Responsive Doubles by David Bird

A: Double. You have enough strength to contest the auction at the two-level. If you bid 2♥ or 2♠, you are guessing which of these suits will be better match for your partner. A better idea is to make a responsive double. This asks partner to choose a suit. Whenever his major-suit lengths are 4-3 or 3-4, you will end in the 4-4 fit. Excellent!

Your result so far:

A: Dble. You rather expect partner to hold four spades ('the other major') when he make a take-out double of 1♥. If you held four spades, you would be inclined to bid 3♠ or 4♠ now. Your actual responsive double warns partner that you do not hold four spades. You are likely to hold both minor suits. Maybe partner can bid 3NT.

Note that the higher the level of bidding, the more points you need for a Responsive double.

Your result so far:

A: Dble. There are only two suits unbid and your Responsive double asks partner to choose one of them. He will usually hold four spades, it is true, but your spades are fairly weak. With 10 HCP and 4-4 in the black suits, a double is more accurate than 2♠. You might bid 2♠ with five spades and only 5 or 6 HCP.

Your result so far:

A: Pass. If East had raised only to 2♦, you would have just enough for a Responsive Double. One level higher and you are too weak. Your partner is still alive and will have the chance to bid again.

Your result so far:

A: Pass. If your partner held four hearts, he might have bid 4♥ instead of his Responsive double. That's because he would expect you to hold four cards in the 'other major'. The best idea is to defend, passing out the double. You may collect 300 or so when you have no game available your way.

Your result so far:

A: Dble. A responsive double at this high level does not ask partner to choose a suit. It merely shows that you have enough points to say something. Very often your partner will pass, choosing to defend. It will be much easier to score 4 or 5 tricks defending, than to make 11 tricks playing with some trump suit of your own.

If instead you held a very shapely hand, with length in two suits, you would bid 4NT instead. Partner would then bid 5 of his lowest playable suit opposite such a hand, and you could hope to find your best fit.

Your result so far: