BORIS Doubles
from the 03-01-2002 Fireside
If playing Support Doubles North-South might be in
trouble over 2 here. This is especially true
if North-South play that South must double 2 with 3
Hearts--that is, that passing
2 would deny 3
Hearts here. If South is not able to pass to
show a minimum here North-South may be heading either
for game or, since a Support double doesn't
suggest the unbid major, a 4-3 Heart fit rather
than the ideal 4-4 Spade fit.
Regardless of whether we decide to play
Support Doubles, then, we should never agree
that Opener is forced to bid with 3-card support
and a minimum.
If South is free to pass here, North can
balance with a double and North-South will stop at the
two level--maybe even in two Spades. North
might double 2 with 3-5 rather than 4-4 in the
majors, so South may baulk at 2 . But, at the
very least, N-S will stop at the two level
if South can make a minimum-showing Pass of 2.
On a good day, the auction might go:
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| --- |
--- |
--- |
1 |
| Pass |
1 |
2 |
Pass |
| Pass |
Dble |
Pass |
2 |
| Pass |
Pass |
Pass |
--- |
|
Let's add a King to South's hand and take
away that third Heart:
Over 1-Pass-1NT-2 South has a far less
comfortable pass of 2. South would like to
act, but cannot risk 2 in case North-South do not have
a fit there. Notice how "inconvenient" Spades
are here. Bidding them commits us past possible
stops in 2 and 2. If only double were takeout
without suggesting 3 Hearts! We could double
and still stop in 2, 2 or in 2 as appropriate.
A Support Double would certainly not help
here! Standard praxis is to play a double here
as penalty. That isn't helpful either. If we
pass with this fine hand, Partner may not
balance, may balance and then pass 2 or may
balance and raise 2 to 3, only to find us
with the original hand:
So we need the double of 2 here to show
extra values and, usually, 4 cards in that
"inconvenient" Spade suit.
But what if the 4th suit were the next
suit along?
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| --- |
--- |
--- |
1 |
| Pass |
1 |
1 |
??? |
|
If we had Clubs, we could simply bid
them and still stop in 2, 2 or 2 as
appropriate. Clubs, then, would be "convenient"
to bid here. Since we don't need the double to
be takeout here, it can retain its standard
meaning: penalty or "business".
This leads us to the BORIS double here:
"Business OR Inconvenient Suit". In other
words, unless the unbid suit is the very next
one up the line, doubles of the third suit
by Opener are takeout.
SORIS Doubles
Some pairs don't feel the need to have
a penalty double at the one (or two) level
here. Instead, they will play a double as
Support--but only when the unbid suit is the
next one along (i.e. "convenient") and only
with extra values.
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| --- |
--- |
--- |
1 |
| Pass |
1 |
2 |
Dble |
|
This would be penalty if playing BORIS
doubles (since we could easily bid 2 here),
but is a Support Double showing 3 Spades if
playing SORIS Doubles.
|
