PHILIP ALDER

John A. Shedd wrote, “A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are built for.” When an opponent pre-empts, and you enter the auction, you are hoping to find a safe harbor, a contract that can be made. Sometimes, though, you have to guess well.

Look at the South hand in today’s diagram. After two passes, West on your left opens two spades, a weak two-bid; your partner makes a takeout double; and East raises to three spades. You pass, West passes, and North doubles again, promising extra strength. What would you do now?

With 9 points including two aces, your second pass was cautious. You might have doubled if it were for penalty (not responsive, showing length in two unbid suits). I would have leaned toward three no-trump with such strong spades in preference to four hearts.

Now, given a second chance, pass is your winning call. Your side can take three clubs (South pitches the diamond six), two diamonds and a diamond ruff. South then waits for two trump tricks for down four, plus 800.

As before, between three no-trump and four hearts, it is usually better to steer into the safer harbor of no-trump. Yes, it is unlucky that hearts are 5-0, but four hearts is not as good as three no-trump — although it is close.

Against three no-trump, West leads the spade king: heart two, spade two, three. West shifts to a club. After conceding a diamond trick, South has nine winners if he guesses clubs, taking one spade, four diamonds and four clubs.