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ArtK78, on 2012-February-07, 12:35, said:
It is almost the same as playing takeout doubles at the one-level. Sometimes RHO opens 1♠ and you hold the KQJTxx of spades. I don't think anyone will argue that a double of 1♠ should be for penalties (although that was true in the early years of bridge - and I may be talking about auction bridge - unfortunately, I lost my authority on the early days of contract bridge a couple of years ago).
Hi Timo
You don't have to go back as far as the 'early days' to find when doubles of overcalls were played as penalty. The negative double was invented by the Edison of the bridge world, Alvin Roth. I am not sure exactly when he came up with it, and it wasn't as we now use it, but it would probably have been in the late 1950's. Early on they were often referred to as Sputnik doubles....a reference to the Soviet satellite that prompted the US to embark on the race to the moon. I think Sputnik was late 1950s but I'm too lazy to look it up.
Ok, maybe that seems like the early days
I collect bridge books, and generally look only for books published before 1940, so I have a distorted view.I have a 1948 BW in which the nationals in Miami were covered....Roth is identified as a young up and comer, who suggested that maybe an overcall of 2N over 1M should show both minors.....this was the invention of the unusual 2N, and many more inventions were to follow..some of which never caught on (1M 2M was STRONG), some of which had a niche following for years (the R-S sound 1st and 2nd seat opening bids) and some of which are commonplace.....5 card majors, forcing 1N response, negative doubles, etc.
