West had crowded the auction sufficiently to jostle North-South into the inferior 5♣ contract. That would have failed by two tricks due to the unfortunate trump break. Was East content to write +200 (two down vulnerable) on his scorepad? No - he wanted every penny! East’s double sent a warning signal to North, with his bare ♣ suit. He wisely ran to his partner’s ♦s and West doubled with a shrug of the shoulders.

West led ♥A and continued with ♥K. Declarer trumped and led ♦7 to ♦5, ♦K and ♦2, and returned dummy’s ♦10 to ♦3, ♦8 and ♦A. West switched to ♠5 to dummy’s ♠A, but declarer trumped ♥J (avoiding returning to hand with ♣K which West would have trumped); he drew West’s last trump, ran his ♠KQJ and ♣AK. The doubled game was made.

East must have been kicking himself - he had been too greedy! The moral is clear….

ANDREW’S TIP: When the opponents are in the one contract you are confident of defeating, do not double or they may remove themselves to a contract you are not confident of defeating.