| Excellent Lead Directing Double |
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This hand is the highlight of Michael and Barbara's successful day at the county's 2013 mixed teams championship. An excellent double from Barbara ensured the contract was not given away on the opening lead and eventually led to declarer's defeat for a game swing.
So what does East's double mean? It is lead directing asking partner to lead dummy's club suit, so he duly lead the 3♣. This was won by the J♣ followed by a switch to the 5♥. Declarer put in the 10♥, and was forced to win in dummy with the A♥ when it was covered by the J♥. He now tried a finesse of the J♦ and West won with the K♦. The defence needed a further trick and West did well to exit with the 9♥. Declarer now found no suit was breaking kindly and ended one down, losing 3 club tricks plus a couple of tricks from the other suits.
If Barbara had not doubled the contract would have been given away at trick 1 after a normal heart lead. The hand record though indicated that the hand can still be made double dummy even with the club lead. I doubt any declarer would find it though. At trick 2 the declarer must not put in the 10♥, but a small heart and allow the trick to be won in dummy with the A♥. He needs to strip West's hand of clubs and spades, so at trick 3 declarer must lead a club! whilst in dummy to force East to win with the K or A♣. Declarer must discard the small spade. East now does best to switch to a heart. Winning the third club is no good as it sets up a winning club on the table with the Q♦ as an entry. Declarer wins with the K♥, cashes two top spades to leave only hearts and diamonds in West's hand. Now a small diamond to the Q♦, which must be ducked by West, then a diamond return to the 9♦ secures the throw in. West's subsequent exit must provide the critical 9th trick for declarer in either hearts or diamonds.
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