Italian maestro Andrea Manno read the play well in this deal from the 2025 Copenhagen World Bridge Tour event.
After North doubled the one-spade opener, Manno had little choice but to respond one no-trump (which, in practice, has to be wide-ranging, given the paucity of options). After a minor-suit opener is doubled, the no-trump advance does suggest a moderate hand, maybe 7-10 high-card points, since advancer has other options available to him. So perhaps North’s drive to game was hasty here.
Knut Blakset tried the sneak attack of a diamond against three no-trump, so dummy’s king scored at trick one. Manno then cashed five rounds of clubs, throwing two spades and a diamond from hand, as East shed hearts and West a couple of spades.
West was known to hold five spades based on his opening bid, together with three clubs and presumably length in diamonds — why lead from a three-card suit? Manno therefore inferred a singleton heart on his left, which was likely to be an honor, given East’s silence in the bidding. He accurately led dummy’s heart two next, flushing out West’s ace. Now, no matter which way the defense turned, declarer could not be denied nine tricks: a spade, a heart, two diamonds and five clubs.
A low spade was led to the same contract next door. Denmark’s Dorthe Schaltz overtook dummy’s spade nine with the 10 to lead a heart up, after which she easily came to nine tricks.