I found the bidding quiz most interesting.

The more clubs North has, the greater the chance that E-W have a 4-4 heart fit, but I am not sure how they could get to a heart contract now.

What would a redouble now by West mean?

Hi Jim2,

The doubler’s hand should look something like:

s. xx

h. KQ10x

d. QJx

c. KQJ9

Obviously others may have less to double than I would demand. My thinking (from experience) is that I would not expect much from partner’s 1 spade interference and therefore my double needs to be beefed up since I do not desire partner to TO unless he had something like KQJxxx in spades and nothing else.

If West, the 1NT bidder, redoubles it should be primarily SOS (because it would be inconsistent for it to have any other meaning) perhaps: Ax, K10x, QJx, Axxxx, but if the 1 diamond bidder redoubles he should expect to make the doubled contract and alert partner that the opponents are making a mistake.

This type of end fighting is not my cup of tea which causes me to try and avoid these situations when I can, but sometimes there is no choice. Even on this hand I would probably have overcalled 1 heart with the North hand on the 1st round.

I confess that I am still struggling with the quiz hands. With your postulated doubler’s hand, and West showing 13-14 with the 1NT rebid, that leaves just 3 or 4 points for East’s 1D response. With that weakness, I would have expected East to have long diamonds and have bid 2D instead of passing the double.

With your example redouble hand, I would expect West to bid 2D, instead, to escape into the only known fit.

My personal fear is that North is doubling on red queens and a semi-solid club suit and that West’s clubs are, say, Axx or Kxxx. In that case, I can see West scoring the KJ of spades, four hearts (N the danger hand), the diamond ace and a club for 8 tricks.

Part score battles can be excruciating.

Hi Jim2,

Assuming EW are not vulnerable East can have almost anything, even a zero pointer: Sxxx, xxx, xxxxxx, x when he elects to respond 1 diamond. However, after a penalty dbl of his partner’s 1NT he obviously would rebid his 6 card suit to get out of NT so on the example hand he probably has a balanced or semi-balanced 4-6 HCPs. But that is only assuming that I am the doubler with my conservative tendencies. There are a number of very good partnerships who go out of their way to play ultra aggressively and to make close penalty doubles. It’s fine when the hand is well placed for the doubling side and not so, when it isn’t.

My advice is not to concern yourself with it now, but if you develop a partnership with someone, please make sure that you discuss it with them, since that kind of knowledge is more important than selecting the conventions that your pair plays.