Protecting partner's pass

We’re playing negative doubles, a standard bidding method in this century. After an overcall of an opening bid, a double by responder is not for penalty; it instead shows some values without the right shape or strength for a free bid, and strongly suggests a useful holding in an unbid major suit. But that’s not all there is to playing negative doubles…

Vul: E-W

Dlr: South

You hold:

♠ 8 

♥ A K J 8 4

♦ K 10 9 6 

♣ A J 7

South (you)	West	North	East
1 ♥ ??	1 ♠	Pass	Pass

ANSWER: Double. Nominally your double is for takeout, you have a good hand with good support for the unbid suits. But what you’re really hoping for is that partner has a fistful of spades!

THE PRINCIPLE: Playing negative doubles, responder has no way to make a penalty double of an overcall. In an auction that goes opening-overcall-pass-pass, the opening bidder must protect responder’s hand by keeping the auction alive – preferably with a double. Particularly with shortness in the overcalled suit, opener must double because responder can’t. Of course, responder won’t always have a stack in the opponents’ suit; sometimes she’ll just have a weak hand and bid 1NT or take some other weak action.

The complete hand:

	North
	♠ Q J 7 2 ♥ Q 3 ♦  A Q 3  ♣ Q 4 3 2
West		East
♠ A K 9 5 4  ♥ 9 7 2 ♦ J 8 4 2 ♣ 9		♠ 10 6 3 ♥ 10 6 5 ♦ 7 5 ♣ K 10 8 6 5
	South (you)
	♠ 8 ♥ A K J 8 4 ♦ K 10 9 6  ♣ A J 7

At the table, 1♠ doubled was set two tricks for NS +500 -- a better result than making four or five notrump. Take a look at North’s hand. With game-going values, she made a very disciplined decision to Pass after the 1♠ overcall, trusting you to protect her by keeping the auction alive. Bravo! She’s really really hoping you can double; don’t let her down!