You may have been taught the following: if you double an opponent’s opening bid, your partner replies with a one-bid and you rebid something else, you’re showing a powerful hand. It ain’t necessarily so! As dealer, the opponent seated at your right (RHO) opens 1H. Your hand:

♠️K Q x x

♥️ x

♦️ A Q J x x x

♣️ Q x

With 14 HCP, you feel compelled to act. Partner and you could well hold the balance of power. But what to bid? Your diamonds are certainly strong enough for a 2♦️ overcall. The problem is that partner could well hold four spades, and a 2♦️ overcall may cause you to miss an eight-card major-suit fit. A double over 1♥️ has definite advantages because both diamonds and spades will be in play. The big disadvantage is the possibility of a club advance. Your club support is woefully inadequate, and you’ll have nowhere to go. Right?

Not so, not when partner and you agree to play “equal-level conversions” (ELC). If partner advances clubs, correct to 2♦. You’ve promised a suit good enough to play on its own at the two level, but you do so without promising extra values. Your values are no greater than those of the dealer. Basically, 2♦️is meant to play.

When converting to 2♦️after the initial double, you can be sure to have chosen the best of all worlds. Since partner could not advance spades, 2♦️rates to be the best spot.

Partner’s hand:

♠️ x x

♥️x x x x

♦️ x x x

♣️ A x x x

If partner advances clubs over your takeout double, you convert to 2♦️. Since your partnership plays ELC, 2♦️ should end the auction. 2♦️ rates to produce a plus score. If partner and you play ELC, all bidding doors will remain wide open.

Will you lose the ability to make a power double, whereby a double with correction shows a big hand rather than equal values? Absolutely not! When partner advances clubs after your initial double, convert to diamonds at the three level. Bid 3♦️ instead of 2♦️ to show the following hand:

♠️A K x x

♥️ x

♦️ A K J T x x

♣️ K x

Since now you promise extra values, play at the three level shouldn’t be a problem. Opposite partner’s hand, I see 10 tricks: two spades, six diamonds (five diamonds in hand; one diamond ruff in dummy), and two clubs. And if partner just happened to hold a more promising hand, introducing diamonds at the three level will not prevent our bidding game in notrump or diamonds.

Let’s look at one more hand.

As dealer, RHO opens 1♣️. Your holding:

♠️ A x x x

♥️ A K Q J x

♦️ x x

♣️x x

With 14 HCP and such nice majors, you cannot pass. But what to bid with a hand so clearly oriented toward the majors? If you overcall 1♥️, you will find a heart fit if there is one.

But what about spades? Locating a fit in spades will be very difficult after the 1♥️ overcall. How to keep both majors in play? Pure and simple, make a takeout double despite the doubleton diamond. If you play ELC, your double will not be a problem. If partner bids 1♦️, convert to 1♥️ to show five or more good hearts and values no greater than those of the opener.

Yes, you could have overcalled 1♥️ directly without the double; however, the spade suit would not have been in play. Is a power double possible? Of course! If partner advances in diamonds, introduce hearts at the two level to show a long, strong suit and 18+ in HCP.

Nowadays more bridge players seem to be using double with correction as a means of showing a long, strong suit without promising extra values. Why? In point of fact, this treatment can serve to describe a number of hands impossible to describe otherwise.

Do advocates of ELC have to give up the power double? No! With extra values, convert partner’s advance to a level one higher than normal. Since you now promise extra stuff, play should be comfortable; moreover, game will remain in the picture when partner has a strong enough hand.

To review, if you make a takeout double, partner bids something at the cheapest level possible, and you rebid at the same level as partner, you’re showing an opening hand and nothing more. Your bid isn’t forcing.

Jim Kaplan is the Gazette’s bridge columnist. He can be reached at [email protected].