What type of hand are you describing in each of these auctions?
LHO Partner RHO You
(1) 1D
1S Pass 3D * DBL
* (Mixed raise)
(2) 1C Pass 1H * DBL
* (Shows 4+ spades)
(3) 1NT * Pass 2D ** DBL
* (12-14 HCPs) ** (Transfer to hearts)
The standard meaning for a double of an artificial bid is that it shows honor strength in the suit. It’s often intended as a request that partner lead that suit, but in some auctions, it sends a different message.
To be successful with these doubles, it’s important to distinguish between those whose sole purpose is to suggest a lead and those that show interest in competing for the contract.
The former are the classic lead-directing doubles that promise nothing more than potential tricks in the suit. They’re used in situations where it’s unlikely your side will declare and very likely that partner will be on opening lead. These include doubles of Stayman and transfer responses to strong notrump openers and doubles of high-level artificial bids (splinter raises, control bids, Blackwood responses).
The doubles in the auctions above, however, say more than just “Lead my suit, partner”. They may still show the suit being doubled, but they describe other features of your hand, too.
In Auction 1, if the opponents declare, partner would probably lead your suit anyway, so you don’t need the double just to show diamond honors. Instead, it should promise “good hand, good suit” – extra high-card values, extra diamonds and interest in declaring if partner has the right hand. You might hold ♠42 ♥A7 ♦KQJ953 ♣AQJ .
This double has the same general meaning as it would if your RHO had cuebid 2D instead of 3D (discussed in the February issue). You’ll want to have a bit more strength for a 3-level double, but the main difference is that the mixed raise shows more spades (4+ cards) and less high-card strength (6-9 points) than the 2D cuebid. That weaker raise makes it more likely that your side has the balance of power and a good fit.
In Auction 2, your opponents are using a convention called “transfer responses” or sometimes “transfer Walsh”. RHO’s 1H says he would have responded 1S in standard methods. The best way to handle it is to use your double to say you would have overcalled 1H. This shows a heart suit and the values for a one-level overcall, but it’s not really a “lead-director” because it doesn’t promise any minimum honor strength in your suit. You might hold ♠AQ2 ♥Q10953 ♦K53 ♣53 .
If your LHO had opened a strong 1NT in Auction 3, the standard meaning for your double would be purely lead-directing, showing a diamond suit that wants the lead, but not necessarily a hand that wants to bid. Some pairs prefer to play this double as takeout of responder’s suit – in this auction, it would show heart shortness, length in the other suits and decent high-card strength. This “pre-takeout” is safer than waiting for the transfer to complete and then balancing later, but it reveals information about your hand that could be helpful to them if they declare.
Over weak notrumps
These meanings aren’t recommended if your opponents open a weak 1NT (any range that includes 12 or 13 high-card points). The fewer points opener has, the greater the chances that you and partner hold the balance of power and that this is “your” hand for a partscore or game. To find it, you need to have a double available to show strength.
After a weak 1NT opener, your double of an artificial response doesn’t describe length or strength in that suit or any other. Instead, it shows good high-card values (at least the top of their range), usually semi-balanced, and invites partner to compete for the contract or penalize theirs. In Auction 3 above, you might hold ♠AQ ♥1053 ♦Q1043 ♣AK86 .
© 2025 Karen Walker