Neither vulnerable. South deals.

April 10, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

NORTH

uK J 4 2

vQ 5 4

wK J 9 8 5

WEST EAST

xJ 2 x9 8 3

u9 7 5 3 u10

vA K J 10 8 2 v9 7 6 3

w7 wA Q 10 3 2

SOUTH

xA K Q 10 7 6 5

uA Q 8 6

vVoid

w6 4

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

2x 4v Dbl 5w

5x Dbl Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Seven of w

You can find many ways to send information to partner during the auction. Some are obvious; others require some intelligence to send and to read. Consider this deal from an international pairs championship.

South’s two-spade opening bid was intermediate, showing a good hand with a good six-card or longer suit. After West’s weak jump to four diamonds, North doubled to show values and East made a lead-directing bid of five clubs. South showed his suit and West, who was about to lead a club, and wanting to make sure that his partner returned the suit, rather than fearing a doubleton and switching to diamonds, doubled!

East got the message. He won the first trick with the queen of clubs, cashed the ace and continued with a third club. If West had started with three trumps to the jack, there was no way for declarer to make the contract. On the bidding, though, East was more likely to have spade length than West, which made him a favorite to hold the jack. So declarer ruffed with the ten — down one.

2009 Tribune Media Services