BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA Q 6 5

u4

vK Q J 9 3

wQ 5 2

WEST EAST

xJ 10 9 8 x3

uA Q 10 9 7 uJ 8 5 2

v6 4 2 v10 8 7 5

w10 w9 8 6 3

SOUTH

xK 7 4 2

uK 6 3

vA

wA K J 7 4

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w 1u 2v Pass

2NT Pass 3x Pass

4x Pass 5w Pass

5v Pass 6x Pass

Pass Dbl Pass Pass

6NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Jack of x

“Some are born great ... others have greatness thrust upon them!” South, destined for a one-trick set by a bad trump break at six spades, was rescued by West’s greedy double.

More than 70 years ago, Theodore Lightner suggested that the double of a freely bid slam should be strictly lead-directing. If your side has bid a suit, the double asks for the lead of some other suit; if not, it asks for dummy’s first-bid suit; if dummy did not bid a suit, then a suit bid by declarer other than trumps.

North-South conducted a rather lengthy auction to reach their second-best slam. West doubled on the theory that the defense would come to one trick in each major no matter what the lead. That was not necessarily accurate, since any lead other than a heart would give declarer time to draw three rounds of trumps, then discard three hearts from the closed hand as West ruffed with the master trump — and the double theoretically asked for a lead other than a heart.

That all proved to be incidental. South pulled the double to six no trump, a contract West wisely refrained from doubling. The damage had been done. West elected to lead the jack of spades and declarer quickly wrapped up the slam with an overtrick, scoring three spades and five tricks in each minor.

2009 Tribune Media Services