Free Weekly Instant Tournament - August 25 - Board 3

Board 3
Opponents vulnerable

♠ 8 3 2  ♥ K 4 3  ♦ A Q 6 4 3  ♣ A 9

I open with one diamond, LHO bids two spades, weak, and partner makes a negative double.

This is the nightmare hand for rebidding after a negative double: no second suit, no stopper in the opponent's suit, and no rebiddable suit. My options are: pass, two notrump, three diamonds, and three hearts. 

If partner is short in diamonds, has at least two spades, and isn't minimum in high cards, pass might be the winner. But we have no reason to believe any of those three things is true. So passing is a shot in the dark. It would be a safer shot after a one-heart opening (with the red suits reversed, of course), since partner won't have support for our suit. But after one diamond--two spades, partner might double, for example, with a 1-4-5-3 pattern.

Two notrump might also work out. Partner might have a spade stopper, or spades might be blocked. But again, it's a shot in the dark. And holding three small spades makes the gamble that partner has a stopper a poor one. It would be a better gamble with a void.

Three hearts will be an excellent choice if we are lucky enough to catch partner with five hearts. But why should we be so lucky? Three hearts would be more attractive if we held a doubleton space, since at least we would be taking ruffs in the short hand if we have a four-three fit. 

Another problem with three hearts is that it's not 100% partner has four hearts. I know people say a negative double of one major promises at least four in the other. But what is responder supposed to do with, say,

♠ x x  ♥ A Q x  ♦ K x x  ♣ Q x x x x ?

If pressed, most say they would "lie" and double anyway. Personally, I don't think double is a lie. It's a lie only because of the way many define the double.

If you define double as "a replacement for a one-heart response (excluding game forces with five or more hearts)," then, yes, it's a lie. But the fact most would double with the above hand suggests that's not an accurate definition. If it were, you wouldn't even consider doubling.

I prefer to define double as "take-out of spades (probably with four or five hearts)." That definition is more in keeping with the intent of the double and allows you to double with the above hand without feeling guilty. It also means that, as opener, you should be loathe to rebid in a three-card heart suit.

That brings us to three diamonds. If partner is savvy enough to avoid negative doubles with three cards in the opponent's suit, then there is a good chance partner has diamond support, so three diamonds will probably be best.  Even if partner is, say, 2-4-2-5, diamonds may be our best strain, since we are ruffing spades with the short hand (and probably being overruffed with a natural trump trick).

While any one of these four calls could work out, three diamonds will probably work out most often. Three diamonds will be a decent spot any time partner has three or more diamonds and will be a playable spot even if he has a doubleton.

I bid three diamonds. Everyone passes and LHO leads the king of spades.

	NORTH Robot ♠ J 9 6 ♥ A J 9 6 2 ♦ 8 5 ♣ K 6 3
	SOUTH Phillip ♠ 8 3 2 ♥ K 4 3 ♦ A Q 6 4 3 ♣ A 9

West	North	East	South
Robot	Robot	Robot	Phillip
			1 ♦
2 ♠	Double	Pass	3 ♦
(All pass)

To my mind, a negative double is a gross error with partner's hand. More on this in the post mortem.

East drops the queen of spades on this trick. West cashes the spade ace, and East discards the heart ten. East ruffs the next spade with the diamond ten and shifts to the club queen.

Assuming hearts are coming home and the diamond king is onside, all I need is four-two diamonds to make this. Although the pitch of the heart ten makes that looks unlikely. If the pitch was a singleton (and it would be a strange choice if it wasn't), I will need East to be 1-1-4-7.

I win the club in dummy and lead a diamond--seven--queen--nine. West shows out on the diamond ace, so I'm down one.

	NORTH Robot ♠ J 9 6 ♥ A J 9 6 2 ♦ 8 5 ♣ K 6 3
WEST Robot ♠ A K 10 7 5 4 ♥ Q 8 7 5 ♦ 9 ♣ 8 2		EAST Robot ♠ Q ♥ 10 ♦ K J 10 7 2 ♣ Q J 10 7 5 4
	SOUTH Phillip ♠ 8 3 2 ♥ K 4 3 ♦ A Q 6 4 3 ♣ A 9

Minus 110 is worth 50%.

Passing works out best, since we collect 500 (although the one player who chose pass somehow allowed them to make it).

Next best is two notrump. With the blockage in spades, we can make three for plus 150.

After that comes three hearts. West can hold this to three, for plus 140, by leading his singleton. In practice at the tables that played three hearts, West started with king and ace of spades and gave his partner a ruff. Declarer should now make four, since he can pick up the trumps and squeeze East in the minors. Weirdly, all but one declarer went down after that start.

My choice of three diamonds comes in dead last. Some play fourth best opening leads. I play fourth best in the auction.

But I think this result is partner's fault for making a foolish negative double. The five-card heart suit and the tripleton spade are both flaws.

Sometimes you can't avoid a negative double with five cards in the unbid major. But if you can avoid it, you should, since a double makes it difficult to reach a five-three fit. With this hand, double is easy to avoid. You simply pass. If partner reopens with a double, you bid three hearts, reaching your five-three fit without requiring partner to make a speculative bid in a three-card suit. (This works better if you play lebensohl here, so that three hearts shows some values.)

More importantly, you should avoid a negative double with three cards in the opponent's suit, especially when the opponents are vulnerable. With three opposite three in the opponent's suit, whichever side buys the contract will probably go minus. Why should that be you? Your best choice is to pass. If partner is short in their suit, he will reopen. If he isn't, you will defend and likely go plus. In this case, you will collect 200 for a 100% board.

For a fuller discussion of this principle, see The Cooperative Pass.