Here’s your hand sitting East:
♠ A98
♥ Void
♦ Q8653
♣ KJ982
Here’s the bidding,
South dealer
West North East South
1S
2H 2S ?
First, what do you know? South opened the bidding so probably has
12-14 HCP. Your partner, West, overcalled 2H at the two level. She probably has
an opening hand or a terrific Heart suit. North raised opening bidder to the
two level, so he has a minimum, probably at least three spades and six HCP. You
have 10 HCP and a void in partner’s suit. For partner’s overcall she should
have at least 10 HCP (with a big heart suit), or an opening hand of at least 12
HCP. That adds up to 18 HCP for opponents and 22 HCP for you, at a minimum.
The result of this analysis is that you should not pass. This
should be your hand, but obviously not in hearts. You have two unbid five card
minors. You have two possible calls, one of which is 2NT. But with only one
stopper in opponents’ suit and a void in partner’s suit, that’s not a pleasing
prospect. The bid here is to double. That’s not a penalty double. You are an
unbid hand. You should be telling partner that you feel that you have the
preponderance of the points and you can support both of the unbid suits. So
your double is for takeout to one of the unbid suits, and to tell partner that
you have no support for her suit. This is called a “Responsive double.”
People play this differently, but the requirements for a
responsive double are generally:
1. Opponents have bid the
same suit;
2. Partner has either
doubled or bid a suit;
3. You cannot support
partner’s suit;
4. You have at least four
cards in each of the unbid suits;
5. You have at least 8 HCP
if you force partner to bid a major at the one level or a minor at the two
level;
6. You have at least 9 HCP
if you force partner to bid a major at the two level;
7. You have at least 10 HCP
if you force partner to bid at the three level.
Here is the four hand layout:
North
♠
KQ3
♥
8654
♦
42
♣
Q1075
West East
♠ 74 ♠ A98
♥ Q10973 ♥ Void
♦ AK9 ♦ Q8653
♣ A64 ♣ KJ982
South
♠
106532
♥
AKJ2
♦
J107
♣
3
Clearly, South took an extremely
optimistic view of her hand by opening 1S in first seat with only 9 HCP, but
this is a perfect hand for East to make a Responsive Double with 10 HCP and 5-5
in the two unbid suits. Double dummy (looking at all four hands) the hand makes
game in either minor, although it’s better in diamonds due to the unfavorable
club split.
Be sure that you and partner are on
the same wave length. You don’t want to make a responsive double and have your
partner take it as penalty, and vice-versa.
