Thursday, November 28, 2002 4:07 PM

DONT Rescues

PITBULLS :

Occasionally your 1NT overcall or 1NT opener gets doubled for penalties . Having a partnership understanding for rescue sequences might let you wiggle out of trouble . The DONT rescue seems to be the most popular and its quite simple . Its based on the redouble showing a single suited hand and a pass showing good values. This inference means that a direct bid must show 2 or more suits . This starts a “scramble” as you bid your lower ranking suit first . This understanding can pin point the 2 suits if a 1NT overcall has been doubled .

1NT

1♠ DBL Since diamonds is the lower ranking suit , partner has diamonds &

hearts. Redouble just shows 1 suit remember .

2♦

Some partnerships go to more lengths to show which suits rounded or pointed . A direct bid shows the rounded suit and passing then pulling partners forced redouble shows the pointed suits. The pass forces a redouble . This is necessary to expose the openers psyche or punish the opponents indiscretion .

The redouble is the best part of the rescue sequence . Not only does it identify the single suited rescues it gives the 1NT bidder a chance to rescue to her own long suit rather then bidding 2♣ . This can be very helpful on a lot of hands .

1NT xx KJx AKJ10x KJx Bid 2♦ instead of 2♣ . Much better then 2♠ doubled ( hard to double also )

1♥ DBL

RDBL Jxxxxx xx xx xxx

1NT doubled with a marginal dummy is not easy to play against expert defenders . It is best to get out to a suit somewhere . The contentious point of the rescue sequence is if the pass should force a redouble by partner . 1NT doubled might be a nice spot to play the hand and you do not want the opponents to disturb it . The forced redouble will give the opponents a second chance to think about it . With weak NT’s the forced redouble is a must as responder to the NT can have many ranges of opening hands. Playing strong NT’s , the forced redouble is a partnership decision as theoretically two hands have already announced 30 points between them and missing game is a rarity . The doubled overtricks will compensate anyway . Perhaps you do not have the values to punish them if they escape .

There is another place you need to play rescues. When partner doubles 1NT for penalty and you do not have enough to leave it in. I play the obligatory 2♣ scrambling bid. This means pull partner and I may not hold any clubs.

There are some hands that fall through the cracks with DON’T rescues . xxx xxxx xxx xxx and the auction goes 1♠-1NT-X-? . It makes good Bridge sense to have the partner that is “more in the know” to make the decision to escape. I feel a pass with this hand is just giving up. Partner will not rescue herself if you pass as you are captain of the ship. I feel you should bid 2♣ as showing clubs and a higher ranking suit and let the scramble begin. If 2♣ gets doubled and partner makes no move, a SOS redouble is in order. !NT doubled is not the place to play these hands.