[Trinidad]

Zelandakh, on 2014-February-21, 09:15, said:

What would double (of an artificial overcall) mean in this defensive method of yours? Even if this is takeout it seems to be a LA to pass intending to compete with 2NT over 2M so as to reach the better minor fit. If penalty (original Lebensohl) then we have a whole new set of questions to ask of the N-S agreements.

I just assumed Penalty.

West doesn't have a penalty double of a 2♦ bid showing both majors, so he wouldn't double when assigning an AS.

The fact that he didn't double the (supposedly natural) 2♦ at the table doesn't mean that EW weren't playing penalty doubles. If you were playing a penalty double of 2♦, would you double at the table? I wouldn't since I would be sure North would run to a major, and probably make (possibly doubled).

But as I said, these were assumptions, more to illustrate my opinion on how the process should go. (I can only make assumptions about the player's agreements, but the TD can ask the players.)

Rik

[Zelandakh]

I don't think I would play a penalty double in that spot but if it were, for example, showing long diamonds and a compeitive hand then there are worse calls available to West. If West were to be able to double then whether 2♦X becomes a possibility depends on whether North's pass shows a willingness to play there or no preference between the majors. The point is that there are plenty of reasons why West might well pass or double and this might lead to N-S playing in diamonds and thus achieving a worse score than the table result with East passing.

[Trinidad]

Zelandakh, on 2014-February-24, 11:56, said:

I don't think I would play a penalty double in that spot but if it were, for example, showing long diamonds and a compeitive hand then there are worse calls available to West. If West were to be able to double then whether 2♦X becomes a possibility depends on whether North's pass shows a willingness to play there or no preference between the majors. The point is that there are plenty of reasons why West might well pass or double and this might lead to N-S playing in diamonds and thus achieving a worse score than the table result with East passing.

I think we already agreed that (practically) all roads in the AS lead to a worse result for NS than the table result (which was already pretty bad).

Rik