement, you would forcing and you might get too high. redouble with this hand. Suppose you After the double, however, you can ♦ ♠ Partner opens 1 and K 10 3 are South and the auction continued: respond 2♣. This is no longer forcing the opponent on your ♥ 9 4 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH because you would have started with right doubles. What ♦ K9 2 ♦ a redouble with enough strength to ♣ 1 Double Redouble do you respond with AQJ 7 5 2♣ Pass Pass ? bid a new suit at the two level. this hand? Strangely enough, although it is ♣ You could now double for penalty. If you would respond 2 , your You would also double for penalty if common to agree that a new suit at partnership agreement is to simply the opponents bid notrump. the two level is non forcing after an ignore the double and make your Suppose the auction went: opponent’s takeout double, a new normal response. After all, the suit at the one level is usually treat- WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH double hasn’t taken up any of your ed as forcing. Why? 1♦ Double Redouble ♠ 7 3 bidding room. That’s fine, but most Suppose partner opens Pass Pass 1♥ ? ♥ AJ 7 5 partnerships change the meaning of the bidding 1♦, the ♣ ♦ A J 9 5 responder’s bids after an opponent Yo u could now bid 2 . This would next player doubles, ♣ 7 4 3 makes a takeout double. That’s dealt be forcing, showing the same type of and you have this hand. with on this section on the card: hand that you would have responded ♣ You have enough to redouble but 2 if there had been no double. the auction may become awkward if OVER OPP’S T/O DOUBLE What if the auction went this way: □ □ the opponents bid spades. You don’t New Suit Forcing: 1 level 2 level WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH want to introduce a four-card heart Jump Shift: Forcing □ Inv. □ Weak □ 1♦ Double Redouble suit at the two level or higher but also Redouble implies no fit □ Pass Pass 1♠ ? don’t want to miss a heart fit if you 2NT Over Limit+ Limit Weak Yo u don’t have quite enough in have one. You may have a heart fit Majors □□□ spades to double, so you could bid despite the takeout double since the ♣ doubler doesn’t always have four Minors □□□ 2 as before. Alternatively, you could pass and see if partner wants to cards in an unbid suit. It’s more Other double 1♠. You might then choose to effective to make a forcing response This section only applies if part- defend for penalty, especially if the of 1♥, planning to show the diamond ner opens 1♣, 1♦, 1♥, or 1♠ and the opponents are vulnerable. support next if partner doesn’t like next player doubles. If partner’s 1NT The point is that your pass in this hearts ... exactly what you would opening bid is doubled, for example, situation would be forcing. Your have done without the double. the meaning of responder’s calls redouble announced that the deal So, you would typically mark the is handled in the section on belonged to your side, so the part- convention card like this: NOTRUMP OPENING BIDS. nership will either bid to its best New Suit Forcing: 1 level □ߜ 2 level □ Why is it common to change the contract or double the opponents if meaning of responder’s bids after a they get overboard. This indicates that after a takeout takeout double? It centers on the fact The real impact of the redouble, double a new suit at the one level is that responder has a new call available however, is how it colors the mean- still forcing but a new suit at the two after the double: the redouble. ing of responder’s other bids. level is non forcing. PB-4 July, 2003 play bridge The Jump Shift With 10 high-card points you When an Opponent Preempts have enough to redouble, but what You will rarely hold a hand strong Suppose you have ♠ will you do if the auction continues: KQ 10 8 enough to make a standard jump this hand and the ♥ 4 shift—about 17 or more points— WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH opponent on your ♦ AQ 7 5 1♥ Double Redouble ♣ K J 6 3 when partner opens one of a suit ♠ ♠ right opens with a and the next player doubles. If you 2 Pass 3 ? weak 2♥ bid. What do, you can always start with a You don’t want to double the oppo- call do you make? redouble. So, most partnerships nents for penalty when you have Practically everyone would make would treat a jump in a new suit by such a good fit for partner, but to a takeout double with this hand. responder as non forcing after a show the fit you would have to bid What if the opening bid were 3♥? A takeout double. 4♥ which might be too much. takeout double would still be the Suppose partner To get around this dilemma, ♠ Q J 10 8 7 5 standout choice. What if your right- opens 1♦, the next many partnerships use a jump to ♥ ♥ 7 3 hand opponent opens 4 ? Now player doubles, and 2NT to show the values for a limit ♦ J 10 3 we’re getting into a grey area. you have this hand. raise of partner’s suit after a takeout Would a double be for takeout or for ♣ 6 4 Yo u could respond double. Partner can return to three penalty? Perhaps you would double 1♠, forcing—a new suit at the one of the agreed suit with a minimum, anyway, not caring whether partner level. However, some players prefer or bid game with enough strength to leaves the double in or takes it out. to jump to 2♠ with this type of hand, accept an invitational raise. But what if the opening bid were as a weak, preemptive response. If This convention goes by a vari- 4♠? You’d certainly like to double that’s your style, you would check ety of names: Dormer, Jordan, or for penalty, but that wouldn’t work the “Weak” box beside Jump Shift. If Truscott. If you agree to use this well if your partner thinks your dou- you would hold a more invitational convention, you would mark the ble is for takeout and bids 5♥. hand for a jump to 2♠, you would convention card like this: The agreement on whether a ♠ check the “Inv.” box; if a jump to 2 Redouble implies no fit □ߜ double is for penalty or takeout is would still be forcing, you would 2NT Over Limit+ Limit Weak put in this section of the card: check the “Forcing” box. Majors □□□ߜ VS Opening Preempts Double Is Preemptive Jump Raises ߜ Takeout □ thru Penalty □ Suppose partner ♠ 5 Conv. Takeout: opens 1♥, the next By checking both boxes in the ♥ Q 10 7 5 □ player doubles and column under “Limit” you indicate 2NT Response ♦ Q 10 7 4 3 this is your hand. that 2NT shows a limit raise after a Other: ♣ 8 4 2 What call do you double if partner opens either a make? Nobody could quarrel with a or a . Notice The standard agreement is that a simple raise to 2♥, but the modern that you would also check the box double of an opening preemptive beside “Redouble implies no fit” suit bid below the game level—up style is to make a weak jump raise ♦ to 3♥ with this hand. This preemp- because you would usually bid 2NT to 4 —is for takeout; a double of with a fit. You might redouble with 4♥ is optional ... partner can leave it tive bid is designed to make it more ♠ difficult for the opponents to com- three-card support since a limit raise in or take it out; a double of 4 or pete to their best spot while being typically implies four-card support. higher is for penalty. If that’s your reasonably safe since your side If you would bid 2NT over a partnership style, you would fill out must have at least a nine-card fit. double with 13 or more points and the card something like this: support—planning to continue to This is such a standard treatment Takeout □ߜ thru 4H Penalty □ that you don’t need to mark it on the game anyway if partner rebids three of the suit—you would check the Some partnerships prefer using a convention card. Again, it comes ♠ back to availability of the redouble. boxes under “Limit+” indicating double for takeout through 4 or With the values for a limit raise to that 2NT shows the strength for a higher. If that’s your agreement, you 3♥, you could start with a redouble. limit raise or better. would mark the card appropriately. Some partnerships prefer to keep Since it is standard to use a dou- Dormer/Jordan/Truscott 2NT the jump to the three level as the ble for takeout through at least the But should you redouble limit raise and to use 2NT to show a three level, you would check the ♠ 8 3 with a fit for partner? ♥ preemptive raise—typically after a “Penalty” box if you prefer to use Suppose partner’s 1♥ AQ 7 5 minor-suit opening only. They the double of a weak two-bid or ♦ KJ 6 2 opening bid is doubled ♣ would check the box(es) in the third three-bid for penalty. You would and you have this hand. 7 5 3 column. also have to Alert the opponents. Vol. 7, No. 7 PB-5