Perhaps it's for the first time that Bridge Quiz is being offered for the benefit of the readers. Let's begin with a very simple situation. Your hand is: KJ8, Q976, KQ4, AJ6 and on RHO's weak 1NT (12-14). You can easily double as you have the suits well stopped plus more points than the opener. No problem. But what do you do with such a hand?
93, 84, AKQJ1043, 85. Do you still double and beat 1NT as you are on lead? The answer is No For there is no guarantee that after the double, the opponents will play in NT. What if they are in any other suit for which you have no defence. Again, what if the opponents reach game in spades or hearts and partner doubles on your strength. Again you don't have that strength as partner expects from the double. Although the hand temptingly calls for a diamond overcall but the best course is the pass first. If the opponents bid their suit, you bid yours. If not, 1NT is fine for you to down it with you on lead.
IN ANOTHER EXAMPLE, WITH THIS HAND:
93, A72, KQJ1086, A3. Your double would be appropriate with a running suit and 2 side aces. Again, if you are North and Partner opens 1NT with West doubling, what do you bid with following hands?
Did you pass on (i) on the illusion that with most of the points lying with N & S, INT doubled will make. That is just an illusion. For you hold kings and queens rather than aces, and these tricks need time to develop and if West, the doubler, holds a hand like the one given above with 93, A72, KQJ1086, A6, the slow tricks will fail to deliver. It will therefore be safer to play in the weak 5 carder suit.
In example (ii) North has no choice but to run to 2C but number (iii) is critical and rather difficult to bid. The safer action of 2D can pay off on a lucky day or could spell doom for the opponents on a pass. But the more reasonable bid is to pass and put the opponents 2 or 3 down with the diamond finesse likely to succeed, poised over the opener. Next we come to the position where sitting as East you hear the following bidding.
YOU HANDS ARE: On (i) the old notion of East running with a Yarborough hand no longer holds validity as it can lead to a four figure penalty. As East, pass is the less likely calamity with a hand as given earlier, if doubler has a running suit and side aces, 1NT doubled will fail and even if it makes, with overtricks, non-vulnerable, it could give at most a minus 380 or VUL 580 rather than the dreaded four figure penalty in 2S, if bid and doubled.
In hand (ii) 2C is appropriate as the lesser danger. But in (iii) your hand clearly calls for 4H bid, as in a doubled contract of 1NT passed, if partner does not lead hearts, declarer can nullify your strength by the hold-up play in hearts.
The lesson imparted by the above that needs to be remembered is that firstly, rarely should 1NT doubled be removed into your 4 card suit. Secondly, if at all inclined to remove 1NT doubled, remove it into a lower ranking suit so that if partner wants to introduce his suit, he can do so at the same cheaper level. Thirdly, never think of automatically leaving 1NT doubled in, because you are strong.
Playing a weak NT (12-14), players have to occasionally face an awesome penalty but a better system is the "Wriggle" Defence which simply says that with partner's 1NT doubled, you can redouble, requiring opener to bid 2C (a puppet maneuver). On a 2C re-bid by opener, responder can pass with club length or bid another 5 card suit. All other bids of 2C, 2D, 2H show the suit bid with a higher ranking suit. This is a system of Defence that helps your chances of escaping more often than not. So if caught in a tight spot, you can always wriggle out with a 'wriggle'.
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(i) Q8542, K104, 73, KQ2
(ii) 973, 843, A3, 97432
(iii) 65, 84, AKJ643, 974
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The Bidding:
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South West North East
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INT Double P ?
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(i) 7642, 853, 752, 932
(ii) 74, 853, 752, JI0943
(iii) 74, KQJ10853, 75, 92
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