Negative Doubles

 by Larry Matheny

In 1957 the Soviet Union placed the first man-made satellite above the earth and named it Sputnik.  Soon afterwards another big breakthrough was made but this time on a smaller scale for mankind but huge for the world of bridge.  A new double was “invented” and it was also named Sputnik.  Its name was later changed to the Negative Double.

 

So while the negative double has been around for almost fifty years, it is still not completely understood by many of the players who use it.  Let’s start by looking at this auction:

 

 

North

East

South

West

1D

2C

??

 

 

South

S-AK43  H-KJ72  D742  C53

 

In 1956 an expert panel chose the following bids:

 

2D -   8

2H -   9

2S -   8

3C - 18

 

Today we can’t imagine introducing a four-card suit in this auction.  Since its inception, perhaps more than any other convention, the negative double has changed the way we bid.  With the hand shown above a negative double seems so obvious today that no other bid is probably considered.  Let’s take a closer look at the different ways the negative double is used and why it is so valuable.

 

One reason the negative double has become popular is because it solves this difficult -- and common -- bidding problem:

 

S-762   H-KQ75  D94   C-QJ93

 

Partner opens 1D and your right-hand opponent (RHO) overcalls 1S.  The overcall has taken away your 1H response, so you have no way to accurately describe your strength and distribution. 

 

 

You can't bid 1NT (which promises a spade stopper) and you can't bid a new suit at the two-level (which promises 10+pts.).

The solution is, of course, the negative double.  To use this convention, you and partner agree that if you open the bidding and the opponent makes a direct suit overcall, a double by responder is NOT for penalty.  Instead, it shows:

  • At least a fair response (7+ pts.) AND
  • Four-card length in at least one of the unbid suits -- usually the unbid major suit.  (Some pairs agree that if the two unbid suits are majors -- for example, after 1C by partner, 1D by RHO -- a negative double promises 4 cards in both suits.

In the problem above, you would double to show the values for a response and a four-card heart suit.  This tells partner that you would have responded 1H if the opponent had passed.  If opener also has four hearts, he'll "raise" your response by bidding hearts himself.  If not, he can choose another descriptive bid.

Here are some other examples of how you can use negative doubles:

S-K1063   H-762   D-K72   C-AJ7

 

If partner opens 1D and RHO overcalls 2C, make a negative double to show at least one four-card major.  If partner bids 2H, you can bid 2NT -- this shows an invitational-to-game hand with a club stopper, but without four hearts.  Since you started with the negative double instead of 2NT, partner will also know that you have a four-card spade suit.

 

S-96   H-KQ82   D-J2   C-AJ762

 

If partner opens 1C and RHO overcalls 2S, make a negative double to show four hearts.  In this auction you promise hearts and you MAY have diamonds.  If partner doesn’t bid hearts, you can later support clubs.   

Responder's Free Bids

Playing negative doubles also offers you the advantage of assigning a more specific meaning to the bid of a new suit.  After an opponent's overcall, if responder bids a new suit (instead of making a negative double), he promises a 5-card suit.  A new-suit bid at the 1-level shows 7+ pts, at the two-level or higher it shows 10+ pts.

 

 

 

 

S-QJ1073   H-874  D-A92   C-74

 

If partner opens 1D and your RHO overcalls 1H, bid 1S.  The overcall hasn't taken away your one-level response, so you have two ways to show spades in these situations, use the negative double to show a four-card suit.  Use the bid (1S) to promise a five-card suit (partner will know he can raise with three-card support).  However, if partner opens 1D and your RHO overcalls 2C, this hand isn't strong enough for a 2S free bid.  In this case, you'll have to use a negative double.  If partner bids 2D, you'll pass.  If he bids 2H, you can correct to 2S, which shows extra length and is not forcing.

Penalizing the Opponent's Overcall

What do you do when you have a "real" penalty double of RHO's overcall?  As responder, you can't make an immediate double for penalty, so you must pass and hope partner will bid again:

S-3   H-Q43   D-KQ1087   C-A754

 

If partner opens 1S and your RHO overcalls 2D, your only alternative is to pass (smoothly) and let partner bid for you.  If partner is short in diamonds (very likely), he'll reopen with a takeout double.  You can pass this double for penalties.

When is the Negative Double "off"?

You and your partner can decide at which levels of bidding you'll use negative doubles.  One popular agreement is that negative doubles are "on" if the opponent makes a suit overcall through the level of 3S.  If you use this agreement, negative doubles are "off" (responder's double is for penalty) if the overcall is 4C or higher.

No matter how you choose to play negative doubles, they apply only if the opponent overcalls a suit.  Responder's double of a 1NT overcall is always for penalty.

The higher the level of the overcall, the more strength responder needs to make a negative double.  If partner opens 1C and the opponent makes a jump overcall of 2S, you'll want to have a little extra playing strength (not necessarily extra points) to make a negative double, which will force partner to the three-level.

 

 

Opener's Rebids

After responder's negative double, opener must make a rebid that describes both his strength and his support for the suit partner has shown with the double.  In most cases, you'll bid your hand just as if partner had made a one-bid in that suit:

  • With a MINIMUM opening (13-15 pts.), make your natural suit or notrump rebid at a low level. If you have four-card support for the suit partner has shown with the double, you should always show it.
  • With an INVITATIONAL hand (15-17 pts.), jump one level to show extra strength (1C by you - 1H overcall - DBL by partner - P - 2S by you).
  • With a FORCING-TO-GAME hand (18+ pts.), jump to game.  (Or, if you're not sure of which game to play, cuebid the opponent's suit to force responder to tell you more about his hand.)

Reopening the Bidding

Remember that responder cannot make an immediate penalty double of an opponent's overcall.  If you open the bidding, your LHO makes an overcall and your partner passes, he may have a hand with strength in the opponent's suit.  If you're short in the overcaller's suit, you should try to "protect" partner by reopening the bidding for him.

S-AJ9   H-KQ72   D-A10542   C-9

 

You open 1D, your LHO overcalls 2C, and it goes Pass-Pass back to you.  You should keep the auction open with a balancing double, which is takeout.  If partner wanted to make a penalty double of 2C, he can pass.  If he didn't, he'll bid 2D, 2H or 2S.

Be careful about reopening, though, if you have length in the opponent's suit:

S-A3   H-K5   D-AQ1087   C-10754

 

You open 1D, your LHO overcalls 2C, and it goes Pass-Pass back to you.  With this hand, you should pass.  Your club length tells you partner wasn't waiting to make a penalty double of 2C.  It's more likely he passed because he's very weak.  Your shortness in the majors should make you suspicious that the opponents have a better trump suit, so don't give them a chance to find it.

 

 

 

 

 

We end with a quiz showing other examples.  Assume you use negative doubles through 3S.

 

 

PARD  RHO  YOU  LHO

   1H      2C      ??

 

1.  SQJ98   HK2   DK1098   C654           

 

2.  SQJ1098   HK2   DK108   C654

 

3.  SQ98   H6   DA9832   CKJ102

 

 

PARD  RHO  YOU  LHO

   1C      1S     ??

 

4.  S84   HAQJ87   DQ43   C876

 

5.  S9  HKQJ2   DAKJ987   C54

 

6.  SKJ2   H6542   DK87   CK53

 

 

PARD  RHO  YOU  LHO

   1S      3H      ??

 

7.  S72   H65   DAK1098   CKJ76

 

8.  S8    HKJ932   DA876   CQ109

 

9.  SKJ3   H9   DA765  CQ8762

 

 

YOU  LHO  PARD  RHO

  1C     1S      P        P

   ??

 

10.   S52   HAK87   DK87   CQ1096

 

11.   SA1082   HK65   D65   CAQ87

 

12.   SAQ3   HAK6   DK65   CK1098

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS

 

1.  Double – This is the classic negative double.

 

2.  Double – You are not strong enough to bid 2S.

 

3.  Pass – You will pass your partner’s reopening double and penalize the opponents.

 

4.  Double – You are not strong enough to bid 2H.

 

5.  2D -  Show your good diamond suit.  If you make a negative double and partner rebids 2C, you have no good rebid. 

 

6.  1NT – Yes, you can make a negative double but 1NT is a perfect description of this hand.

 

7.  Double – You may not have a fit but you must try.  Perhaps partner will pass for penalties.  Remember: sometimes preempts work.

 

8.  Pass –  Remember your double is for takeout.  You hope that partner can make a reopening double

 

9.  4S – Forget the minors and bid the major suit game.

 

10. Double – Partner may have a spade stack.  You must not lose the ability to penalize the opponents.

 

11.  Pass – You have too many spades and partner didn’t bid.

 

12.  1NT –  A trick question.  This has nothing to do with negative doubles.  You show a hand too good to open 1NT.