BRIDGE

When the opponents seem determined to declare in a suit our side has bid naturally, I usually vote for letting them do so, doubled for blood if we seem to have sufficient values.

Okay, South's opening bid was a member of the “Short Club Brigade” and only semi-natural as it could be based on as few as two cards in the suit but didn't bar South from having a lot more clubs.

West just couldn't wait to barge in and tell his partner that he, West, had a lot more clubs than South (not exactly the music East wanted to hear!).

Preceded by North's value-showing negative double, East then introduced spades and allowed South to contribute a penalty double that the spadeless West ran from to what he hoped would be the safety of his long club suit. Ha!

Some safety! If One of North or South had realized that West was far from safe, they might have tacked on yet another penalty double. And why not as both North and South had lots of defensive assets in the red suits and even a club honour each – where was West going to find nine tricks?

Instead, South introduced hearts at the last hurdle and after North's optimistic raise, it was East who contributed the final penalty double (very good bid!).

Ace and a club ruff, two top spades and a spade ruff and one more club for East to use the Jack of hearts to establish one more heart trick for the defense.

Down three for -500 instead of the +500 North-South might have recorded for a penalty double of their own!