Life on the Edge
The auction by NS might start slowly but it escalates after South's 2S opening is passed round to East who bids 3C.
Board 11 from Wednesday 14/08/2019
Dealer S Nil Vul
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K94
864
AQJT72
QAfter that, when both South and West pass, North won’t sell out and has a perfectly good raise to 3S, a bid North might have considered in the first round. East should double when North bids 3S. This double is not a penalty double but shows extra values and a very specific hand, but that sort of inferential stuff is a bit esoteric. Then West would bid 4C and North might continue to compete, by bidding 4S. East would then double again and this time it would be a penalty double; East having such great defensive cards. That would come to nought if South is a competent declarer, because South would then actually make the doubled 4S contract with careful play, no matter what the defence does.
The play will be analysed in our Declare and Defend series but you can try replaying this board now by clicking here.
In the actual session at our club 4S was bid only once and declarer made. But others, in lower level spade contracts, failed to make more than nine tricks. One enterprising East made 4C, and there was another lesson there for both defence and declarer play.
