Support double
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- This article concerns contract bridge and uses terminology associated with the game. See Contract bridge glossary for an explanation of unfamiliar words or phrases.
The Support double is a bridge convention invented by Eric Rodwell as a way of clarifying the amount of support held for your partner. It is normally used by the opening bidder in a competitive auction. The support double shows three-card support, no more and no less.
The convention came as result of the problem that, in competitive auctions, the opening bidder would often like to show 3-card support for partner's suit, but distinguishing between 4-card and 3-card support is important. 4-3 fits ("Moysean fits") don't play as well as real, 8+-card fits. Those situations occur more frequently than the hands where the opening bidder would like to bid a penalty double over a 1-level overcall, thus the idea of replacing that "standard" usage with the conventional one.
Take the following auction:
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| pass | 1♣ | pass | 1♥ |
| 1♠ | double | pass | 1NT |
| pass |
Playing support doubles, North, the opener, has shown three-card support for South's 1♥ call. This is important because South might only have four hearts. Based on his no trump, it can be assumed that he probably doesn't have 5 or more hearts.
Support doubles are not normally used by the partner of an overcaller as the assumption is that the overcaller must surely have at least 5 cards in the suit he has bid. As such a simple raise is normally sufficient for people with support. In such a situation, a double by the partner of the overcaller would be treated as either a Rosenkranz double or a responsive double based on partnership agreement.
In ACBL tournaments support doubles must be indicated on the card and must be alerted. Additionally when the person takes an action other than a support double when the support double was an option, an alert should be made as the implied agreement between the partners is that the bidder must have 0-2 card support or he would have taken a different action. Most bridge clubs require a partnership to employ active ethics and the partnership should disclose all relevant agreements to the opponents. Secret conventions are not allowed.
Hand in hand with the support double is the Support redouble which also shows three card support. Examine this auction, which is similar to the one above.
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| pass | 1♣ | pass | 1♥ |
| double | redouble | pass | 1NT |
| pass |
North has shown three-card support for South's heart suit and South has declined to bid 2♥.
If your LHO opens 1 of a suit and partner overcalls and RHO bids also, a double by you shows 10+ points and 3 or more card support (this is a modification of a normal support double)
