Meckwell Escapes
When our opening 1NT bid is doubled, either by the LHO or the RHO, and the Responder has <10 HCP, we can use a more sophisticated, and more complex, agreement to escape. That agree,emt is the Meckwell Escapes, named after the well know national partnership called Meckwell. That agreement is as follows:
Opener: 1NT LHO: Double :Responder (partner): ??
Escape bids: Pass Responder has a 5 card minor or 2 4 card majors, request opener bid 2C 2C Responder has 4C and a higher 4 card suit 2D Responder has 4D and a higher 4 card suit 2H Responder has 5H 2S Responder has 5S
If Responder passed, and there is no intervening bid by opponents, opener bids 2C. If that is the minor suit held by Responder, Responder will pass. If Responder holds a 5 card Diamond sit, the Responder will bid 2D. If Responder has 2 4 card majors, Responder will bid 2H and opener can pass or correct to 2S.
If Responder bids 2C or 2D, if opener is happy with it opener passes. Otherwise opener bids the next higher suit and Responder either passes or corrects to the actual other suit.
If Responder bids 2H or 2S, opener passes.
This agreement is guaranteed to find a 7 card trump fit at the 2 level, and often an 8 card fit. Of course if the opponents intervene with a bid, then the opener and Responder shut up! The partnership is now out of trouble and has escaped!
Occasionally it will be the RHO of the opener who will double after opener’s partner has passed. In this case opener passes, and if LHO passes, Responder executes the same agreement except that a pass is replaced by a redouble. In this case the redouble cannot mean partner has 10+ HCP because it that were so partner would have bid the first time rather than pass.
