Lead-directing doubles

When your opponents are pursuing a game or slam, you can double one of their bids, which may be artificial, to suggest an opening lead. Lead-directing doubles have possible drawbacks: They give the opponents extra bidding options, and there is the possibility of a devastating redouble.

In the Soloway Knockout Teams at the Fall NABC, a four-handed non-sponsored team, Simon Cope, Ishmael Delmonte, Finn Kolesnik, Kevin Rosenberg — the latter two players barely out of the junior ranks — had mounted a huge rally to win their semifinal match and faced Paul STREET in the final.

STREET should have been out of the event, having lost an earlier match. But a young opponent had briefly but indiscreetly activated his cell phone after he became dummy on the final deal. When STREET found that they had lost by 1 IMP, they belatedly had a 3-IMP procedural penalty imposed, changing the result of the match. Many people viewed that conduct as reprehensible and unsporting.

Today’s deal helped COPE. At one table, North-South for STREET played at four spades, making six, plus 480. In the replay, where North for COPE opened two clubs and South responded two diamonds, West threw in one of those doubtful lead-directing doubles. North redoubled, all passed and West led the ten of spades.

Declarer could have made two overtricks. He actually settled for one, but plus 760 was still worth 7 IMPs to COPE. And, believe it or not, COPE gained major swings on the final two deals to cap another remarkable comeback and win the event.

South dealer

Neither side vulnerable