This deal was from the Round of 8 in the 2015 Grand National Teams. South held:

 AK72  
 Q7  
 KJ964  
 Q6

With both sides vulnerable, she opened 1 and saw LHO overcall 1. Her partner bid 2 (5+, 10+ points) and RHO doubled. What does that show?

Most doubles are not alertable, so if you want to know, you have to ask. Upon asking, you are told this shows clubs with spade tolerance. Believe it or not, this kind of double is called "Snapdragon." Don't ask.

Not needing to make a bid (over the double), opener passed. LHO retreated to 2 and her partner cuebid 3. Now what? I'm not a fan of the term "Western cuebid." To me, this 3 bid doesn't really mean anything other than "forcing." As the partner of the cuebidder, with the opponent's suit stopped, I would usually go to 3NT. Here, opener does have spades well stopped, but some club concern. It's a tricky situation (maybe partner should "tell" and bid the suit he has stopped, since the opponents have shown 2 suits). Anyway, opener did try 3NT, but her partner removed to 5, the final contract.

The 8 is led and you see:

5  AKJ32  Q10532  73

AK72  Q7  KJ964  Q6

Thankfully, you have escaped a club lead, which would have cost you 2 fast losers with the A to come. Now, you can get rid of a club on the spades. What is your complete plan?

Does that heart lead seem strange? It should. Why wouldn't LHO have led his suit (or partner's clubs)? He must be leading a singleton. When the opponents lead your known side suit, it usually means it is because they have only one and are trying to get a ruff.

Can you do anything about it? The National champion who declared the hand didn't give it proper attention. She won the heart and played the AK throwing a club from dummy. Next came a trump, but LHO won the ace and put RHO in with a club to get a heart ruff for down one. This was the Real Deal:

Vull:Both Dlr: South	5  AKJ32  Q10532  73
J109843  8  A87  A98		Q6  109654  --  KJ10542
	AK72  Q7  KJ964  Q6

So, what could declarer have done? She had a very good option available. After winning the heart and playing the AK, she can be pretty sure that a diamond play won't work. The opening leader likely has more than one diamond. When the defense wins the A they are just about certain to get a ruff. On the actual deal, when West won the A, East encouraged in clubs, so West underled his ace to get his ruff for down one.

After the AK, declarer should play another spade. It is her legitimate chance. She is trying to cut communications and on this layout she would have succeeded. On the 3rd round of spades, the reaming club is discarded from dummy. If East can't win the trick (as here), West keeps the lead and gets only his A. Was it fortunate that East couldn't win (or trump) the third spade? Yes--but it was the bet chance.

At the other table, South played 3NT down 2, so making 5 would have produced a large pickup.