Bidding Over Interference: A Complete Guide to Competitive Auctions

Your partner opens 1♥, and before you can even organize your thoughts, your right-hand opponent barges in with 2♣. Suddenly the auction isn’t the nice, orderly conversation you planned. Welcome to competitive bidding—where opponents interfere with your auction, and you need a whole new playbook.

Bridge bidding over interference transforms straightforward auctions into tactical battles. When opponents compete, everything changes: the meaning of your bids, the values you show, and the strategies you employ. Understanding how to navigate these contested auctions separates average players from strong competitors.

What Changes When Opponents Intervene?

The moment an opponent makes an overcall or takeout double, the rules of the auction fundamentally shift. In an uncontested auction, you might respond to 1♥ with 1♠ holding just 6 points. But after an overcall, that same bid shows real values—typically 8-10+ points.

Why the difference? When you’re bidding in a competitive auction, you’re no longer obligated to respond with garbage hands. If partner opens 1♥ and RHO overcalls 2♣, you can simply pass with a weak hand. The auction won’t die—either partner gets another turn or the opponents buy the contract. This freedom to pass means that when you do bid, you’re making a free bid that shows genuine values.

The intervention also creates new bidding tools you didn’t have before. Redoubles, negative doubles, and cuebids suddenly appear in your toolkit. These conventional bids help you describe hands that would be difficult to show otherwise. A hand with 10+ high-card points but no clear direction becomes a redouble. A hand with length in an unbid major becomes a negative double. The competitive auction demands precision and flexibility.

Perhaps most importantly, interference changes your strategic approach. You’re no longer just exchanging information with partner—you’re also trying to make life difficult for the opponents. Sometimes you’ll bid to push them too high. Other times you’ll pass and defend for a juicy penalty. Reading the competitive landscape becomes as important as knowing your system.

Free Bids: Showing Real Values

When partner opens and your RHO overcalls, any bid you make is a “free bid.” You weren’t forced to keep the auction alive, which means you’re volunteering information about a decent hand.

Standard free bid ranges:

Simple suit bid at the one-level: 8-11 points (e.g., 1♦ - (1♥) - 1♠)
Simple suit bid at the two-level: 10-12 points (e.g., 1♥ - (1♠) - 2♣)
Jump raise: 10-12 points with 4-card support (e.g., 1♠ - (2♣) - 3♠)
1NT response: 8-10 points with stopper(s) in opponent’s suit

The key principle: if you’re bidding voluntarily in competition, show constructive values. Don’t stretch. Partner will rely on your strength promises when deciding whether to compete further or defend.

Consider this auction: 1♥ - (2♣) - ?

With ♠K742 ♥Q8 ♦J963 ♣1052, just pass. You don’t have enough to make a free bid, and that’s perfectly fine. Partner will get another turn.

With ♠KQ42 ♥J8 ♦K963 ♣1052, bid 2♥. You have 9 points and 2-card support—enough for a free raise showing 7-10 points.

With ♠AQ42 ♥108 ♦KJ63 ♣952, make a negative double (covered below). You have 10 points and want to show your spade suit.

The beauty of free bids is their clarity. When partner knows you have real values, they can make intelligent decisions about competing higher, doubling opponents, or settling for a part-score. Don’t abuse this trust by stretching with junk.

Redoubles: Flexing Your Muscles

When partner opens and your RHO makes a takeout double, the redouble screams one message: “We have the balance of power!” A redouble shows 10+ high-card points and suggests your side can probably penalize the opponents somewhere.

The classic redouble auction: 1♣ - (Double) - Redouble

This says: “Partner, I have a good hand—at least 10 points. Let’s see where the opponents run, and we’ll either double them for penalty or bid our own game.”

After you redouble, the usual approach is to pass on your next turn if the opponents bid a suit, allowing partner the opportunity to make a penalty double. If partner can’t double (wrong shape or weak holding), they’ll bid their own suit or notrump, and you’ll continue toward your own contract.

Key redouble principles:

Shows strength, not fit: You might have a hand with no support for partner’s suit. The redouble just says you have points.
Creates a forcing auction: After your redouble, both you and partner are committed to bidding again unless you double the opponents.
Suggests penalty interest: You’re hoping to collect 500 or 800 from doubled opponents rather than making your own part-score.

Example: Partner opens 1♦, RHO doubles, you hold ♠AQ87 ♥KJ4 ♦72 ♣Q1053.

Redouble! You have 12 HCP. If LHO bids 1♠, you’ll pass, and if partner can double with ♠Kxx or better, you’ll collect a nice penalty. If partner can’t double, you’ll compete naturally toward your best contract.

The one downside of redouble is that it doesn’t show shape well. If you have a clear fit (4+ card support for partner’s major), many experts prefer an immediate raise rather than redoubling, even with 10+ points. The redouble is most useful with balanced or semi-balanced hands where you’re still exploring.

Negative Doubles: The Swiss Army Knife

The negative double might be the most valuable tool in competitive bidding. After partner opens and RHO overcalls, a double is “negative” (takeout-oriented) rather than penalty through a certain level—typically 3♠ or 4♥ depending on your agreements.

The negative double solves a critical problem: how to show unbid suits, especially majors, after an overcall.

Classic negative double auction: 1♣ - (1♠) - Double

This shows: “Partner, I have hearts! Probably at least 4 cards, and enough values to bid—typically 8+ points at the two-level, 6+ at the one-level.”

Negative double requirements:

After 1♣/1♦ - (1♠) - Double: Promises exactly 4 hearts (with 5+ you’d bid 2♥)
After 1♣/1♦ - (1♥) - Double: Promises exactly 4 spades (with 5+ you’d bid 1♠)
After 1♥ - (1♠) - Double: Shows support for the minors, denies 3-card heart support
After 1♥/1♠ - (2♣/2♦) - Double: Shows both unbid suits or the unbid major

The beauty of negative doubles is their efficiency. Instead of needing enough strength to bid a new suit at the two-level (which would require 10+ points), you can show that suit via double with just 8 points.

Consider: 1♦ - (1♠) - ?

Holding ♠87 ♥KJ94 ♦Q103 ♣A852, you want to compete in hearts but don’t have enough to bid 2♥ freely. Double! This shows your 4-card heart suit with enough values for partner to bid 2♥ if they have 4 hearts or 3-card support.

Common mistake: Forgetting that negative doubles are still available even after RHO overcalls in notrump. After 1♥ - (1NT) - Double, you’re showing general values (often a penalty-oriented hand that wants to defend), not a negative double showing the minors.

One critical point: negative doubles promise unbid suits, not necessarily support for partner. If you double 1♦ - (1♥) - Double, you’re promising spades—you might have zero diamonds. Partner must understand this distinction when continuing the auction.

Cuebids After Interference: Power Moves

When partner opens, RHO overcalls, and you bid the opponent’s suit, you’re making a cuebid. This artificial bid shows a strong hand (typically 11+ points) with good support for partner’s suit but asks for more information before committing to a level.

The cuebid is essentially a limit raise or better—showing strong support but not yet clear if you belong in game.

Standard cuebid auction: 1♠ - (2♣) - 3♣

This says: “Partner, I have a limit raise or better in spades—at least 11 points with 4+ card support. I’m exploring for game but need to know more about your hand.”

After your cuebid, opener describes their hand:

Minimum opening (12-14): Sign off in 3 of the major
Sound opening (15-17): Jump to game or make a help-suit try
Extras (18+): Cuebid or explore for slam

The cuebid is particularly valuable after major-suit openings because it distinguishes among various raises:

Simple raise (1♠ - (2♣) - 2♠): 7-10 points, 3+ card support
Cuebid (1♠ - (2♣) - 3♣): 11+ points, 4+ card support, game interest
Jump raise (1♠ - (2♣) - 4♠): Weak/preemptive, 5+ trumps, minimal defensive values

By having these three distinct raises, you can describe your hand accurately and reach the right contract more often.

Example: 1♥ - (2♦) - ?

Holding ♠A4 ♥KJ85 ♦73 ♣Q9642, bid 3♦ (cuebid). You have 11 HCP and 4-card heart support. If partner has a minimum, you’ll play 3♥. If partner has extras, you’ll reach game. The cuebid gives partner the space to describe their strength.

Some partnerships use “Western Cuebid” (1♥ - (1♠) - 2♠) to show a limit raise, while others use it to ask for a stopper for 3NT. Make sure you and partner are on the same page!

When to Pass for Penalty

One of the most satisfying moments in bridge is passing an opponent’s bid for penalties and watching them go down three doubled. But knowing when to defend rather than compete requires judgment.

Classic penalty pass situations:

After partner’s takeout double: If RHO bids a suit and you have length and strength in that suit (typically QJxx or better), pass for penalty instead of bidding your own suit.

Example: 1♦ - (Double) - Pass - (1♠) - Pass - ?

Partner’s double showed shortness in spades and support for the other suits. If you hold ♠QJ1096 ♥K4 ♦753 ♣A82, pass! You have partner’s spade shortness sitting over RHO’s spade length—a classic penalty position.
When opponents compete to your level: If you open 1♠, LHO overcalls 2♥, partner raises to 2♠, and RHO competes to 3♥, sometimes the winning action is to double with strong hearts rather than bidding 3♠.
After you’ve shown strength: If you’ve redoubled showing 10+ points, and opponents crawl into a suit where you have unexpected length, passing partner’s penalty double (or doubling yourself) often yields the best score.

When NOT to pass for penalties:

When you’re short in their suit and long in a suit partner doesn’t know about
When you have a known 8+ card fit and they’re outbidding you (usually better to compete)
At unfavorable vulnerability (they’re not vulnerable, you are)
When your trumps are soft (xxxx is usually not worth defending)

The penalty pass is an advanced weapon, but when deployed correctly, it turns losing boards into huge wins. The key is recognizing when the deal “belongs” to the opponents and when they’ve ventured into dangerous territory.

Example Interference Auctions

Let’s walk through some complete auctions to see these principles in action.

Auction 1: The Negative Double

West opens 1♦, North overcalls 1♠, East holds ♠75 ♥KJ94 ♦Q83 ♣A652.

Bidding: 1♦ - (1♠) - Double - (Pass) - 2♥ - (Pass) - 4♥

East makes a negative double showing 4 hearts. West, with 4-card heart support and a sound opening, jumps to game. Without the negative double, East couldn’t show hearts economically.

Auction 2: The Cuebid Power Raise

West opens 1♥, North overcalls 2♦, East holds ♠A4 ♥KQ85 ♦73 ♣J9642.

Bidding: 1♥ - (2♦) - 3♦ - (Pass) - 4♥

East’s cuebid shows limit-raise values with 4-card support. West, with any reasonable opening, accepts the game try.

Auction 3: The Penalty Pass

West opens 1♣, North doubles (takeout), East passes, South runs to 1♠.

West holds ♠A4 ♥K862 ♦Q93 ♣KJ84 and passes.

East holds ♠QJ1096 ♥73 ♦A82 ♣1073 and passes for penalty!

Bidding: 1♣ - (Double) - Pass - (1♠) - Pass - (Pass)

East’s penalty pass, with strong spades sitting over South’s spade bid, turns a making contract into down two.

Auction 4: The Redouble

West opens 1♦, North doubles, East holds ♠AQ87 ♥KJ4 ♦72 ♣Q1053.

Bidding: 1♦ - (Double) - Redouble - (2♣) - Pass - (Pass) - Double - (Pass) - Pass - (Pass)

East’s redouble shows 10+ HCP. When South runs to 2♣, East passes, and West doubles for penalty. The opponents go down two doubled—much better than East-West’s likely 1NT contract.

Common Mistakes After Interference

Even experienced players stumble in competitive auctions. Here are the traps to avoid:

1. Bidding with weak hands: The most common error is forgetting that you can pass. After 1♥ - (2♣) - ?, you don’t need to scrape up a bid with 5 HCP just because you have three hearts. Pass is often the winning action.

2. Negative doubles without proper shape: Doubling 1♦ - (1♠) without four hearts leaves partner guessing. If you have clubs or balanced values without hearts, look for other calls.

3. Failing to penalize: Many players are too eager to bid their own contracts when defending would score better. If you have unexpected length in opponent’s suit and partner has shown values, consider defending.

4. Confusing cuebid meanings: Make sure you know whether a cuebid shows a limit raise, asks for a stopper, or serves another purpose. Partnership disaster often follows cuebid mix-ups.

5. Making free bids without values: Don’t stretch to compete with weak hands. If you need 10 points for a free bid at the two-level, don’t shade it to 7. Partner will rely on your promises.

6. Ignoring vulnerability: At favorable vulnerability (you’re not vulnerable, they are), compete more aggressively. At unfavorable, be more cautious. A 2♠ contract down one is fine when they can make 3♥, but not when doubled down two is -300.

7. Competing to the three-level without a fit: The Law of Total Tricks suggests you should have an 8-card fit before competing to the eight-trick level. Don’t push to 3♥ with only a 7-card fit unless you have extra values.

The path to competitive bidding mastery starts with solid agreements, continues through disciplined application, and culminates in thoughtful judgment. When opponents interfere with your auctions, treat it as an opportunity rather than an annoyance. With the right tools—free bids, redoubles, negative doubles, cuebids, and penalty passes—you’ll turn their interference into your advantage.

Ready to test your competitive bidding skills? Check out our interactive quizzes and practice hands to reinforce these concepts.