Three no trump, doubled, down three.
Bridge Column for February 21, 2003, Harvey Bernstein
Neither side vulnerable.  North deals.
                              North
                              S: Q J 5            
                              H: A K 5 3     
                              D: 10 7 6 2     
                              C: A 9     
            West                             East
            S: K 7 6 4 3                     S: 8 2        
            H: Q 8 7 6                       H: J 9 5      
            D: Void                          D: K Q J 9 8 3       
            C: K 10 7 3                      C: J 8        
                              South                         
                              S: A 10 9
                              H: 10 2     
                              D: A 5 4     
                              C: Q 6 5 4 2 
          The Bidding:  
                  North    East    South    West                  
                   1D      Pass     1NT      Pass
                   2NT     Pass     3NT     Pass
                   Pass    Dbl      Pass    Pass
                   Pass    
     This hand was dealt at a rubber bridge game and I held the
West cards.  
     When the defender who will not be on lead doubles a no trump
contract, the double asks partner to lead the suit first bid by
dummy, in this case, diamonds.  It works well when the defender
on opening lead has a card in the suit requested, which was not
the case on this hand.
     I placed the four of spades on the table and tried not to
look at my partner.  Declarer won the first trick in dummy and
decided that something good was going to have to happen in the
club suit in order for him to be successful.  To that end he
played the ace of clubs and then the nine.  East covered 
with the jack.  Declarer played the queen, and I won the king.
     Spades had not worked well so I led the eight of hearts in a
second attempt to get to my partners diamonds.  Declarer played
the ace from dummy and led a diamond to his ace.  A club went to
my seven and I tried the seven of hearts.  Declarer won the king
and played a spade to his ace.  Another club put me on lead and
my king of spades and queen of hearts cleared both of those suits
and I was able to take the rest of the tricks.
     The contract was down three for -500.  My partner, who
doubled this contract, took no tricks.  My eight point hand
accounted for seven defensive tricks.  Needless to say, partner
did not complain about my inability to lead a diamond.    
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.