Part-score penalty double

[sdebois]

Playing SA, I recently sat south at a matchpoint tournament:

[tt]

W/N-S

 

 K Q 4

 T 9 7 4 2

 T 8 5 4

 J 2

 

 p - 1NT - p - 2D*

 p - 2H* - p - p

 2S - p - p - DBL

 a.p.

 

 * Transfer

[/tt]

 

Comment on my final double, please (intended and understood as penalty).

[luis]

With 14 cards you have a very good chance to score the last trick for down 1 and it will be very difficult to squeeze you.

The problem is that if declarer has only 12 cards he might have just a few losers.

[lenze]

Assumming your hand to be something like

 

K Q 4

T 9 7 4 2

T 8 5

J 2

 

I believe your double to be unsound for several reasons.

 

1) You have no surprises for declarer. He knew he was missing the KQ of trumps when he bid.

 

2) Asumming 15-17 NT range, if partner has only 15, this is nobody's hand. Your goal should be any plus. If, however, partner has 16 or 17, this is your hand and your goal should be the largest plus. Doubling 2S and beating it one will only yield 100. That does not beat your 110 for 2H or 120 for 2 NT. I believe I would bid 2NT , leaving partner the option to try 3H. CHANGE the vulnerablity to the opponents being RED, and a double becomes quite attractive. Plus 200 will easily be your largest plus

[JRG]

I have never understood the auction, though I have encountered it:

 

1NT - Pass - 2D - Pass

2H - Pass - Pass - 2S

Pass - Pass - 2NT ...

 

Presumably the 2NT bidder's auction shows a hand that does not expect to make game (he originally passed 2H). So what does this 2NT bid show? If it is an expectation of making 2NT, then what are the odds of the opponent making 2S?

 

If I expect partner to take 8 tricks in NT on a spade lead, then I think I'd rather try for 6 or 7 tricks on defense against a spade contract -- doubled of course.