ACES ON BRIDGE

Our final example of lead-directing doubles features the anti-lead-directing double. Here you double a cue-bid in a suit you yourself have previously shown to suggest that partner should not lead that suit — in other words, to ask for an unusual lead rather than the default.

East regrets overcalling one heart as the auction progresses, for he no longer wants a heart lead. North’s ill-advised cue-bid allows East the chance to make an anti-lead-directing double, which West can figure is asking for a diamond lead.

The diamond 10 holds the first trick, and West continues with the diamond nine, again ducked in dummy. East takes the second round of diamonds perforce, and South pitches a spade. East exits with a spade, and declarer wins in dummy to play a third diamond. East cashes his last diamond winner and exits in hearts.

Declarer wins in hand, cashes his spade king, pitching a heart from dummy, and now has an inferential count on the hand.

Diamonds and spades are counted out, East having five cards in total in those suits. Since the play in hearts thus far argues that East has only five, that leaves him with three clubs.

Declarer can advance the club queen, which most human Wests will cover. If so, declarer can finesse against the club 10 on the next round, coming to one diamond, four clubs and two tricks in each major. If West can bring himself to duck the club queen, South will have to steel himself to lead a low club from his hand to drop the king.

ANSWER: Top cards are all the more valuable when facing a preempt. Raise to four hearts and expect partner to have decent play for his game, either by setting up the diamonds. If the opponents bid four spades, you will have another decision to make. I would probably double.