ACES ON BRIDGE
Change means movement. Movement means friction. Only in the frictionless vacuum of a nonexistent abstract world can movement or change occur without that abrasive friction of conflict.
— Saul Alinsky
Cecil Cook made a nice play to turn a potential bottom into a top on this hand from the 2000 Spring Nationals in Cincinnati. Cook was a former president of the ACBL and proved that it is possible to be both an administrator and a fine player.
South opened one heart in fourth position, which worked well when North raised. South could show his spades, and upon receiving some cooperation from his partner, he drove to a slam.
On a club lead, declarer won the ace, cashed the spade ace-king, and carefully ruffed a spade with the heart two. South wanted to know something about the location of the heart three or the heart six, should Cook (East) be able to overruff. Indeed, if he had overruffed with the three, declarer reasonably could have taken the winning line (ruff the fourth spade with the heart king, throw a diamond on the club king and finesse in hearts against the queen). However, Cook overruffed the spade with the 10, which persuaded declarer that West had both the three and six of hearts.
Accordingly, South opted to settle for the simpler line of drawing one round of trumps with the king, then trying to ruff a spade in dummy with the heart four. From his perspective, this line would fail only if the contract were unmakeable anyway — assuming the overruff was with a true card. But as the cards lay, that meant one down and a nice reward for Cook for the falsecard.
ANSWER: Double here promises four hearts in most partnerships. If that is the case, you must choose from a nondescript pass, an overbid of two clubs, and a raise to two diamonds, which overstates the extent of your support. Pass is probably best. You may be able to back in with an unusual two notrump if West raises spades. (As a passed hand, you would bid two clubs, of course.)