Question: East has 5 hearts. West doubles 2 spades from North. East assumes the double is a take out double and thinks West is encouraging hearts. Should East proceed with a 3 heart bid even though North has bid 2NT? Or should East pass?
Mark:
Competition at the 2 and 3 level can be a tricky game. Guesswork is common by both sides.
One of the most useful things that distinguishes a winning from a so-so partnership is a full understanding what a double means, especially at 2 of a major. My preference is just what W seems to have had in mind, a DSI double. (Do something intelligent.) It normally shows a willingness to defend or revert to partner's suit at the 3 level if necessary. It means that W has a hand sufficient to invite game (i.e about 10 or 11 points with pretty good, not necessarily overwhelming stuff in the opponent's suit, exactly this hand.
Some people play the double as strictly takeout for the remaining 2 suits. That would not fit here. I don't recommend playing it strictly for penalty, because if spades is the only place you want to play, you should probably pass and not risk having them escape to a safer place.
E-W did end up in a perfectly good contract, with a good
chance for an overtrick that will not be made at other tables, with the
help of free information North gives in the bidding and the likelihood of S
leading spades. Even if S doesn't lead spades on the go, they might switch to
spades later. Of course, the risky and probably unwise 2 spade bid by N gives
E-W an easy shot at a top board by doubling everything from 2NT onward. As E, I
would double 2NT. If S retreats to 3 clubs, W can double that for at least 300
points. It's always nice to get a top board rather than a very good one. That's
a sweet choice to have to make.
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