Monday, October 06, 2003 3:32 PM

Slam Undoubles

PITBULLS:

If you have bought into the D.S.I.P. concepts then a logical extension of the double would lead to slam bidding . The one basic assumption of D.S.I.P. doubles is that you do not double the opponents with a trump stack in actively competitive auctions unless at the 5 level or above. If they freely bid a slam ( not pushed in a competitive auction) after your side opens , this D.S.I.P. principle still applies. Your trump stack double might scare them into a 6NT contract that makes and usually the extra IMPS is minimal or non existent as they are at the wrong end of the IMP scale . You have them where you want them so you put the green card on the table. No single handed sacrifices allowed.

O.K. the rare slam undouble convention comes into play only if you are pre-empting or overcalling in their auction and they arrive at slam . This is a very restricted convention. These doubles are made by the person on lead or the other partner but only on one vulnerability. The terrorist vulnerability of nv vrs vul. On all other vulnerabilities the double is lead directing by the partner of the leader. You do not want to make an undouble in non sacrificing vulnerabilities . The double says I have no defense and do something intelligent partner by either passing or sacrificing. This double is asking partners permission to sacrifice. The answer is usually based on a trump stack. You do not have to double just because partner shows defense. Partners pass does not give you the right to sacrifice with no defensive tricks . You just follow her pass with a pass of your own . The original slam undouble convention was too unwieldy with its many options.

I was playing with Pitbull Pat at a sectional open pairs and I held this wonderful collection

Void xxxx xxxx xxxx . The auction went 1♠ to my right and a 4♦ splinter to my left and Pat bid 5♣ nv vrs vul. RHO bids 6♠ and what do you do ? Looks like an excellent time to sacrifice but D.S.I.P. doubles were invented to prevent single handed decisions . You were not actively competing in this auction at the 5 level. You double and Pat with her KQJ of spades does something intelligent and passes . 7♣ goes for 800 so 13 IMPS saved by passing the sacrificing decision to partner.

Single handed penalty doubles of slams are the worst case of the enforcer mentality. The opponents are not freely bidding the slam to go down . They expect to make it . +500 at that rarified end of the IMP scale might be worth only 1 IMP. Doubles of slams should be lead directing by the partner of the opening leader ( 3 out of 4 vulnerabilities ) and D.S.I.P. by the person on lead on any vulnerability. Throw trump stack penalty doubles of slams into the garbage can where they belong !