Hand #24 was the first time that I had ever declared a redoubled contract. I had defended redoubled 1NT contracts twice, once with a catastrophic result and one with a spectacular result. If the contract is redoubled, one side or the other is almost guaranteed a top score.
Board #24
West dealer
Neither side vulnerable
| | North
♠ J
♥ 5 3
♦ J 10 9 6 5 2
♣ J 9 4 2
| | West
♠ 8 6
♥ Q 7 6
♦ A 8 7
♣ K Q 6 5 3
| | East
♠ K 10 9 4 3
♥ K 10 8 4
♦ K Q 4
♣ 8
| | | South
♠ A Q 7 5 2
♥ A J 9 2
♦ 3
♣ A 10 7
| |
|
| | | | |
| South | West | North | East |
| P | P | 1♠ |
| Dbl | Redbl | P | P |
| P | | | |
I was sitting East. Almost anyone would open my hand in the third seat. For some reason South doubled. The singleton diamond precludes this from being a takeout double. She is not quite strong enough for a "double and correct" hand, but even if she were, she cannot double because the suit that she would correct to was the one that I bid! So, she should definitely pass and hope that her partner could double.
My partner Ken had a clear redouble. He has more than ten points, and nothing more important to say.
North passed. This told everyone that she did not have a good hand. However, everyone already knew that. She has a better story to tell—that she has six diamonds. She should definitely have bid 2♦. Of course that would have been the last thing that South would have wanted.
I had a full opener, at least by my standards. I was pretty sure that I could find seven tricks opposite partner's 10+. I passed. To my surprise South also passed.
There was not much to the play. South started with a diamond, hoping for ruffs. I took the first trick on the board, and led a trump. When North played the jack without coercion, I pretty much knew where every card was. I drew no more trumps until the very end. I took eight tricks, which was worth 720.
I don't know how the bidding went at the other tables. I doubt that anyone else doubled with South's hand. If she had passed, Ken would have bid a semi-forcing 1NT. He could not bid 2♣ because we play that that would be a Drury bid. North would have passed. I probably would have bid 2♥, and we would have played it in 2♥, 2♠, or 2NT.
This hand has two important lessons. Off-shape (that is, without at least three cards in each of the unbid suits) doubles can easily lead to catastrophic results. The other is that advancer (doubler's partner), even with only three lowly jacks, should name a suit if the preference over the other two is strong. Although the redouble had let her "off the hook", North still had an important message to convey. South won't believe it, but her side's best suit is red and pointy.