Bridge

The question of when to make a penalty double of a contract you know you can beat is a tricky one. Often you find that your opponents will play the hand better as a result of your double — and once in a while they may escape to a safer spot.

On today’s deal North-South had bid to six hearts, and West, clearly suffering from an itchy trigger finger, decided to double. South perceived that the double might be based on good hearts, so elected to run to six no-trump. When the final contract was not doubled, he perked up a bit.

On the lead of the club queen to the king, declarer played a diamond to dummy’s ace, then ran the spade 10, covered by the queen and king. From that point onwards, the deal was an open book. South now peeled off the rest of his spade winners, followed by his three remaining diamond winners, reducing to a four-card ending.

He had kept one club and three hearts in hand and in dummy. In turn, West was forced to keep three hearts, so he too could retain only one club.

Declarer cashed dummy’s club ace to remove West’s exit card. Now the heart 10 to West’s queen endplayed West, who had to lead a heart into declarer’s tenace for a magnificent score of 1440.

At the end of the deal, West, if no wiser, was certainly sadder; but all of you out there will be able to grow wise at his expense.

Bid with the aces

South holds:

Answer: Bid three diamonds, since your partner’s double is responsive, value-showing and primarily for takeout, but suggesting the minors rather than hearts. With hearts, he would have bid the suit by now — because you have already implied length there — so you should bid your better minor.