How to successfully double for penalties

The wide-spread of take-out doubles (or negative doubles, support doubles,…) in competitive auctions does not exclude that you double the opponents for penalties – with the ulterior motive of increasing the cost of undertricks, but also to give a heads up to partner that, from your point of view, the contract will go down, let’s look at the different mechanisms that govern these situations, while differentiating, if necessary, the double of part-scores from the double of game contracts as well as the penalty double of suit contracts from No-Trump contracts.

Summary

1- The penality double of suit contracts
2- The penalty double at No-Trump
Practical exercices
Declarer play

1- The penality double of suit contracts

Principle (1)

When the opponent doubles an opening bid for take-out and responder redoubles (showing 10+ HCP), all Doubles by opener or responder are for penalties, independent of the level. Against a part-score contract, the penalty Double indicates at least four good cards in the opponent’s suit. At game level, we are obviously less demanding. The message brought across is simply that, from the doublers’ point of view, there is nothing better to play

Responder

For penalties.

Opener: