'The most interesting questions from visitors to the Dutch sister site (Bridgevaria.nl)'. 

Dear Ed and Peter,

Please give me some tips on how to bid:
A After their 4♥/♠-opening?

B What is the meaning of South's double in:

¹ 2⁺ clubs

C And what is the meaning of South's double in:

¹ 2⁺ clubs

More specifically about South's double in B and C:
- Is it for penalties?
- Or does it show four spades?
- Or is it both (partner is to choose what to do)?
- Or does it show the other three suits?

What is the common approach here?

M. Smeets- Groen

Reply Ed Hoogenkamp (South)

Let me start by mentioning that in situations like these we simply can't be sure what the right thing to do is. There just isn't enough bidding space.

A Over their 4♥ opening the situation is basically different than after their 4♠ opening.
- Over their 4♠ opening 4NT is the ideal replacement bid for the take-out double, since it doesn't consume bidding space. The 4NT bidder has a two- or three-suited hand and requests his partner to pick a suit.
The consequence is that doubling the 4♠ opening shows points; usually partner will pass, unless he has a spectacular distribution.
- Over their 4♥ opening things are different. Now 4NT shows only the minor suits, since we do not go past 4♠ if we have a spade suit. So here the double should be rather more for take-out than showing points only. So we will double if we have four spades (but this does not mean the double promises four spades).
So over 4♥-double-pass-?? partner will be much more inclined to bid than over 4♠-double-pas-??

Let's skip your situation B for the moment and take a look C first, the reply will show why.
C I recommend that doubling 4♥ (or 4♠) here is not specifically for penalties. South shows points and, in principle, no length in the opponents' suit. After all, that is the sort of hand he will have much more often than hands on which he is keen to double for penalties.
In principle a double is therefore not for penalties here, but still partner will not always bid: passing with a balanced hand is certainly an option for him.

This leads to:

B Here South's double shows extra strength and denies length in the opponents' suit.
Partner will now pass if he has (some) length in the opponents' suit (after all, he couldn't double for penalties directly, see C). If he has no length in their suit, he will usually bid (but not always: if there is no good alternative, he will pass anyway).

Of course: these agreements hardly present watertight solutions, but that's how it is... After all, we're in a fix.

Now let's see how they handle this near the Arctic Circle...

Greetings from Barcelona

Reply Peter van der Linden (North)

The fjords and the eternally singing forests have little to add. Pre-emptive bids are meant to disturb our bidding. Usually with a lot of success. We have only a small amount of bids available and have to use these as efficiently as we can to describe many possible hands.

Therefore it is unsound to agree that a double is for penalties and shows four cards in the other major. After all: how often will you have such a hand?
Also over their 4♥/♠ overcall (B and C) we bid 4NT if we do not wish to defend. The meaning is: 'More than one suit'. Over 4♥ the bid shows two suits (the minors), over 4♠ it shows two or three (now hearts is possible as well).
A double, though never 100% for penalties (see Ed's reply) always leaves open the possibility of defending the doubled contract. A double of 4♥ is less 'penalty-ish' than a double of 4♠, since over 4♥ the double is the only way to end up in 4♠ if we do not have enough spades to bid that contract ourselves. Over 4♠ we always bid 4NT if we do not wish to defend.

Regards from Orkanger