In today’s deal, both Wests made a light two-level overcall, persuading their partners to double four spades. The declarers, Thomas Bessis and Simon Hult, both redoubled for blood, so there was much at stake.
Against Bessis, West led a heart. Bessis ruffed in hand and innocently offered up the diamond three. Had West played low, the plan was to take the diamond queen, offload two diamonds on the top hearts and then play a spade to the queen and ace before running clubs at East. Declarer would ruff the diamond return and lead a fourth club, discarding from dummy, after which East would score only one more trump trick. (A fourth heart could be ruffed in dummy.) However, West went in with the diamond ace to keep declarer from stealing a trick, after which there was no way for declarer to prevent East from scoring three trump tricks.
In the other room, Simon Hult received an intrepid diamond jack lead. He contributed the queen, threw two diamonds on the top hearts and then led a spade to the queen and ace. After crossing back to the club queen, Hult continued clubs. Alfredo Versace, East, ruffed the third round and made an uncharacteristic error by returning a diamond. Hult ruffed and led a fourth club, discarding dummy’s heart. Versace ruffed but was now endplayed. A heart return could be ruffed in dummy, whereupon declarer would lead a spade through East’s king.