The same play from the other side

Tom McMakin, one-time CEO of Great Harvest Bread Co., said, “Equal participants doing similar things will generate lots of new ideas.” Or, sometimes equal participants doing similar things will copy an earlier idea.

Yes, this is yesterday’s deal rotated by 90 degrees. This time, East doubles five spades instead of bidding six hearts. How should the defense go after West leads a heart?

South might have bid four spades immediately over one heart. When he bid one spade, though, West reasonably pre-empted with four hearts. Normally, this would have included at least five-card support, but you may have only four when holding a void. North rightly advanced with four spades. Then, when East bid five hearts, South, not sure who could make what, opted for five spades. Finally, East, with soft values outside hearts, doubled.

West led his highest heart to deny an honor in the suit. East won with his king and had an easy shift to the club queen. South ducked that, hoping it was a singleton, but East continued with his second club. West took that trick and led a third club to permit his partner to overruff the dummy for down two. Plus 500 was an 80 percent score.

How is this similar to anything? Because yesterday we looked at the best defense against hearts, which involved North’s winning the first two tricks with his diamond honors, then leading a third diamond to promote his partner’s trump queen as a trick.

One play is an overruff and one a promotion, but both result in an “unexpected” trump trick for the defenders.