In auctions where the opponents are doing all the bidding, it’s easy to become bored and just wait for them to reach a final contract. It takes some effort, but if you use that “down time” to analyze the auction and picture the bidders’ hands, you may get a head start on making defensive decisions. And sometimes, you’ll find an opportunity to do something other than search for more Pass cards in the bidding box.
Lead-directing doubles help you communicate with partner and influence the play. In previous articles, we looked at the meanings of doubles of final contracts. Doubles during the auction are easier to interpret because they usually say “Lead that suit”. Here are common situations where you can send that message and tips for making your decision:
The lower the level of their artificial bid, the stronger the suit you need to double. A double of a Stayman response or 2-level transfer bid should promise 5+ cards and at least three of the top five honors. You can double with slightly weaker holdings, but it’s a gamble (going minus 760 is possible if the 1NT opener redoubles).
In borderline cases, look at your other suits. Over a Stayman 2C response, you don’t really want to talk partner out of his natural lead when you hold a hand such as ♠1092 ♥Q6 ♦Q103 ♣KJ874. Your entries (if any) are so slow that it’s unlikely you’ll be able to run the clubs, but your outside cards may be helpful in setting up partner’s suit.
A double of a high-level bid – a Blackwood response or control cuebid, for example – doesn’t require length or great strength. It shows the ace or king and a reason to believe that suit is the best opening lead. It may even be a holding such as QJx if RHO has shown a high honor and you want to help partner find a safe lead.
An exception is the double of a splinter raise or other shortness bid. After the opponents bid 1S-Pass-4C (singleton club and spade support), there’s little point in doubling unless your clubs are headed by the Ace-King or you just can’t stand any other lead. With the other honors likely to be on your left, asking for the lead of a suit where you have only one high honor will often help declarer.
You may want to consider playing “two-way” doubles of splinter bids. Vulnerable, your double is lead directing. Not vulnerable, it shows 6+ cards and suggests a possible sacrifice.
If the opponents cuebid a suit you’ve bid naturally, be cautious about doubling just for a lead. Partner will usually lead your suit anyway, so use the double to describe something extra. A typical auction:
You LHO
Partner RHO
1D 1S
Pass 2D*
RHO’s 2D shows a good spade raise. Your double here and in similar auctions is widely played as “good hand, good suit”, usually with extra length. It shows at least moderate extra values and encourages partner to compete. You might hold ♠A42 ♥KQ5 ♦AQ10965 ♣9 .
Some pairs prefer to agree that this double says “Don’t lead my suit”. This lets you warn partner when you’ve opened or overcalled a weak suit, but it forces you to pass or bid a risky 3D when you hold the above hand.
These doubles can be a big help to partner, but they can also backfire. In auctions where the opponents are cuebidding for slam, your double may allow them to save space by redoubling to show a control. Telling them where the high cards are in a critical suit can also talk them out of bidding a slam that would have failed on any lead.
Before making a lead-directing double, you want to be confident that the
information will be more valuable to partner than declarer. Always ask yourself
if the suit you’re requesting rates to be the best lead for the defense and –
perhaps most important – if it will indeed be partner who is on lead.
© 2015 Karen Walker