Situation: Your partner opens 1 Club and you hold:
ª xx
© AQ94
¨ Kxxx
§ xxx
You are set to bid One Heart when your RHO bids One Spade.
What do you do ? You can't bid at the two level without a five card suit and 10 points; you can't bid Notrump without a Spade stopper; etc. You're stuck. Enter the Negative Double, also known as Sputnick.A Negative Double is not a penalty double, but a takeout double showing the unbid suits, especially the other major. In the example above, it shows Hearts and (probably) Diamonds. It was developed specifically for this situation - the possibility of losing the Heart suit when Spades are the overcaller's suit.
However, it applies to all similar situations:
N
E
S
1§ 1¨ Dbl* "I have both majors, North" 1¨ 1© Dbl* "I have black suits, North" 1© 2§ Dbl* "I have Diamonds + Spades , North"
If you bid the other major rather than negative doubling, by implication you have 5 of the suit, not 4:
N
E
S
1§
1©
1ª
"I have 5 Spades, North"
1©
2§
2ª
"I have 5 Spades, North"
1©
2§
Dbl*
"I have 4 Spades + Diamonds, North"
Strength: 8 + HCP and the inability to raise or to bid freely at the two level, and any unbid major(s). Most often used for lack of 10+ points and/or a five card major suit.
Usage: Alertable. Used by virtually every advanced player. We use it "through 3 Spades". This means it's still a negative double even though the bidding is as high as 3 Spades:
After responder makes a Negative Double, opener bids according to his hand as described above.
N
E
S
1§
3ª
Dbl*
"I have 4 Hearts, North, even though East has preempted"
1©
3ª
Dbl*
"I have both minors, North"
However, when responder doesn't make a negative double, opener MUST:
Bid again, or
Double. This is a re-opening double, protecting partner with a trump stack in the overcaller's suit but unable to say "Double" because it would be Negative, not for penalty. This double may then be passed by responder for penalty.
The example sequence:
N
E
S
1§
2¨
P
East makes a weak jump overcall and South and West both pass.
???
The hands:
East
South
ª xx
ª Axx
© Qxx
© KJT
¨ AQJxxx
¨ KT9xx
§ xx
§ Qxxx
This is an important part of playing Negative Doubles that's often forgotten. It's the only way they work as it's the only way to be sure to penalize opponents making low level preemptive weak jumps or other unwise overcalls.
Example Negative Double Sequences
N E S 1ª 2§ Dbl* 2¨ P P South accepts North's preference to Diamonds.
1ª 2§ Dbl* Negative double. 2¨ P 3¨ South encourages North to go on if Clubs are stopped. 3NT North has Clubs stopped and tries game in NT.
N E S W 1¨ 1ª Dbl* 2ª Negative double P P Dbl P South encourages North to bid again. 3§ P P P Finding a good partial contract.
1© 3¨ Dbl P 3ª P 4ª South uses the Negative Double to find a major fit.
1§
1ª
Dbl*
P
The classic situation - saving the Heart fit.
3©
P
4©
Finding Hearts even with the Spade overcall.
1© 3§ P P South passes on the first round and . . . Dbl P P . . . leaves North's re-opening double in for penalty. South has a Club stack behind East.