(07/06/2014) by Roberto Martiniano Figueira de Mello for the Federacion Brasilera de Bridge
ler em Português: Click Here
In the recent South American Bridge Championship (May/2014), the players in the South position (Vul against NVul) received the following hand: 
A J 7 4 
A Q 8 7 5 
A 6 5 3.
The dealer was Este, and he opened 1. With this three coloured hand: 0454 and 14 HCP, Southe has to say something, in this case for me the best bid is 2. The bidding continued:
| Oeste | Norte | Este | Sur |
| 1 |
2 |
||
| 4 |
Pass | Pass | ?? |
The question that arises at this point is what do the reader say with the South hand?
Unlike the takeout double, simple interference naming a suit has an upper limit defined. I think that the most popular maximum is 17 HCP. North passed, his hand was something undefined and vulnerability was disadvantageous (VUL against NVUL). A priori, the one who overcalls with maximum force should talk again. In my opinion there is no alternative, the player who makes a simple intervention naming a suit with a maximum, in this case with three offensive tricks (three aces), should take the risk and reopen with double to reveal this condition to his partner. Now North must make the final decision: to penalize or to declare another contract.
These were the four hands:
| K 7 4 10 3 J 9 6 5 3 Q J 2 |
||
| A Q J 9 8 5 3 2 6 2 10 2 7 |
10 6 K Q 9 8 5 K K 10 9 8 4 |
|
| A J 7 4 A Q 8 7 5 A 6 5 3 |
South reopening bid with double es really advantageous. 4 NV is one down (50), but in 5 Vulnerable you can make 12 tricks. Some of the players which reopened with double, played 5 doubled, they make an extra trick and scored (950).