Support Doubles/Redoubles

Overview

Support doubles/redoubles are used by opener to show exactly 3-card support for responder's major suit.

Once a partnership agrees to play support doubles then using the bid to show 3-card support is opener's top priority.

The Specifics

• the bid is only used by opener, and only as his/her first rebid.
• it shows exactly 3-card support for responder's major suit.
• if opener has 3-card support and has the option to double/redouble, that must be his/her first rebid [but see below].
• as the support double/redouble is opener's first priority, failure to make the bid [or take alternative action that shows better then 3-card support] means that opener has at most two cards in responder's major suit.
• both the double/redouble itself, and the failure to double/redouble where this was possible, are alertable.
• the support double/redouble is unlimited within the context of a 1-level opening bid.
• the generally perceived wisdom is that  opener cannot use the support double/redouble where this would then force responder to the 3-level in order to play in his/her suit at the minimum level. The NJL-suggested wisdom is at variance with this: after an opening of 1-minor, pass, 1♥, 2♠ for example, I think opener can still double to show 3-card support in hearts, but will be strong enough to stand 3♥ from responder [or whatever] where the latter is minimum. In this situation then, opener is not obliged to double with 3-card support, and passing does not deny 3-card support.
• although opener may for example have a long suit of his/her own, using the support double/redouble takes priority with 3-card support. Remember that this bid is virtually forcing, so there'll be a subsequent opportunity for opener to express other features of his/her hand, particularly when it turns out that there's no 5-3 fit in responder's major suit.
• the one occasion when opener may well suppress 3-card support for responder is when he/she has a very balanced hand and a useful holding in RHO's suit. In that case a no-trump rebid may make more sense, and it could well be that a final contract of 1NT is the place to play.

The Subsequent Auction

One beneficial aspect of the support double/redouble is that it's only made in one situation, i.e. opener's first rebid after RHO has bid, and that it conveys just one very precise message. Subsequent bidding is completely natural. Following opener's support double/redouble, responder will clarify his/her hand: whether the original 1-major showed a 5-card suit [or longer], whether he/she is interested in progressing beyond the 2-level, etc.

References

Googling Support Doubles will bring up quite a few articles, predominantly American in origin. These are useful, but we have to bear in mind that they're against a background of a strong no trump and 5-card majors.

The 'Debate' in the October 2011 edition of English Bridge between Jeremy Dhondy and Richard Fleet was on support doubles. Click Support Doubles Are a Good Convention for a copy of this article.

Go to the Members Only section of the Burnham web-site and click on Members Facilities, from where you can access the seminar material on this subject as presented by, well, me.