Friday, January 10, 2003 7:36 PM

Duty Redoubles

 

PITBULLS:

 

          A while back we had an E-mail discussing “duty doubles” . This is where partner should double the opponents bid to warn partner that there is duplication of value thereby “shutting her up” . In forcing auctions this is common practice.  In fact the whole principle of forcing passes is based on that principle . A double says that I do not have much interest in bidding more so lets just take our plus . In competitive auctions , a pass says the same thing.

 

          What is not so well known is the “duty redouble” . It came up tonight where Vince Nowlan held J Q9xx Kxx QJxxx  . His partner opened 1♠ and RHO overcalled 2♥ and Vince passed around to opener who doubled . Vince chose 3♣ rather than 2NT which set my partner up . Opener bid 3♥ and Vince bid 3NT and my partner doubled . Time for a “duty redouble” . Partner will pull on this auction 9 times out of 10 if you do not . You must redouble to prevent that from happening. Happily passing is not an option . Vince redoubled and they made their 3 NT redoubled.

 

          BJ and I had an auction where the Vinnies did not make a “duty redouble” and it cost them dearly. When you have a two suited fit with partner , do not give partner a chance to go wrong. The Vinnies got to an ice cold 6♦ which got doubled. The partner of the diamond bidder had A109x of diamonds. He should make a duty redouble to indicate to partner that a bad trump break in diamonds can be handled. Nowlan ran to 6♠ and this slam had no play and went two down doubled.

 

          A Pitbull had AKxx xx AKJxxxx void and opened 1♦ with partner responding a heart. She rebid 2♠ and partner leapt to 4♠ which got doubled . It looks like the double is being made on club & heart cards. If so , partner has spades which is good news and maybe the diamond queen. This is a duty redouble . You can never go down more than one with this monster so lets go for the gusto. At the table a disaster occurred when the opener ran to 5♦ which got doubled and now partner got confused and interpreted the 2♠ bid as a splinter. Partner bid 5♥ which got doubled and went for a number when 4♠ XX is cold.

 

          There are negative inferences that should be taken when partner fails to redouble. The auction went 2♠-X-P-3NT  X-P-P-?   BJ doubled the weak two and passed the double. BJ does not especially like 3NTX or else he would have made a duty redouble to tell me not to pull. I deny hearts by jumping to 3NT so If he was really weak he would start a scramble by bidding 4♣. As usual scrambles start at the lowest ranking suit and says just start escaping to a safer maybe undoubled contract.

 

          A redouble can be a source of IMPS . Peter Jones and I had this auction in the CNTC finals in Montreal .

 

                               pass pass 2♥ 4♥ pass

    pass                                                     1♣  2♣ 2♠ pass

    1♠  pass pass X

   

                                  1♥  X  X  pass   XX  

 

After a 3rd seat club opener , I made a vul 1♥ overcall and subsequently I ended up in 4♥ XX .

 

T

9

A

T

x

x

J

x

 

x

10

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

A

A

x

A

Q

J

 

Q

J

10

 

J

 

x

 

X

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          I got a spade lead and played the 10 and RHO produced the King . I won the Ace and led a small heart towards the 9 . LHO went into a huddled and played low . I played the 9 of hearts and it won the trick ! With this unexpected board entry , I led the 10 of clubs and let it ride and ruffed by LHO and he returned the K of hearts and RHO showed out . I won the Ace and returned a heart with RHO sluffing spades. LHO returned a spade and I won the queen . I now turned to RHO and said you have had only 2 black Kings for your opener so if you have the KQ of diamonds there is a guard squeeze for making 5 redoubled . +1630 .  He looked at my hand and conceded 5 . At the other table Kiz & Klimo doubled 4♥ and it got redoubled but making only 4 . We won 10 IMPS on a disaster at their table !!

 

          There are times when a redouble is silly . The same match I held vul KQxx x KQ10987x x  and partner opened 1♦ ! After an entertaining competitive auction we ended up in 5♦ X . Do you redouble ? This time a redouble is silly . The opponents are not aware of your freak hand and a sacrifice in a major only goes for 300 . Jones made 6 for plus 950 vul . A redouble throws away 10 imps if they get a 2nd chance to realize their folly .

 

          There are psychological redoubles also . Sometimes you are not 100 % sure that your contract will make but you know it can not possibly go down more than one . Redouble and test the character of the opponents . They might pull and you get a sure plus . Anyway do not neglect the blue card in your bidding box , it can come in handy . Real Pitbulls redouble …