Defensive Doubles come into effect in competitive
auctions only (i.e. when Opener's partner, "Responder",
has made a NEGATIVE double or a free bid). Any bid by
Advancer, then, up to and including Overcaller's suit,
suggests support. In such instances the following
rules apply:
Any raise, including a single direct raise,
shows an offensively oriented hand. If the
opponents bounce to game, Advancer's vote is
deemed to suggest a sacrifice.
|
|
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| -- | -- | 1H |
1S |
| 2H | 2S | 4H |
?? |
|
Overcaller should feel free to bid 4S here, knowing that
this is Advancer's preference.
Any suit bid below Overcaller's is
lead-directing, but shows good defensive
strength--no interest in sacrificing if the
opponents stumble into game.
|
|
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| -- | -- | 1D |
1S |
| 2D | 2H | 3NT |
?? |
|
By promising 2+ Spades and asking for a Heart lead, the 2H
call sets up the defence against 3NT while warning partner
not to sacrifice in 4S.
Any no trump bid below Overcaller's shows
"scattered but significant defensive values"--no
interest in sacrificing against any game contract.
|
|
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| -- | -- | 1D | 1H |
| Dble | 1NT | 3NT | ?? |
|
West does not have any compelling reason to call for a any particular
lead. West's 1NT call, then, helps East find a pass
and a Heart lead here.
Any double shows defensive strength (no interest in
sacrificing against a game contract), often with no room
to make the appropriate lead directing or "scattered
values" free bid.
|
|
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| -- | -- | 1D | 1H |
| 2D | Dble | -- | -- |
|
Advancer cannot afford 2S
here, and so contents themself with a double so as to advise East
not to sacrifice at the game level.
|
|
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| -- | -- | 1D | 1H |
| 1S | Dble | -- | -- |
|
Because Advancer had the option of encouraging a lead in any non-Heart
suit (e.g. 2C here)
or no particular suit (i.e. 1NT
here), double here has a "Rosencrantz" overtone, suggesting an
honour in Overcaller's suit.
A redouble of a negative double is also defensive,
suggesting the Ace or King of Overcaller's suit--especially
at the 1-level. Assuming the opponents are playing negative
doubles at the one level on this hand:
|
|
|
| South |
West |
North |
East |
| -- | -- | 1C | 1D |
| Dble | Rdbl | -- | -- |
|
East may have been reluctant to lead hir own suit, Diamonds, here,
without the encouraging redouble by West.
Having played Defensive Doubles with my steady
partners for almost two decades I can whole-heartedly
recommend them over existing uses of the competitive
double. Consider this prosaic hand:
Hand # 1
IMPS
|
 Kxx
 QJx
 AQJxx
 Qx
|
South
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
|
|
Jxx
xxx
Kxx
Axxx
|
Vul: N-S
Dlr: North
|
AQ109x
Kxx
xx
98x
|
--
2D
Pass
|
--
Dble
Pass
|
1D
3NT
--
|
1S
Pass
--
|
|
|
xx
A109x
109xx
KJxx
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
A Heart lead at the other table handed our team
mates +600. Trusting Declarer to hold at least
the King of Spades, I found the "miraculous"
lead of the Club nine. Sure enough, partner got in with
the Ace of Clubs and tracked the Jack of Spades
for down two. Any other lead would have handed
them 600 or 630. While one opponent checked us
for wires, I explained to the other that partner's
double and North's confident 3NT bid
essentially eliminated any
other lead from serious consideration!
The opponents didn't seem mollified, though...