Negative Doubles

By Caitlin

While bidding in bridge is a severely limited vocabulary, the manner in which calls are used tend to change. At one time doubling an overcall was for penalties, but allowed the overcaller to play at a low level with bonuses for tricks and making the contract, not to mention occasionally being doubled into game and the increased values for overtricks, when available.

Although fairly recent, the negative double has supplanted the old-fashioned penalty double at low levels.

1. WHAT IS A NEGATIVE DOUBLE?

If partner has opened the bidding and next player overcalls, a DOUBLE from you is a NEGATIVE DOUBLE. A negative double is simply a takeout double from the RESPONDER.

In the early days of bridge a responder's double was for penalties. The modern trend is to use negative doubles. Without negative doubles, many hands are difficult to describe after opposition interference.

a) You hold :

S A852 

H K873 

D 964 

C 73

You intended to bid 1H allowing us to find a major fit. However the 2C overcall gives you problems. You are too weak to make a two-level bid and would have to pass in standard methods. If partner has a 4-card major and say 13 points, s/he will have to pass (as you may have nothing).

Because of the duplication, each hand having the same distribution, you are going to have to guess who has the queen of hearts. In a newspaper column you usually find out that one hand has a singleton so that you can cash a high honor and then have a cinch finesse against the other hand. In real life, you seldom discover that someone has a singleton, but you follow the same general procedure to determine the opponents' distribution. You cash all your winners outside the crucial suit, hoping that someone will show out so as to give you at least a partial count. In this case at least one opponent must show out when you cash four rounds of diamonds.

An opposition contract of 2C may give your side a score of -90/-110/-130, when you may have a comfortable part score in 2H or 2S for +110/140 (or 2¨ for +90/110). Even if you go down for -50/-100 , that may still be more profitable than allowing them to play in 2C.

You were somewhat lucky that East had a doubleton spade, which helped you immensely in getting an accurate count. However, you were bound to get some sort of clue. Suppose both defenders follow suit to three rounds of both black suits, and the diamonds split 3-2.

You hold:

S 76 

H K873 

D A764

C 852

Again your side may have a good part score in 2C, 2D or 2H and all of these get lost without negative doubles (unless partner has 15+ HCP and can reopen).

2. NEGATIVE DOUBLES ARE AN ESSENTIAL TOOL BECAUSE:

1. They cater for many more hand types than penalty doubles;
2. They occur more frequently than penalty doubles;
3. They are a very effective competitive device;
4. You can still extract penalties (by passing with length in their suit and waiting for partner to make a reopening double which you will pass).

3. WHAT DOES A NEGATIVE DOUBLE PROMISE?

a) 6+ high card points

A negative double promises the same strength as a one-level response. There is no upper limit.

b) Specific suit holdings

Although a negative double, in principle, says: "I have 4-4 in the other suits", it can have other meanings and can be used as a very flexible bid. A negative double after an opponent's major suit overcall virtually guarantees at least four cards in the other major. The second suit is either the unbid minor or, say, 3-card support for partner's original minor. Thus:

1S guarantees 5+ spades

Dbl promises precisely 4 spades

1H or 1S shows 4+ suit (one level bid)

2H/S shows 5+ suit (two level bid, non forcing).

Dbl shows at least on 4-card major.

4. UP TO WHAT LEVEL?

Negative doubles may be played through to any level desired and here it is important to have a clear partnership agreement.

The higher the level, the stronger must be the hand. The strength may be distributional.  According to SAYC, negative doubles are played to 2S; however, by partnership agreement, many play them through 4S or 4H in which case a double of 4S is penalty and 4NT is used as a takeout.

a)

You hold:

S 3 

H K873 

DQ642 

C 9852

This an acceptable negative double because of the perfect shape.

b)

You hold:

S A864

H Q53

D J852

C 52

You should PASS, as a negative double will push the bidding to the three or four level (3S, 4D or 4C) and you could be in a misfit. Give East full marks for having succeeded in preempting you.

c)

You hold: 

S AQ64 

H void  

D K9852

C KJ52

Now you have a monster of a hand and are thinking of slam, especially if partner has no values in hearts. Begin with a negative double and over partner's 3S, 4Cor 4D, bid 4H to show slam interest.

Negative doubles can be used to show strong hands.

Negative doubles are primarily employed in situations where both sides are fighting for the part score or one side is aiming to push their opponents higher. However, a negative double followed by a jump, a cue bid or a notrump bid is used to show both game and game invitational values.

d)

You hold: 

S K963 

H AQ53 

D 52 

C KJ8

Begin with a negative double and if partner bids a major, leap to four of the major. If he bids 2D, bid 3NT

e)

You hold: 

S K963  

H AQ53 

D J2 

C Q86

Begin with a negative double and invite partner's 2H/Swith 3H/S. If he rebids 2D bid 2NT which is invitational (he can pass 2NT).

Now for some examples:

a)

After the negative double, even if South raises North's 1S to 2S, West can still bid 3H (which makes). Without negative doubles, N-S would steal the hand in spades for a good score

b)

East could not bid a direct 2C as this is non forcing (while a direct 3C is a splinter showing a heart fit). East is showing 10-12 HCP and no primary heart fit, and because West is minimum he should pass and settle for a sound part score (the heart finesse is unlikely to be working on this auction).

In one respect this hand is similar to the previous hand. East must have four spades and three hearts since he didn't respond lH. What is West's spade holding? It looks like KJ8, which leaves East with SQ532. East can't be very anxious to play spades opposite three-card support, so wouldn't he bid 2D if he had DQxx or DQJx? (With Qxxx of spades and no heart honor, East needs at least the queen of diamonds for his response.) There is a very good chance (from East's point of view) that West has a five-card diamond suit, and if East bids 2D and West passes, 2D is almost sure to be a better contract than 2S. Therefore, East probably has fewer than three diamonds.

Some partnerships want this to show both majors. We believe this to be too restrictive. For safety a 4 card spade suit is advisable.

(1) is a classic negative double. If East bids 1H and South raises diamonds, the spade fit could get lost.

(2) If West rebids 1H, East rebids 1NT and is clearly marked with four spades for the negative double. If West holds both majors, he can go to 2S over 1NT. In the above West should bid 2S.

QUIZ

ANSWERS

A.

1. DOUBLE. Classic degative double.
2. 1S Only four spades are promised over 1D (one level bid).
3. DOUBLE. This heart suit is no better than a 4-carder.
4. 1H. Again only four hearts are promised over 1D.
5. PASS. Maybe partner can reopen with a negative double.

B.

1. DOUBLE. Show four hearts before supporting the minor.
2. DOUBLE. Rebid 2H over 1NT/2C/2D (only 7 points: not strong enough for a 2H bid).
3. DOUBLE. Rebid Clubs
4. PASS. Not enough for a 2C free bid (will be at 3 level over 2D/2H).
5. DOUBLE. Rebid hearts.
6. 2H.
7. DOUBLE. You have a monster, are thinking of slam and will cue bid spades over any reponse by partner.

SECTION TWO

1. RESPONDING TO A NEGATIVE DOUBLE

Partner has shown a hand worthy of competition and asked you to choose one of the other suits or rebid your own. Remember that partner does not necessarily guarantee both unbid suits.

QUIZ

1. S K7 H 732 D AQ964 C KJ7
2. S 97 H 852 D AQ743 C AK2
3. S A2 H 42 D AJ643 C KJ52
4. S 72 H AJ52 D AJT43 C K2
5. S 6 H AK95 D AK743 C KJ5

1. S 72 H Q852 D AQ93 C 862
2. S 542 H KQ52 D QJ743 C 8
3. S 62 H AJ52 D 743 C K972
4. S 4 H 76432 D AQ43 C QJ2

ANSWERS

A

1. 2D. Only one spade stopper.
2. 2C. Better than 1NT or 2D (Show shape).
3. 2H. Minimal hand.
4. 3H Tell partner you have FIVE hearts and four diamonds

B

1. DOUBLE for takeout. Don't sell out to 2S.
2. 3H. Again do not sell out.
3. 3D.
4. 3C.
5. DOUBLE for takeout.

Ellen Caitlin Pomer is co-author of the acclaimed book, ‘Standard Bidding with SAYC’ and founder of BRIDGE FORUM INTERNATIONAL and can be reached at info@bridge-forum.com.