Doubling for the right lead.
Bridge Column for May 17, 2002, Harvey Bernstein
Both sides vulnerable.  South deals.
                              North
                              S: Q 10 4 2         
                              H: Q J 2       
                              D: J 7 6 3     
                              C: Q 8     
            West                             East
            S: J 9 8 7 6                     S: 5   
            H: 10 9 8                        H: A 7 5 3    
            D: 2                             D: A K Q 10 9 5      
            C: K 9 4 3                       C: 7 2         
                              South                         
                              S: A K 3
                              H: K 6 4      
                              D: 8 4       
                              C: A J 10 6 5
          The Bidding:  
                  South    West    North    East                  
                   1C      Pass     1D      Pass
                   1NT     Pass     Pass    Dbl 
                   Pass    Pass     Pass
     This hand illustrates a point that is often overlooked at
the one level.  South decided that he should not open one no
trump with his hand.  He felt that one club would do a better job
of starting to describe his holding for his partner.
     The one diamond response is standard, although some players
will bypass a bad diamond suit in favor of showing a four card
major.  South's one no trump rebid limits his hand to fourteen
points (close on these cards) and denies a four card major or
diamond support.  This bid also tends to deny a six card club
suit.  West and North have nothing else to say.  East doubles one
no trump and everyone passes.
     When the hand was played, West led the seven of spades and
South took seven tricks to make his doubled contract.  In the
discussion that followed, West asked what he was supposed to have
done.
     When the defender who will not be on lead doubles a no trump
contract, at any level, he is telling his partner to lead the
first suit that was bid by dummy.  Either he needs that specific
suit led to defeat the contract, or he has enough cashing tricks
in his hand to defeat the contract with any lead.  
     Here, if West leads a diamond, East can take the first six 
tricks with diamonds.  West will hopefully signal correctly and 
East will lead a club to trick seven.  Declarer can take a club 
and four spades before giving up the lead to either defender, at 
which point they will be able to score the king of clubs and the 
ace of hearts for down two, or +500.  Since they can only make 
nine tricks in a diamond contract, this is a much better result.
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.