A negative double is similar to a takeout double, except that it is bid by the responder in a competitive auction. It shows that you would like to bid a suit, but that you have insufficient length or strength to do so.
Showing a Major Suit. If only one major has been bid, a negative double promises the other major. For example:
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Since a bid of 2 requires 5 hearts and 10 points, responder must either have only 4 hearts or have less than 10 points (or both).
Here is another example:
1 (1) Dbl: Promises 6 points and exactly 4 spades. |
Since responder could bid 1 with five spades, the double promises exactly four.
Which Major?
If there are two
unbid majors, a double at the 1-level shows both:
1 (1) Dbl: Promises 6 points with 4 hearts and 4 spades. |
However, a double at the 2-level could show one or both:
1 (2) Dbl: Promises 8 points and a 4-card major. |
Required Strength.
  You only need about
response strength to make a negative double:
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Showing a Minor Suit.
If there are no
unbid majors, a negative double must show a minor suit:
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However, you should not double with a single 4-card minor. You really ought to have:
A good 5-card (or longer) minor, or
Four cards in both minors.
When is a Double Negative?
A double is negative
when:
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In particular, a double is not negative if anyone has bid notrump, and a double is not negative after a Michaels Cuebid or Unusual 2NT overcall.