Bridge players at the Tisbury Council on Aging celebrated the third annual Rosemary Taylor Day on July 26. A popular player who used to say, “It’s a Bidder’s Game,” Taylor (July 29, 1923-July 9, 2009) would have loved seeing those words on the cake served in her memory last week. She’d also have loved seeing 10 full tables, with hand records available afterward under www.mvbridgefiles.com.

But most of all, she’d have loved that the game in her honor unveiled some useful conventions. Here’s Board Nine, with North dealing and East-West vulnerable:

NORTH

♠ K 10 3

♥ K 3 2

♦ A 5 4 3

♣ K 4 3

WEST                      EAST

♠ Q 9 7 6 5              ♠ J 8 2

♥ A 10                     ♥ Q 8 7 4

♦ K J 9                    ♦ 10

♣ A Q J                    ♣ 10 8 6 5 2

SOUTH

♠ A 4

♥ J 9 6 5

♦ Q 8 7 6 2

♣ 9 7

The bidding proceeded as follows:

North             East             South             West

1♦                  Pass             1 ♥                 1 ♠

2 ♥                All Pass

Opening lead: ♠6

North’s raise was risky, since South could (and did) have just four hearts. Even with optimal play, 2♥ should be down one.

Enter the support double. When you open in a suit, partner bids a new suit and your right-hand opponent overcalls in a third suit, a support double by you promises three-card support for partner’s suit. Let’s see how the auction would proceed using a support double:

North             East             South             West

1♦                  Pass            1 ♥                  1 ♠

DBL              Pass             2 ♦                 All Pass

And 2 ♦ should make. Incidentally, if West had doubled, a redouble by North also would have shown three-card heart support.

Board 12 unveiled another useful convention, the “responsive double.” When your left-hand opponent opens in a minor suit, your partner doubles and RHO raises the suit, a responsive double by you shows both majors. Here were the hands, with West dealing and North-South vulnerable:

NORTH

♠ A 9 6 5

♥ Q J 8 2

♦ 10

♣ A Q 8 3

WEST                       EAST

♠ K 2                         ♠ Q 8 4

♥ K 6                         ♥ 9 7 3

♦ K 8 4 3                   ♦ Q J 9 7 6 2

♣ K J 6 5 4               ♣ 2

SOUTH

♠ J 10 7 3

♥ A 10 5 4

♦ A 5

♣ 10 9 7

An optimum auction would proceed as follows:

West            North             East             South

1 ♦              DBL               3 ♦*             DBL

Pass            4♥ /4 ♠ **      All Pass

*Weak

*Pick stronger suit — not an easy choice here!

In this auction, 4 ♠ will make four and 4 ♥ five. There’s another use for responsive doubles. If West bids one of a major and East raises it after North’s double, a responsive double by South shows both minors. Rosemary Taylor would enjoy such spirited competition. As she always said, it’s a bidder’s game.